Smoked chicken; which wood do you use and why?

[StanSulli]

Hey,

I'm going to be smoking a couple of whole chickens tomorrow. I generally use cherry or pecan wood or a combination thereof.

I'm thinking of trying something different this time. What are you guys using to smoke chicken and why?

Thanks.

 

[Dwain Pannell]

I like apple because it's mild. I believe poultry can get too smokey so I prefer mild wood for it.

 

[Bill Farmer]

I like apple or pecan and sometimes hickory. I think they compliment the poultry taste

 

[ChuckO]

I agree: Apple, Pecan or Hickory are great wood for smoke. I really like Cherry wood, but that's cuz I get it fo' free (but it is good wood for smoking)

 

[Carl H.]

Cherry is great for poultry because it colors the bird so well. Apple is tasty. If using hickory I go very light on the smoke.

 

[Russell McNeely]

Apple for me. Nice and mild. Hickory is too strong for poultry IMO.

 

[Matt H.]

apple and I don't use much.

 

[timothy]

Alder and I get it from the right coast. Nice smoky flavor with great color.

Tim

 

[Clint]

mesquite and a lot of water (and low/slow) are about the only things I'd tell you to avoid. I generally can't oversmoke anything anymore, but to me, those would be (probably recoverable) mistakes.

 

[~Mark~]

Most of the time I use a mix of Apple and Pecan. Most of the time I use just a little for a light smoke, but every once in a while I'll add some Mesquite to kick up the smoke a notch or two.

 

[Robert T]

I really love apple. I use it on chicken and pork. The smell of it smoking to me is so much more appealing than hickory. I like cherry too and use it on beef.

 

[V_Rocco]

I love pecan with poultry. For some reason, they just go together like ham and eggs.

 

[JRAiona]

I like a mix of 2 parts Apple to 1 part hickory

 

[J Brouwer jezza]

Hickory for chooky is the way to go

 

[James Lake]

Apple wood is what I use.

 

[Frank Licata]

I use Apple or cherry. Both are great. I like fruit wood for chicken.

 

[Al Silverman]

I smoke everything, except, salmon with apple, cherry and hickory. Mostly apple and cherry with a small chunk of hickory. Salmon gets alder.

 

[Rich Dahl]

Almost any fruit wood combination or hickory, but I do a very light smoke so it doesn't over power the chicken.