There are a few different options when it comes to choosing what kind of smoke to use when smoking a turkey. The most common types of wood used are fruit woods like apple, cherry, pecan, and hickory. The choice often comes down to personal preference, availability, and what complements the flavor of the turkey best. The smoke from certain woods can impart a mild, sweet flavor while others are more intense.
Apple Wood
Apple wood is a very popular choice for smoking turkey. It produces a fruity, sweet, and delicate smoke flavor that nicely complements the turkey. The mild smoky taste works well with traditional Thanksgiving turkey seasonings like rosemary, thyme, and sage. Apple wood smoke doesn’t overpower the natural flavor of the turkey. It adds subtle background notes of apple and fruit that enhance the overall taste experience.
Some tips when using apple wood:
- Use apple wood chunks or apple wood pellets. This will produce more smoke than apple wood chips.
- Add a combination of apple wood and a more robust wood like hickory or mesquite to balance out the smoke.
- Try brining your turkey before smoking with apple wood. The salt and sugar brine will yield a juicy, seasoned bird that soaks up the apple smoke.
- Aim to smoke the turkey for 2-3 hours at 225-250°F to get the ideal amount of apple wood flavor.
The fruit-forward, sweet hint of apple smoke is a foolproof choice for turkey. It infuses the meat with flavor but still allows the turkey’s natural deliciousness to shine.
Cherry Wood
Cherry wood is another excellent option for smoking turkey with a fruity flavor. Like apple wood, cherry imparts a mild, sweet, almost dessert-like smoke. However, cherry wood smoke can have slightly more pronounced tangy notes similar to red wine or balsamic.
The subtle tartness of cherry smoke pairs extremely well with turkey. It adds an interesting complexity to the meat’s inherent flavor. The red fruit notes in the smoke also complement traditional Thanksgiving flavors like sage, rosemary, thyme, and maple syrup.
Tips for using cherry wood:
- Always use fruitwood chunks instead of chips. The larger pieces produce better smoke.
- If you want more smoky flavor, you can combine cherry wood with a heartier wood like mesquite or hickory.
- Make sure you brine or marinate the turkey first to help it absorb the smoke and seasoning.
- Aim for approximately 3 hours of smoking time with cherry wood to get the ideal amount of flavor.
The unique tang and subtle sweetness of cherry smoke works magic on turkey. It adds layers of flavor that still allow the turkey breast meat, thighs, drumsticks, and wings to shine.
Pecan Wood
Pecan wood is an amazing option for smoking turkey with a rich, robust, nutty flavor. Unlike the lighter fruit woods, pecan smoke is fuller-bodied and more intense. The bold, earthy flavor pairs flawlessly with turkey.
Pecan smoke has distinct nutty undertones similar to hickory that complement poultry beautifully. The intensity stands up well to the turkey without overpowering it. The result is a crisp, flavorful exterior enriched with pecan smoke.
Some tips for using pecan wood:
- Always opt for pecan wood chunks over chips for the fullest smoke flavor.
- A 50/50 blend of pecan and a fruit wood like apple or cherry gives you the best of both worlds.
- Brine your turkey before smoking to help it retain moisture and absorb pecan smoke evenly.
- Aim for approximately 2-3 hours of smoking time with pecan wood depending on the size of your turkey.
The hearty, nutty smoke from pecan wood takes turkey to the next level. It adds incredible depth and savory flavor to the meat that plays off the brine and seasoning beautifully.
Hickory Wood
Hickory is one of the most robust, bold woods used for smoking turkey. It imparts an unmistakable, intense, smoky flavor reminiscent of bacon or charcoal grilling. The smoldering hickory smoke deeply penetrates the turkey meat and adds too much flavor.
While hickory smoke can be overpowering on its own, blending it with lighter fruit woods helps balance out the overall taste. Hickory smoke also goes quite well with strong seasonings and brines that can stand up to it.
