Sunday Stove

The Best Wood Chips for Smoking

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Seven picks of wood chips and chunks from about $8 to $29, with the wood to use for brisket, ribs, chicken, turkey, salmon and steak.

By Nell Harlan · Updated Nov 6, 202630 bags compared

Dark ribs with a pink ring under the bark and chicken with deep brown skin don't come from the same wood. If you're not sure where to start, get the Western variety pack. It's about $29 for four bags: apple for chicken, hickory for ribs and pulled pork, cherry for turkey and color, and mesquite for a steak. That's enough to find out which smoke you like before you buy a big bag of anything.

For brisket, buy the B&B post oak chunks instead, about $23, the wood Texas pitmasters burn. Salmon wants something milder than all of those, and a $15 bag of Camerons alder chips is the one I'd get.

See the 7 picks

Our picks

Best overallWestern BBQ Smoking Chips Variety PackCheck price on Amazon
Best for brisketB&B Post Oak Smoking ChunksCheck price on Amazon
Best for ribsWeber Hickory Wood ChipsCheck price on Amazon
Best for chickenWeber Apple Wood ChipsCheck price on Amazon
Best for turkeyWeber Cherry Wood ChipsCheck price on Amazon
Best for salmonCamerons Alder Wood Smoker ChipsCheck price on Amazon
Best for steakWeber Mesquite Wood ChipsCheck price on Amazon

At a glance

  1. 1.Western BBQ Smoking Chips Variety Packabout $29
    Best for
    Trying a few woods
    Wood
    Apple, cherry, hickory, mesquite
    Cut
    Chips
    Bag
    4 bags of 180 cu in
  2. 2.B&B Post Oak Smoking Chunksabout $23
    Best for
    Brisket and beef ribs
    Wood
    Post oak
    Cut
    Chunks
    Bag
    549 cu in
  3. 3.Weber Hickory Wood Chipsabout $8
    Best for
    Ribs and pork shoulder
    Wood
    Hickory
    Cut
    Chips
    Bag
    192 cu in, 2 lb
  4. 4.Weber Apple Wood Chipsabout $8
    Best for
    Chicken and pork
    Wood
    Apple
    Cut
    Chips
    Bag
    192 cu in, 2 lb
  5. 5.Weber Cherry Wood Chipsabout $8
    Best for
    Turkey, duck and color
    Wood
    Cherry
    Cut
    Chips
    Bag
    192 cu in, 2 lb
  6. 6.Camerons Alder Wood Smoker Chipsabout $15
    Best for
    Salmon and trout
    Wood
    Alder
    Cut
    Coarse chips
    Bag
    260 cu in, 1 to 2 lb
  7. 7.Weber Mesquite Wood Chipsabout $8
    Best for
    Steak and burgers
    Wood
    Mesquite
    Cut
    Chips
    Bag
    192 cu in, 2 lb

The 7 best wood chips and chunks, ranked

1 · Best overall
Western BBQ Smoking Chips Variety Pack

Western BBQ Smoking Chips Variety Pack

Four bags (apple, cherry, hickory and mesquite), so one box covers chicken, ribs and beef.

$28.99
Check price on Amazon
Buy it if

You're new to smoking, or you cook a bit of everything and don't want to guess which wood to buy first.

Skip it if

You smoke one thing over and over (brisket every month, say). Buy a big bag of that one wood.

Four woods in one box

Apple, cherry, hickory and mesquite cover most of what you'll put on a grill, from wings to a Saturday steak. That's the whole box, about $29 for four bags of 180 cubic inches each.

What I like about starting here is that it's cheap to be wrong. Put a handful of hickory under a whole chicken and you'll know right away it's too much for you (some people love it). Next time, use the apple. Western says the chips are 100% wood with no additives, and they work in a smoker box on a gas grill as well as straight on charcoal.

