Best Wood Chips for Smoking (2026)

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Wood chips are the easiest way to add smoke flavour on a standard grill, since they ignite quickly and release their smoke in a short, intense burst. The most important choice is the wood itself. Milder fruit woods like apple and cherry suit poultry, pork, and fish, while bolder hickory and mesquite stand up to beef and ribs. Because chips burn fast, they are best for shorter cooks or topped up in stages rather than left to run for hours. How you use them matters too. Many cooks soak chips or wrap them in a foil pouch to slow the burn and stretch the smoke, especially over gas. If you smoke for long stretches, larger chunks may serve you better, but for quick weeknight grilling and easy experimentation across flavours, chips are cheap, flexible, and forgiving. Buying a couple of contrasting woods lets you match the smoke to whatever you are cooking without committing to a big bag.