Some hickory smoking tips:
- Use a combination of hickory and apple or pecan wood for ideal flavor.
- Brine your turkey for 12-24 hours before smoking with hickory wood.
- Add lots of rosemary, sage, thyme, garlic, onions, salt, and pepper to complement the wood.
- Shoot for 1-2 hours max smoking time with hickory to avoid over smoking.
The incredibly bold, smoky punch of hickory-smoked turkey is hard to beat. But it’s important to properly balance out and complement the intense wood flavor.
Mesquite Wood
Mesquite is another very strong, potent wood option for smoking turkey. This southwestern wood has an unmistakable, almost bitter smoke flavor. The intense smoky taste can easily overwhelm the turkey if you use too much.
Mesquite smoke works best when blended with a milder wood like apple or cherry. It also benefits from brining and bold seasonings like garlic, chili powder, cumin, paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper. These help balance out the very dominant smoke.
Some tips for smoking with mesquite wood:
- Always use mesquite chunks or pellets – never chips.
- Blend mesquite 50/50 with a lighter fruit wood.
- Brine your turkey for at least 12 hours before smoking.
- Add lots of rub seasoning or marinade to complement the smoke.
- Smoke turkey with mesquite for 1 hour max to avoid overly bitter flavor.
While harder to work with, mesquite smoke can infuse an incredible flavor when used properly. The key is balancing out the bitterness and astringency with sweet fruit wood smoke, brine, and bold seasonings.
Alder Wood
Alder wood is a more delicate, subtle choice for smoking turkey with a sweet, nutty flavor. Unlike fruit woods like apple and cherry, alder has more earthy, woody tasting notes. The milder smoke lets the flavor of the turkey breast and thighs come through beautifully.
Alder wood pairs well with simple seasoning of salt, pepper, sage, rosemary, and thyme. It adds a subtle layer of nuttiness and depth without overwhelming the turkey. Alder also helps produce a beautiful amber turkey with golden, smoke-kissed skin.
Tips for using alder:
- Use alder wood chunks for the most mild-mannered smoke.
- Try adding some alder chunks when smoking turkey with hickory or mesquite to mellow them out.
- Alder pairs well with a simple salt and pepper brine instead of something sweeter.
- Smoke turkey with alder wood for approximately 2-3 hours for full flavor.
The mellow, nutty character of alder smoke lightly seasons the turkey without masking its natural deliciousness. It’s a foolproof wood for beginners smoking turkey for the first time.
Maple Wood
Maple wood is another option to consider when smoking turkey. Maple imparts a smoke flavor somewhat between fruit woods and hickory. It has a mild smoky sweetness that complements turkey very well.
While maple smoke comes on a bit stronger than apple or alder, it’s not nearly as potent as mesquite or hickory. It leaves some of the turkey’s natural flavors to still come through. Maple also pairs excellently with maple syrup brines and glazes.
Some maple smoking tips:
- Use maple wood chunks or pellets for the best flavor.
- Blend maple 50/50 with lighter fruit woods like apple or cherry.
- Brine your turkey in a maple syrup solution before smoking.
- Aim for 2-3 hours smoking time with maple wood depending on turkey size.
The sweet, woodsy maple smoke adds incredible flavor complexity to turkey. It’s a happy medium between the fruit woods and the heavy smoke of hickory and mesquite.
Oak Wood
Oak is a common hardwood used for smoking that imparts a robust, slightly bitter smoke. The hearty mid-range flavor is not as strong as hickory or mesquite. But it’s bolder and more astringent than the fruit woods.
Oak smoke works quite well with turkey, especially when blended with something sweeter like apple wood. It also benefits from a brine and assertive seasonings like garlic, paprika, salt, and pepper.
Some oak smoking tips:
- Always use oak wood chunks for the best flavor and smoke.
- Try blending oak with cherry or apple wood to balance it out.
- Brine your turkey for 12-24 hours before smoking with oak.
- Use seasoning that stand up well to the oak smoke.