Flaws but not dealbreakers
  • At 180 cubic inches, each bag is a little smaller than Weber's 192.
  • No post oak or alder in the box, so brisket and salmon need their own bag.
Four woodsGas or charcoalNo additives
2
B&B Post Oak Smoking Chunks
Best for brisket

B&B Post Oak Smoking Chunks

The Texas wood, in chunks that smolder through a long cook.

$22.99Check price on Amazon
Buy it if

You smoke brisket, beef ribs or a big pork butt on a charcoal smoker, a kettle or a kamado.

Skip it if

You smoke on a gas grill with a smoker box. Chunks don't fit, so get chips.

Read the full write-up

The best wood chunks for brisket and beef

Post oak is the wood of Texas barbecue, and the smoke is milder than you'd expect from its reputation: medium, clean, and steady through a long cook, without the bitter edge that hickory or mesquite can leave on a brisket when there's too much of it. B&B says to put 3 or 4 chunks right on the hot coals. The bag holds 549 cubic inches, about $23.

Chunks matter here. A brisket sits in smoke for hours, and chips burn up fast on coals, so you'd be lifting the lid all day. A chunk smolders for a long time on its own.

What owners report

Smokers who wrote about this bag on a barbecue forum like it. One uses it on almost every brisket he cooks on his kettle or kamado, though his pieces were closer to small splits than chunks and he cuts them down with a saw and a hatchet. Another splits them smaller too, and says post oak works with almost everything.

Flaws but not dealbreakers
  • The pieces run big. Keep a hatchet near the grill.
  • No use in a gas grill's smoker box.
Texas post oak3 to 4 chunks per cookCharcoal and smokers
3
Weber Hickory Wood Chips
Best for ribs

Weber Hickory Wood Chips

The bacon smell of a barbecue joint, in a 2-pound bag.

$7.98Check price on Amazon
Buy it if

Ribs, pulled pork and bacon are what you smoke most.

Skip it if

You mostly smoke fish. Hickory is far too strong for it.

Read the full write-up

The best wood chips for ribs and pork shoulder

A rack of ribs over hickory comes out darker and smokier than over any fruitwood. The smoke is strong and a little sharp, it's the flavor most of us connect with bacon, and it gives the outside of a rack of ribs a darker color than the fruitwoods do. Weber's 2-pound bag costs about $8, and it's the one I'd keep in the garage all summer.

Go easy with it, though. Weber suggests one or two handfuls in a smoker box, and that's plenty for ribs. On brisket it can overpower the beef unless you mix it with oak.

Flaws but not dealbreakers
  • Too heavy for fish, and a lot of smoke on chicken if you prefer it light.
Strong smokePork and ribs2 lb
4
Weber Apple Wood Chips
Best for chicken

Weber Apple Wood Chips

A light, sweet smoke that doesn't bury the taste of chicken.

$7.98Check price on Amazon
Buy it if

You smoke chicken (wings, thighs, a whole bird) or pork chops and want the smoke to stay in the background.

Skip it if

You want a smoke you can taste from across the yard. That's hickory.

Read the full write-up

The best wood chips for chicken

Chicken has a light taste, and a heavy wood buries it. Apple is sweet and gentle, which is why it's the usual answer for chicken, and for bacon and cheese too. On a whole chicken it's the wood I'd pick first, and it suits pork too.

If I could only keep one bag of chips for weeknight cooking on a gas grill, it'd be this one.

Flaws but not dealbreakers
  • Not everyone finds it mild enough for chicken. If it tastes strong to you, try alder next time.
Mild and sweetChicken2 lb
5
Weber Cherry Wood Chips
Best for turkey

Weber Cherry Wood Chips

The fruitwood that turns poultry skin a deep reddish brown.

$7.99Check price on Amazon
Buy it if

You smoke a Thanksgiving turkey, duck or chicken, and you care how it looks coming off the grill.

Skip it if

You only cook beef. Cherry is a little lost on a brisket.

