BBQ Woods

BBQ smoking wood is real timber, cut into chunks or chips, that smoulders on coals or in a smoker to flavour meat with wood smoke. This page stocks Natural Smoke's 1kg chunk bags in apple, cherry, peach, pecan, olive, Aussie oak, wine barrel, red gum and ironbark, Western smoking chips in hickory, mesquite, apple, cherry and pecan, and Jack Daniel's whiskey barrel oak chips. Flat $10 shipping Australia-wide.

Which smoking wood should I buy?

How to use smoking wood

• Chunks suit offsets, kettles and kamados. Add two or three fist-sized pieces to lit coals and they'll smoulder for a good while.
• Chips burn fast. Use them in a smoker box or foil pouch on a gas BBQ, or scatter a handful over coals for a quick hit of smoke.
• Aim for thin, blue smoke. Thick white smoke means the wood is smothered or wet, and it can taste bitter.
• Soaking is optional. It slows chips a little but mostly makes steam; dry wood on a well-lit fire gives cleaner smoke.
• Meat takes on most of its smoke early in the cook, so you don't need to keep feeding wood right to the end.

Which wood for which meat?

Fruit woods (apple, cherry, peach) give mild, sweet smoke for pork, chicken and fish, and cherry adds a reddish colour to the skin. Pecan, olive and Aussie oak sit in the middle and work across most meats. Hickory and mesquite are the stronger US classics for beef and pork, while red gum and ironbark are dense Australian hardwoods built for long beef and lamb cooks. Match the wood to your brisket or pork cook.

Chunks vs chips

Chunks are larger and smoulder slowly, so they suit long cooks over charcoal. Chips are small and catch quickly, so they suit gas BBQs, smoker boxes and short cooks. No smoker at all? A few drops of liquid smoke can help in sauces and marinades.

Shop the full Natural Smoke and Western ranges, then grab a BBQ rub or browse accessories.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I buy smoking wood in Australia?

The Rub Hub stocks smoking wood chunks from Natural Smoke and smoking chips from Western and Jack Daniel's, including apple, cherry, hickory, mesquite, pecan, red gum and ironbark. Orders ship Australia-wide for a flat $10.

Which wood should I use for smoking brisket?

Strong woods suit brisket: mesquite, hickory, red gum and ironbark all hold up to a long beef cook. Red gum and ironbark are dense Australian hardwoods that burn long and hot.

Should you soak smoking wood chips?

Soaking is optional. It slows the burn slightly but mostly creates steam, and dry chips on a hot fire or in a smoker box give cleaner smoke.

What is the difference between smoking chips and chunks?

Chips are small and burn quickly, suiting gas BBQs and smoker boxes. Chunks are larger and smoulder slowly, suiting charcoal grills, kettles and offset smokers on long cooks.

What wood is good for smoking chicken?

Mild fruit woods like apple, cherry and peach suit chicken and other poultry. Cherry also gives the skin a reddish, mahogany colour.