There are various opinions on the best wood chips for smoking brisket. Some people say that hickory is the way to go, while others insist cherry is the key. So, what’s the truth? Well, it all depends on your taste.
Every type of wood chip provides a different flavor that brings something unique to your brisket. So, experiment until you find the perfect combination for you!
So if you want the best wood chips for brisket, then this content will show our top five best wood chips for smoking brisket. So let’s take a look.
Different types of wood for smoking brisket
Before we jump into our top five best wood chips for smoking brisket choices, let’s briefly go over the different types of wood that are typically used.
There are two main types of barbecue woods: fruitwoods and hardwood. Fruit woods include apples, peach, cherry, or pear. They have a milder flavor than hardwood and are best used for poultry and lamb.
On the other hand, hardwood is typically stronger than fruitwood and is better used with pork and beef. The most common hardwoods that people use include hickory, oak, birch, maple, and pecan.
But, what about mesquite? Well, even though it’s not technically a type of wood, mesquite is still commonly used. Because it provides a strong flavor, some people think that it has too strong a flavor for their tastes. So, if you’re using mesquite, be careful what amount you will use!
- The 5 Best Wood Chips For Smoking Brisket In 2023
- 1. Jack Daniel's 01749 BBQ Smoking Chips
- 2. Weber 17150 Mesquite Wood Chunks
- 3. Western Premium BBQ Products Maple BBQ Smoking Chips
- 4. Mr. Bar-B-Q 05010Z Wood Smoker Chips
- 5. Camerons Products Smoking Wood Chunks
- Tips for Choosing The Best Wood Chips For Smoking Brisket
- FAQ About Best Wood Chips For Smoking Brisket
- When Should I Use Wood Chips for Smoked Brisket?
- How Much Smoke Flavor Must One Put in a Smoker Pit?
- How to Use Wood Chips for Smoking Brisket?
- When Can You Apply the Smoked Flavor?
- How Long Do You Have To Apply the Smoked Flavor?
- Final Verdict
The 5 Best Wood Chips For Smoking Brisket In 2023
So now you know more about barbecue wood, it’s time to explore which ones are the best for your preferences. Let’s get started!
1. Jack Daniel’s 01749 BBQ Smoking Chips
These chips provide an excellent, bold flavor with a hint of sweetness. With Jack Daniel’s wood chips, you’ll be able to build a solid foundation for your delicious brisket!
And it gets better! These chips are 100 percent natural and preservative-free. They’re also fully biodegradable and easy to use for brisket. You need to keep them in a smoking box, and you’re good to go!
In addition, they come in convenient 8-ounce packages. So if you buy a ton of these chips from Amazon, then it will be easy for you to store them without worrying about taking up too much space in your kitchen cabinets. And the best part? These chips are pretty affordable.
Key Features
- 8-ounce bags
- 100 percent natural wood chips
- Bold, smoky flavor with a touch of sweet
- Fully biodegradable and sustainable
- A little pricey for 8 ounces
Overall, these chips are the best options to try out if you want a bolder, smokier flavor. Plus, they have a slight hint of sweetness, and it’s the main plus in our book! There’s nothing better than a perfectly smoked brisket with some sweet and tangy barbecue sauce. Yum!
2. Weber 17150 Mesquite Wood Chunks
These mesquite wood chunks are a fantastic choice if you want a bold, smoky flavor for your brisket. These chips can be overwhelming if you use too many of them. So, it’s best to blend these with another type of chip.
Specifically, Weber recommends mixing one part mesquite with other wood chips. That way, you’ll have a delicious taste that will make your taste buds beg for better!
Another benefit of using these mesquite wood chunks is that they’re easy to light and keep burning. So, if you want convenience and don’t require much clean-up, this is the option for you!
These mesquite wood chunks are also naturally soaked in water. So, they’re pretty moist and won’t turn your barbecue pit into a flaming inferno.
Key Features
- Naturally soaked in water
- Bold, smoky flavor with hints of hickory and oak
- Convenient to use
- Burns fast
However, it’s still best to put them on a heatproof surface before you light them. Because otherwise, they can leave some significant burn marks behind!
This is another of the best wood for smoking brisket available because it provides a bold, smoky flavor that’s simply fantastic. You can taste the hints of hickory and oak, which are two flavors that we love!
Plus, they’re easy to light and use. So, you can put them on your heat-resistant sheet before lighting the fire and continue with your other barbecue preparations.
3. Western Premium BBQ Products Maple BBQ Smoking Chips
Not only are these chips available at a great price, but they also produce a fantastic flavor. They have a charming maple aroma, so if you’re looking for something sweet to put on your next brisket, then this might be the perfect option.
Specifically, these wood chips are soaked in real maple syrup! So, they’re pretty moist and won’t cause too much smoke to build up. And one of the best parts? They’re available for a meager price at only $7 per pound!
These maple wood chips are also great for those who want a nice, sweet flavor with a hint of spice. The maple syrup soak brings out the best in these chips and makes them perfect for beef brisket.
However, we’d like to suggest that you use this maple wood chip with something like hickory or pecan because it can sometimes be overwhelming by itself.
Key Features
- Maple syrup soak
- Great pricing option
- A pleasant, sweet smell with spices
But if you decide to use it with another type of the best chips for smoking brisket, then it will provide you with a flavorful brisket that will make your family and friends drool with excitement!
4. Mr. Bar-B-Q 05010Z Wood Smoker Chips
If you want a great way to add some extra flavor to your barbecue, then this is the option for you. These chips can make your brisket taste like it was right outside the grill!