Read the full write-up

The wood that colors the skin

Cherry does something the other mild woods don't: it paints the food a deep red. The taste is fruity with a bit of tartness, sharper than apple, and it's good on duck, lamb and game birds as well as a holiday turkey.

Flaws but not dealbreakers
  • It's sharper than apple, so on chicken some people prefer it cut with oak or pecan.
Fruity smokeRed color2 lb
6
Camerons Alder Wood Smoker Chips
Best for salmon

Camerons Alder Wood Smoker Chips

The classic salmon wood, kiln dried and made in the USA.

$14.95Check price on Amazon
Buy it if

You smoke salmon, trout or other fish.

Skip it if

You mostly smoke beef and pork. Oak or hickory will do more for them.

Read the full write-up

The best wood chips to smoke salmon

Alder is the classic salmon wood. It's the mildest wood here and a little sweet, so the fish still tastes like fish. That matters most for a cold smoke that can go on for a day, when a strong wood would turn the salmon sour.

Camerons kiln dries these chips and makes them in the USA, with nothing added. The bag is 260 cubic inches, about $15. These are the coarse chips, the right size for a smoker box or a charcoal grill (Camerons also sells fine shavings, which are a different thing).

Flaws but not dealbreakers
  • Camerons says to soak them 20 to 40 minutes, which not every pitmaster agrees with (see the soaking question below).
  • The bag weighs 1 to 2 pounds, depending on the batch.
Mildest hereFishMade in USA
7
Weber Mesquite Wood Chips
Best for steak

Weber Mesquite Wood Chips

The strongest smoke here, for beef that cooks fast over high heat.

$7.98Check price on Amazon
Buy it if

You grill steaks, burgers or fajitas hot and fast, and you want a real smoke taste on them.

Skip it if

It's your first bag of wood. Mesquite is easy to overdo.

Read the full write-up

Hot and fast, for steak

Mesquite has the strongest, spiciest smoke of anything here, and it burns hot. I'd keep it for a steak or fajita meat that's only on the grill a few minutes, where a strong, spicy taste has to get in fast. On a brisket that sits in smoke all day, the same wood can go bitter.

Use one handful, not two. Weber's bag is about $8.

Flaws but not dealbreakers
  • Hard to control in a smoker. Keep it for the grill.
  • Too much for chicken and fish.
Strongest smokeBeef and lamb2 lb

The best wood for smoking beef, pork, chicken and fish

MeatBest woodAlso good
Brisket and beef ribsPost oakOak with a little hickory
Steak and burgersMesquiteHickory, oak
Pork ribs and pork buttHickoryApple, cherry, oak
ChickenAppleCherry, pecan, alder
Turkey and duckCherryApple, pecan
Salmon and troutAlderApple, cherry
LambCherryMesquite, oak

Who this is for

Anyone who wants smoke on their food, from a gas grill with a smoker box to a full offset. If you're starting out, buy the Western variety pack and smoke chicken and ribs before you commit to a big bag of one wood. If you already know you're a brisket person, go straight to the B&B post oak, and if you're still choosing the smoker itself, my kamado vs offset smoker guide sorts that out. Own a pellet grill? It runs on pellets, not chips, though the same pairings hold for the flavor of pellet you buy. And whatever the wood, a meat thermometer is what tells you the brisket is done.

How to choose

Chips or chunks

The best wood chunks for smoking are the big ones, a few inches across, for charcoal smokers, kettles and kamados, where they sit on the coals and smolder for a long time. Chips are ¼ inch to about an inch, small enough for a smoker box on a gas grill or a pouch of foil. On charcoal, chips burn up quickly. On gas, chunks won't fit in the box.

Mild or strong wood

Match the wood to the meat. Light meats (fish, chicken) want mild woods: alder, apple, cherry. Pork can take hickory. Beef stands up to oak and mesquite. When in doubt, go milder. Plenty of pitmasters mix, too, with oak as the base and a fruitwood or hickory on top. On ribs, I'd start with oak and a handful of apple.

