What Type of Wood (Pellets)?

Different kinds of wood create different flavors. It's like using seasonings... different people have different tastes. In the same way you to experiment with spices to find the right blend for your recipes, you should do the same for wood.

Lucky for me and other Traeger Wood Pellet smoker users, we have 18 flavors to choose from, including garlic and onion flavors. Try different wood pellets to find which ones you prefer.

Some woods have a stronger flavor than others. A few of them can be too overpowering to some people. It takes a little time, but trying them out for yourself is the best way to decide what you like and don't like. Here are a few basic guidelines and my top 6:

Oak has a pretty heavy smoke flavor. Its popularity is second only to...

Hickory has a strong smoky taste. It is the most common smoking wood and good with any kind of meat.

Mesquite has a sweet, light taste. It burns hotter than other woods and is great with all meats. This is all I use for beef.

Pecan has a nice taste that's lighter than hickory. It's also good with almost anything and one I always keep on hand.

Apple wood has a sweet, fruity smoke taste. It is good with many meats, but commonly used to smoke ham and bacon.

Cherry has a slightly sweet flavor and good with most meats. I have had great success using this flavor for chicken.

If you use traditional wood, you should always use wood that is well seasoned (dried). Never use green woods because they can ruin your smoker (not to mention the meat). Of course, this is never a problem with Traeger wood pellets as they are always dried. You can also check out the Traeger website for more details on wood pellet flavors for specific meats. See link on my blog.