- Aim for approximately 2 hours max smoking time with oak wood.
Oak smoke brings an interesting middle-of-the-road wood flavor to turkey. With the right balance of brine, seasoning, and lighter smoke woods, it can be fantastic.
Conclusion
The best kind of wood for smoking turkey depends on the flavor profile you want. Lighter fruit woods like apple and cherry add mild sweetness. While robust woods like hickory and mesquite bring intense, bold smoke. Pecan, maple, alder, and oak fall somewhere in between.
No matter what type of wood you choose, always use chunks and soak them first for the best smoke flavor. Combining woods is an excellent way to get layers of flavor. Brining and seasoning the turkey properly before smoking also guarantees it turns out incredibly juicy, tender and full of flavor.
With so many options to choose from, you’re sure to find your perfect wood or combination of woods for smoking turkey. The smell of apple, hickory or mesquite smoke signals fall is here and the holidays are right around the corner.
Compare the Different Wood Types
| Wood Type | Smoke Flavor | Intensity |
|---|---|---|
| Apple | Fruity, sweet | Mild |
| Cherry | Tangy, fruity, sweet | Mild |
| Pecan | Nutty, rich | Medium |
| Hickory | Bacon, robust | Heavy |
| Mesquite | Smoky, bitter | Heavy |
| Alder | Sweet, nutty | Mild |
| Maple | Sweet, smoky | Medium |
| Oak | Hearty, bitter | Medium-Heavy |
Recommended Woods Based on Turkey Cooking Method
| Cooking Method | Recommended Wood(s) |
|---|---|
| Brined and roasted | Apple, cherry, alder |
| Dry rubbed and grilled | Hickory, oak, maple, pecan |
| Marinated and smoked | Mesquite, pecan, oak |
| Stuffed and baked | Apple, alder, cherry |
| Glazed and grilled | Maple, oak, hickory |
FAQs
Is it bad to mix different woods when smoking turkey?
Mixing woods is actually recommended when smoking turkey. Combining a mild fruit wood with a heartier oak or hickory, for example, helps balance out the smoke. You get layers of light and robust flavor in one turkey.
What is the most popular wood for smoking turkey?
The most popular woods for smoking turkey are hickory, apple, pecan, alder, oak, maple, cherry, and mesquite. Hickory is widely used for its bold, smoky flavor. Apple and cherry add fruity sweetness. Pecan provides nutty richness. The others fall somewhere in between.
What wood should you never use to smoke turkey?
You should avoid using resinous woods like pine, spruce, and cedar for smoking turkey. Their sap gives food a bitter taste. Woods from conifers like fir and cypress are also poor choices for poultry smoking.
What is the best wood for roasting turkey in the oven?
Apple, alder, and cherry are the best woods for roasting turkey in the oven. Their mild, fruity smoke flavors complement the roasted turkey beautifully without overpowering it. Pecan and maple are also solid oven roasting choices.
How much wood do you need to smoke a turkey?
Aim for about 1.5-2 cups of wood chunks per hour of planned smoking time. For a 15 lb turkey smoked for 3 hours, you would want around 6 cups of wood chunks total. Avoid using wood chips if possible – chunks produce better smoke.
Key Takeaways
- Apple, cherry, and other fruit woods provide light, sweet smoke perfect for turkey.
- Mesquite and hickory impart a strong, heavy smoke flavor.
- Pecan, maple, oak, and alder give a balanced, medium smoke intensity.
- Mix woods together to layer flavor complexity.
- Brining and seasoning helps complement the smoke.
- Use chunks instead of chips for the fullest flavor.
- Fruit woods pair best with roasted turkey, while hickory goes great with grilled turkey.
Smoking a turkey brings out amazing, wood-fired flavor perfect for Thanksgiving dinner or anytime. With so many wood types to experiment with, you can create signature smoked turkey tailored to your taste. The smell of applewood or hickory smoke signals the holidays are near and it’s time to gather around the table.