On a gas grill

Put one or two handfuls of chips in a smoker box, set it on the grate over a lit burner, and preheat the grill for 10 to 15 minutes. The box takes another 10 to 15 minutes to start smoking. Wait until you see smoke before the meat goes on, and keep the lid closed: too much air and the chips catch fire instead of smoldering.

What to avoid

Never smoke with pine, cedar, spruce or any softwood. The sap and resin make food bitter. Skip green or wet wood from the yard too.

What I'd skip

Jack Daniel's Barrel Smoking Chips

Oak chips from old whiskey barrels, about $25 for two bags, against about $8 a bag for hickory. I'd rather spend that on a bag of post oak.

Mr. Bar-B-Q 3-Flavor Pack

About $36 for apple, mesquite and hickory. The Western box gives you those three plus cherry for less.

Smokehouse Alder Chips

Good alder, but about $21 on Amazon for a 242-cubic-inch bag, while the Camerons bag holds 260 for about $15.

Camerons Fine Wood Chips 4-Pack

Camerons sells these as fine dust shavings. For a smoker box or a charcoal grill, get the coarse chips.

Western Post Oak Chunks, 4 Boxes

Good post oak, but about $55 for four boxes is a lot of wood unless you smoke brisket every weekend. Start with one bag of B&B.

How I picked

100% hardwood or fruitwood, no additivesChips for gas grills, chunks for charcoalUnder $30 a bag or box180 cubic inches or moreOne wood for each meatOn Amazon US

These seven came out of 30 bags, boxes and variety packs from Western, Weber, B&B, Camerons, Smokehouse, Jack Daniel's and others. The wood pairings come from Bearded Butchers, Hungry Huy and The Online Grill, smoker box tips from Weber's head grill master, and owner reports from the AmazingRibs Pitmaster Club forum. Prices are Amazon's on November 6, 2026.

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Common questions

What is the best wood for smoking meat?

There isn't one for every meat. Oak is the most used, because it's medium and goes with nearly everything, and post oak is the brisket wood. Hickory suits pork and ribs, apple and cherry suit chicken and turkey, alder suits salmon, and mesquite suits fast-cooked beef. If you only buy one bag, a variety pack like the Western lets you try four.

What is the best wood to smoke chicken?

Apple, for most people. It's mild and a little sweet, so the smoke doesn't bury the chicken. Cherry gives the skin a deep reddish color, and pecan and alder work too. Keep mesquite and heavy hickory for beef and pork.

Should you soak wood chips before smoking?

Weber and Camerons say yes. Weber's head grill master soaks chips 20 to 30 minutes before a smoker box, and Camerons says 20 to 40. Many pitmasters skip it: the water only makes steam, delays the smoke, and can wash out lighter flavors. I'd try them dry in a closed smoker box first. If they catch fire, keep the lid closed more, or soak the next batch.

Wood chips vs pellets: what's the difference?

Chips are small pieces of real wood for a smoker box, a foil pouch or charcoal. Pellets are sawdust pressed into small cylinders, made to feed a pellet grill, which burns them for both heat and smoke. You can use pellets on a gas or charcoal grill in a pellet tube, and you can't run a pellet grill on chips.

What are the best wood chips for brisket?

Post oak, with a little hickory if you like a stronger smoke. On a charcoal smoker, buy it in chunks like the B&B, since chips burn up too fast for a long cook. On a gas grill or an electric smoker, post oak chips in the smoker box do the job. Go easy on mesquite and straight hickory, which can make a brisket bitter.

The verdict

A variety pack to start, then one wood per meat

If you don't know yet what you like, start with the Western variety pack, then buy a big bag of whichever wood you reach for most. If brisket on a charcoal smoker is the plan, go straight to the B&B post oak chunks.

Check price on Amazon$28.99

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