Best Wood for Grilling Meat

Using the best wood for grilling meat will take your cooking to the next level. As the wood burns over hot coals, it releases organic compounds. These elements vaporize and give off great aromatics when cooking meat. Knowing which hardwoods work well with certain meats lets you bring out their natural flavors.

Why Use the Best Wood for Wood-Fired Grills?

Knowing what wood to use when grilling meat lets you control how hot your fire burns and how much smoke it produces. Different woods burn at different temperatures and produce varying levels of smoke. When you learn which wood works best for each type of meat, you can pair flavors that complement each other.

Each type of meat has different characteristics that affect how quickly it absorbs smoke. Fatter meats absorb wood flavors more. Lighter meats like chicken and fish absorb smoke faster and need a milder flavor to balance it out.

Wood Flavors When Grilling Meat

You can use many different wood flavors when grilling meat. They all vary in how hot they burn and how much smoke they produce. Woods can be broken down into mild, medium and strong. Learning how to control the amount of smoke will help you achieve the best results when wood-firing.

What Are Some Mild, Medium and Strong Woods?

Mild woods such as Alder, Apple and Maple will give off a light smoke with sweet flavors. Medium woods like Cherry, Oak and Pecan will have a well-rounded flavor profile and give meat a nice dark color. Strong woods such as Hickory and Mesquite have strong pungent smoke flavors.

What is the Difference in Smoke Intensity? 

Each wood has a different level of smoke intensity. High-smoke-intensity woods burn hotter and give off more heat. They also release strong aromatics that work best on thicker cuts of meat. Lower-smoke-intensity woods burn cooler and produce a light blue smoke.

What is the Best Wood for Steak?

When looking for the best wood for steak, use a dense hardwood. These woods will burn hot and give off strong flavors that pair well with beef. You want your wood to burn hot enough to create a good crust on your steak.

Hickory

Hickory is one of the most popular woods used for BBQ. It has a strong smoke flavor that goes great with fatty cuts of beef. Use hickory when you want to get a good amount of smoke flavor on your steak.

Oak 

Post Oak is the number one wood used for Texas-style BBQ. It has a mild smoke flavor that won’t overpower your steak. Oak burns hot and creates a good bed of coals. It will also give your steak a nice dark color.

Mesquite 

Mesquite is a great wood for searing steaks. It burns very hot and has a strong earthy flavor. Cook your steak quickly when using mesquite, or it will burn.

Tip: Make sure your wood is giving off light blue smoke. If you see white smoke, your wood isn’t hot enough and will leave a bitter taste on your meat.

What is the Best Wood for Pork? 

The best wood for pork has a sweet flavor. Pork is a fatty meat that absorbs smoke flavors quickly. Fruit woods give your pork a nice dark color and sweet flavor.

### Apple 

Apple wood is great for grilling pork. It burns hot and gives off a sweet flavor. Apple wood is mild, so it won’t overpower the pork. Use apple wood with any rub that has brown sugar.

Cherry

Cherry is one of the best woods for pork ribs. It will give your ribs a nice mahogany color. Cherry has a mild to medium smoke flavor that is slightly sweet. Use cherry wood when you want good color on your meat.

Pecan

Pecan is a good middle wood to use when grilling pork. It is a type of hickory, so it will have a stronger smoke flavor than fruit woods. Use pecan when you want to get a nutty flavor on your pork.

What is the Best Wood for Chicken? 

When choosing the best wood for chicken, use a light wood. Chicken is a light meat that absorbs smoke quickly. If you use a strong wood, your chicken will taste bitter and turn dark.

Apple is a good wood for chicken. It will give your chicken a sweet flavor and nice color.

Maple is another good wood for chicken. It has a mild smoke flavor that won’t overpower the meat.

Cherry is a great wood for chicken. It will give your chicken a nice red color and sweet flavor.

What is the Best Wood for Fish?

When grilling fish, use a light wood that won’t overpower the fish’s flavor. Fish is a delicate meat that absorbs smoke quickly. Use fruit woods when grilling fish to bring out their natural flavors.

Alder is the best wood for grilling fish. It has a mild smoke flavor that pairs well with most types of fish.

Maple is a good wood to use on fish. It will give your fish a light glaze and sweet flavor.

Peach and Pear are also good woods to use on fish. They have a light flavor that won’t overpower the fish.

How Do You Mix Woods for Different Flavors?

You can mix woods together to create different flavor profiles. Use a strong wood that burns hot, then add a mild wood to balance the flavors. This gives you a well-rounded flavor you can use on many types of meat.

Here are some wood combinations to try when grilling:

1. Use 2 parts post oak and 1 part cherry when cooking pork. This gives you a dark color and a light, sweet flavor.
2. Mix hickory and apple wood together when cooking chicken. This balances the strong hickory flavor.
3. Use mesquite and pecan when searing steaks. You will get high heat and a nutty flavor.

Wood Pairing Mistakes

Here are some mistakes to avoid when pairing wood with meat. Using the wrong type of wood can ruin your cook and leave your meat with a bad taste.

• Using soft woods with sap. Never use Pine, Cedar or Spruce when grilling meat.
• Wet wood creates a lot of white smoke and a bitter taste.
• Over-smoking will cause your lighter meats to taste bitter and turn dark.
• Not using enough wood. You need a good bed of coals to cook on. If your wood burns up too quickly, you won’t have enough heat.

Get the Most Out of Your Wood

Cooking over hardwood or softwood requires the right equipment to maintain consistent heat, control your fire, and bring out the best flavors in every dish. Whether you operate a small local restaurant or a high-end commercial kitchen, investing in a high-quality wood-fired grill can make all the difference in cooking performance and food quality.

Aztec Grill provides high-quality wood-fired grills designed to help restaurants achieve reliable results, exceptional flavor, and the performance needed for demanding commercial kitchens. Check out our commercial wood-fired grills to see what we have to offer.

FAQ

What is the best wood for grilling steak?

Dense hardwoods like Mesquite, Post Oak, and Hickory are best for grilling steak because they burn hot enough to create a good crust and impart strong, rich flavors that complement beef.

Can you mix different types of wood when grilling?

Yes, mixing a dense wood that burns hot (such as Post Oak or Hickory) with a lighter wood (such as Cherry or Apple) allows you to balance heat production and create unique flavor profiles.

Which woods should never be used for grilling meat?

Softwoods with sap—such as Pine, Cedar, and Spruce—should never be used for grilling meat, as they produce unpalatable flavors and dark, bitter smoke.