Specifically, these wood chips are soaked in natural oils and juices. So, they’ll give your meat a nice smoky flavor without any of that annoying smoke that you’ll find with other types of the best wood chips for brisket.
These wood chips are also pre-soaked in natural juices and oils, so they don’t cause any excess smoke to build up. This is highly convenient because you won’t have to worry about your barbecue pit becoming a smoky mess!
Key Features
- Olive oil and lemon juice soak
- No smoke, just smoky flavor
- Easy to use
- Pre-soaked in natural juices and oils
- Adds a nice smoky flavor without excess smoke building up
If you want something as easy as possible, this is an excellent option. You’ll be able to enjoy a tender and juicy meal without any of the annoying hassles associated with other types of wood chips.
5. Camerons Products Smoking Wood Chunks
These wood chunks are perfect for injecting a little extra flavor into your favorite cuts of meat.
They’re made from premium, all-natural ingredients and smoked in an old-fashioned barrel smoking process that leaves them with a bold and smoky taste!
Specifically, these chunks are made from hard maple so that you can expect a pleasant, sweet taste. And the best part is that they’re available for a highly competitive price!
These wood chunks are also great because they’re pre-soaked with maple syrup. So, they’ll give your meat a nice, sweet flavor with a hint of savory spice. And if you want something simple to light and use, this is the option for you!
Key Features
- All-natural ingredients
- Smoked in an old fashioned barrel smoking process
- Great pricing option for chunks
- Nice, sweet flavor with a hint of spice. Perfect for beef brisket.
All you have to do is place these wood chunks on top of your heat-resistant surface, light them up, and wait for the fire to subside. And you can use it like any other kind of piece of wood.
However, we’d like to suggest that you use this maple wood chip with something like hickory or pecan because it can sometimes be overwhelming by itself.
But if you decide to use it with another type of wood chip, then it will provide you with a flavorful brisket that will make your family and friends drool with excitement!
Tips for Choosing The Best Wood Chips For Smoking Brisket
Here are some tips that will help you make an informed decision when choosing the best wood chips for your barbecue pit.
Think About Your Smoker Pit Equipped with a powerful, high-quality smoker pit is extremely important. This is because it processes the meat you place inside it to create tender and juicy cuts of meat. And when you want to make a fantastic barbecue, this is what it comes down to!
So make sure that you do your research to find a smoker pit with outstanding warmth retention and airflow control. This will ensure that you’ll be able to cook the perfect brisket without making any mistakes or having any problems whatsoever!
Pre-Soaking your Wood Chips When it comes to the best wood for smoking brisket, pre-soaking is necessary. This is because cutting dry wood into chunks won’t work as well as soaked wood will.
Specifically, this means that you’ll need to soak them in water or other liquids before placing them into your smoker pit. While there are various liquids that you can soak them in, we suggest that you opt for wine or fruit juices for the best results possible!
Think About Your Brisket’s Flavor Profile This is one of the most critical considerations to consider when choosing wood chips for smoking briskets. After all, you want your brisket to taste amazing, and you won’t be able to achieve that if the wood chips you choose don’t mesh well with it.
As a result, we suggest that you think about what ingredients went into your brisket to determine what type of flavors they’re going for. And then, you can search for wood chips that will complement those flavors by providing a different yet complementary taste!
For example, if you’re using a dry rub recipe based on spicy ingredients, you’ll want to choose a type of wood chip that compliments this flavor profile. And the best way to go about doing this is to pick something with some sweetness to it, like hickory!
Think About the Type of Meat You’re Cooking Choosing wood chips are essential for smoking brisket. As a result, you need to consider what type of meat is going into your smoker pit to determine which types of wood chips you should use.
Specifically, there are three main types of meats you can use for your smoker pit: chicken, pork, and beef. And each one of these meats has some specific wood chips that work best with them.
For example, if you’re using chicken instead of beef or pork, we suggest that you opt for applewood chunks. This is because this type of smoke wood will work its magic on chicken without overpowering it!
Think About the Wood Chips’ Overall Flavor When you’re picking out the best wood chips for smoking brisket, then you need to think about their overall flavor. This is because some people might want a cedar-flavored brisket, while others might want more of a hickory flavor.
As a result, we suggest that you think about what type of flavor you want to create before popping into the store and picking out some wood chips for smoking brisket. We highly recommend keeping it simple and going with either hickory or mesquite wood chips!
Think About Your Smoking Method If you’re serious about smoking your briskets perfectly, you need to think about the method you’re using. This is because different methods will work better with different wood chips.
For example, if you’re cooking it at a boiling temperature over direct heat, we suggest you choose something like mesquite or hickory wood chips. Alternatively, if you’re cooking it low and slow at a lower temperature, then mesquite wood chips will work their magic well!
Don’t Forget to Mix It Up Sometimes, one type of wood can get boring after a while. As such, we highly recommend that you mix it up every once in a while by trying out some other types of wood chips.
For example, if you like your brisket to have a slightly sweet taste, try out cherry wood chips or even beechwood chips!
FAQ About Best Wood Chips For Smoking Brisket
When Should I Use Wood Chips for Smoked Brisket?
How Much Smoke Flavor Must One Put in a Smoker Pit?
How to Use Wood Chips for Smoking Brisket?
When Can You Apply the Smoked Flavor?
How Long Do You Have To Apply the Smoked Flavor?
Final Verdict
Ultimately, picking out the best wood chips for smoking brisket is a lot easier than most people might think. All you have to do is pay attention to the tips above, and they will help lead you in the right direction!
So when it comes down to it, what type of wood chips should you use? Well, we recommend using either mesquite or hickory wood chips. They’re easy to find, simple to use, and will allow you to create the best-smoked brisket possible!