Barbecue enthusiasts know that the type of BBQ wood chips you use can have an impact on the flavour of your grilled dishes. BBQ wood chips are a form of smoking fuel, so whether you’re smoking meat, fish, or vegetables, the choice of wood chips can make or break your BBQ experience!
In this guide, we’ll have a look at some of the best BBQ smoker wood chips, how they can enhance your food by providing incredible flavours, and which type of wood chip is best for what you want to cook.
Why Use BBQ Wood Chips When Cooking?
Barbecue wood chips are a natural flavour enhancer and a great way to incorporate delicious smoky flavours into your barbecue recipes. Chips for smoking provide a unique flavour and smoky taste that can’t be replicated with other ingredients or by simply adding more heat. Some BBQ wood chips provide sweet characteristics or you could choose a wood chip that adds a bit of spice to your food.
What Is the Difference Between BBQ Wood Chips and Chunks?
Both of these options provide incredible flavours to your food. BBQ wood chunks are designed for longer smoking, produce smoke for a longer time, and achieve a more prolonged smoky flavour. Wood chunks take longer to ignite and generate smoke. They are better suited for longer cooking processes, such as smoking large cuts of meat or whole poultry, as they release smoke over an extended period.
BBQ wood chips burn relatively quickly, so they produce smoke for a shorter period of time. This is useful when you want a milder, quicker smoky flavour. Because they are smaller, wood chips ignite and produce smoke faster, which makes them suitable for shorter cooking times.
Wood chunks are available in: 5L, 15L and 50L pack sizes
Wood chips are available in: 3L, 9L and 30L pack sizes
Try Our BBQ Smoker Wood Chips for a Unique Food Tasting Experience!
There are many different types of wood that can be used for smoking, but each wood provides a unique flavour profile. Popular woods include oak, citrus wood and applewood. Have a look at our guide below to find out which BBQ wood chips will cook perfectly with your planned meat dishes!
Apple Wood Smokin’ Chunks
Perfect for cooking: pork, beef, chicken and vegetables
Applewood Smokin’ Chunks are the perfect choice for adding a sweet, subtle flavour to your grilled dishes. Not only will they add a delicious hint of a sweet flavour, but they’ll also provide a great smoky aroma that will create an impressionable taste. Apple wood chunks are ideal for smoking meats such as pork, beef, and chicken. Apple wood chips also pair well with vegetables like corn and potatoes.
If you’re smoking pork loin or tenderloin, using fruitwood BBQ wood chips such as an apple or olive will add depth to your pork and impart a slightly sweet and fruity flavour to the meat, leaving your mouth watering!
Olive Wood Smokin’ Chunks & Olive Wood Smokin’ Chips
Perfect for cooking: beef, chicken and fish
Olive wood smokin’ chunks are great for adding a unique and bold flavour to your grilled dishes. The olive wood imparts a deep and fragrant smoky flavour that will pair well with beef, chicken, and fish. It is also ideal for slow-cooking recipes, as the flavour isn’t overpowering and goes well with white meats.
Oak Brandy Smokin’ Chunks & Oak Brandy Smokin’ Chips
Perfect for cooking: Heavier meats, game, meaty fish and hearty vegetables
Oak Brandy Smokin’ Chunks are a great choice for adding a distinct flavour to your grilled dishes. The mix of oak and brandy creates a unique and bold flavour that will pair well with heavier meats like game, meaty fish, and hearty vegetables. Its strong woody aroma will add depth to your food, making it ideal for smoking more robust flavours. If you want quick, smoky flavour results, try the Oak Brandy Smokin’ Chips.
Oak Whisky Barrell Smokin’ Chunks & Oak Whisky Barrell Smokin’ Chips
Perfect for cooking: Heavier meats, meaty fish and hearty vegetables
Oak Whisky Barrel Chips for smoking can add a subtle and complex smoky flavour to your grilled dishes. The whisky barrel chips are an excellent choice for cooking heavier meats like lamb, beef, pork, and game. They also pair perfectly with meaty fish and hearty vegetables. Oak wood smoke is a popular option as it can be strong, so these chips are best suited for slow-cooking recipes.
Citrus Wood Smokin’ Chips
Perfect for smoking: fish, light game, turkey, chicken and vegetables
For a distinct fruity flavour, Citrus Wood Smokin’ Chips are an ideal choice for adding a delicious smoky flavour to your grilled dishes. They provide a subtle and sweet smoke flavour that pairs perfectly with lighter meats like fish, turkey, chicken, and game, as well as vegetables. The mild, woody aroma of citrus is perfect for adding depth to your BBQ food without overpowering it.
Alder Wood BBQ Grill Planks
Add a perfect, fragrant wood smoke to your food by using the Alder Wood BBQ plank. The mild smokiness of the wood will provide a unique and tasty smoky flavour that pairs well with a wide selection of meats, such as salmon, trout, chicken, pork and beef. Soak the plank in water for 4-6 hours before use to prevent it from burning.
Cooking Firewood Logs
Using natural kiln-dried logs for cooking can be a great way to add an authentic, smoky flavour to your BBQ dishes. The logs have been dried for a minimum of 18 months, ensuring they burn slowly and evenly. They are ideal for slow-cooking recipes such as pulled pork or brisket. Cooking with firewood logs will provide a unique and smoky taste.
Ethically sourced wood chips and chunks – place your order here!
Tips for Using BBQ Wood Chips
- Soak Them: Soaking BBQ wood chips for 30 minutes before using them can prolong the smoking process, prevent them from burning too quickly and provide a steady stream of smoke.
- Create Smoke Packets: Wrap your wood chips in aluminium foil to create smoke packets, which can be placed directly on the coals or on the grill grates.
- Experiment: Don’t be afraid to experiment with different wood chip combinations to create unique flavour profiles for your BBQ cooking.
- Know Your Meat: Choose wood chips that complement the type of meat you’re grilling. Remember that lighter woods are generally better for lighter meats, while heavier woods are better for stronger-flavoured meats.
We Are Committed to Only Using Firewood From Managed and Renewable Sources
At Green Olive Firewood, we are proud to offer a wide range of firewood products for your cooking and heating needs. Since the beginning, we have aimed for high sustainability standards and maintained this throughout our entire manufacturing process.
We source local logs from Surrey and West Sussex, where the woodlands and estates are managed responsibly and have clear plans for replanting and harvesting. We also ensure that any imported wood products, such as olive wood, come from authorised and sustainable farms or woodlands. Our firewood and heat logs are also certified under the ‘Ready to Burn’ scheme administered by Woodsure.
We offer a variety of wood chips and chunks to bring out the perfect smoky flavour in your BBQ. Including apple, beech, citrus, olive and oak, you can find the right wood for whatever meat or flavour you’re smoking!