
The best Wood for Grilling Meat on the Barbecue can come from many different types.
Most grills and smokers use charcoal or gas to produce the heat. Adding wood chips adds to the flavour of the meat.
What to burn as a smoking agent: Deciduous Trees VS Softwood Trees
You can use wood for smoking meat on the BBQ but you can also get flavour from meat drippings, which are laden with fat, protein, spices, and even sugars from sauces and even from dried herbs.Each type of hardwood trees create different flavours for cooking meat, fish and poultry.To add taste to a charcoal barbecue, try some of these wood types. (For more information on charcoal grilling read this post).

Whiskey barrels made from whiskey soaked oak barrels, if you can get some are great. Jack Daniels makes a smoking wood from their barrels.
The best Wood for Smoking Meat on the Barbecue are hardwoods, deciduous trees which include fruit and nut woods, are the best woods for cooking.
Below are other Don'ts:
Wood Never to Use for A Barbecue
Not all wood can be used as a smoking agent.
Don’t use softwood such as pine, fir, spruce, cedar. They burn too fast, give off a lot of smoke and some say it can cause you to become ill.
- You can use wood for smoking meat on the BBQ but you can also get flavour from meat drippings, which are laden with fat, protein, spices, and even sugars from sauces and even from dried herbs.
- Each type of hardwood trees create different flavours for cooking meat, fish and poultry.
- To add taste to a charcoal barbecue, try some of these wood types. (For more information on charcoal grilling read this post).
- Wood log blazes as meat arrives on the grill.
- When smoking meat on the barbecue, having great quality meat helps!
- Choosing great cuts and, when possible, all natural meat makes it easier to prepare simple and quick delicious recipes.
- What to burn as a smoking agent: Deciduous Trees VS Softwood Trees
Below is a list of hardwood trees and their flavours
WOOD | WOOD FLAVOUR | MEAT TYPE |
ACACIA | SAME FAMILY AS THE MESQUITE. HAS A SIMILAR FLAVOUR BUT NOT QUITE AS HEAVY | GOOD WITH MOST MEAT, ESPECIALLY RED MEAT |
ALMOND | MILD AND SUBTLE | GOOD WITH ALL MEATS |
APPLE | FRUITY SMOKE FLAVOUR STRONGEST FLAVOUR OF ALL FRUITWOODS | GOOD WITH RED MEAT, POULTRY, GAME BIRDS, PORK, WILD BOAR |
ASH | FAST BURNER | GOOD WITH PORK AND POULTRY |
BLACKBERRY | LIGHT DELICATE FLAVOUR | GOOD FOR GRILLING POULTRY AND GAME BIRDS LIKE PHEASANT, QUAIL |
BUTTERNUT | BITTER USE COMBINED WITH ANOTHER WOOD | GOOD ON RED MEATS PORK,WILD BOAR, VENISON AND GAME MEATS BUT NOT POULTRY |
CHERRY | LIGHT DELICATE, SWEET | GOOD WITH ALL MEATS ESPECIALLY POULTRY AS IT TENDS TO TURN THE SKIN A DARK BROWN |
LEMON AND LIME TANGY CITRUS | NOT TOO STRONG WITH A HINT OF FRUITINESS | BEEF, BISON, VENISON, PORK, WILD BOAR, POULTRY |
MAPLE | MILDLY SMOKEY, SWEET FLAVOUR SUBTLE | BEEF, BISON, VENISON ,WILD BOAR, POULTRY, GAME BIRDS |
MESQUITE | STRONGER EARTHY FLAVOUR | BISON, VENISON , STEAKS, DUCK AND LAMB GOOD WITH MOST MEATS |
MULBERRY | MILD | GOOD WITH BISON, VENISON , BEEF POULTRY, GAME BIRDS PORK/WILD BOAR |
OAK | MILD | MILD RED MEAT, PORK, BIG GAME RIBS, BRISKET |
OLIVE | MILD | POULTRY/GAME BIRDS |
ORANGE | TANGY MEDIUM SMOKE FLAVOUR, FRUITY | BEEF, PORK, POULTRY.GAME BIRDS |
PEACH/PEAR | MILD SUBTLE | POULTRY, GAME BIRDS, PORK, WILD BOAR |
HICKORY | STRONG AND SWEET, HEAVY BACON FLAVOUR | PORK, RIBS, HAMS, AND POULTRY, BEEF |
PECAN | SWEET AND MILD WITH A FLAVOUR SIMILAR TO HICKORY | GOOD ALL AROUND INCLUDING POULTRY, BEEF, PORK TURKEY |
PLUM | MILD FLAVOUR | MOST MEAT – CHICKEN, TURKEY PORK FISH |
SASSAFRAS | MILD MUSKY SWEET SMOKE | BEEF, PORK AND POULTRY |
WALNUT | STRONGER THAN HICKORY MIX WITH A LIGHTER WOOD LIKE ALMOND/PEAR | GOOD ON RED MEATS, VENISON AND OTHER GAME MEATS NOT ON POULTRY AS IT CAN OVERPOWER THE FLAVOUR |
LEMON AND LIME TANGY CITRUS | NOT TOO STRONG WITH A HINT OF FRUITINESS | BEEF PORK POULTRY |
MAPLE | MILDLY SMOKEY, SWEET FLAVOUR SUBTLE | BEEF, POULTRY, GAME BIRDS |
MESQUITE | STRONGER EARTHY FLAVOUR | STEAK, DUCK AND LAMB – GOOD WITH MOST MEATS |
MULBERRY | MILD | GOOD WITH BEEF POULTRY, GAME BIRDS PORK |
OAK | MILD | MILD RED MEAT, PORK, BIG GAME RIBS, BRISKET |
OLIVE | MILD | POULTRY |
ORANGE | TANGY CIRRUS SMOKED MEDIUM SMOKE FLAVOUR FRUITY | BEEF, PORK, POULTRY |
PEACH/PEAR | MILD SUBTLE | POULTRY, GAME BIRDS, PORK WILD BOAR |
HICKORY | STRONG AND SWEET, HEAVY BACON FLAVOUR | PORK, RIBS, HAMS, AND POULTRY, BEEF |
PECAN | SWEET AND MILD WITH A FLAVOUR SIMILAR TO HICKORY | GOOD ALL AROUND INCLUDING POULTRY, BEEF, PORK TURKEY |
PLUM | MILD FLAVOUR | MOST MEAT – CHICKEN, TURKEY PORK FISH |
SASSAFRAS | MILD MUSKY SWEET SMOKE | BEEF, PORK AND POULTRY |
WALNUT | STRONGER THAN HICKORY MIX WITH A LIGHTER WOOD LIKE ALMOND/PEAR | GOOD ON RED MEATS, VENISON AND OTHER GAME MEATS BUT NOT ON POULTRY AS IT CAN OVERPOWER THE FLAVOUR |