Its paired with traditional favorites like ribs pork shoulder hams and pork chops. Hickory wood is better than mesquite wood when smoking chicken because mesquite adds a strong flavor.
Two of the most popular smoking woods that people have to choose from are hickory and mesquite.
Hickory or mesquite for chicken. Hickory Or Mesquite For Chicken Chicken will work with most woods. So its mostly a matter of personal taste trying and seeing for yourself. However super-strong woods like mesquite will likely be overwhelming for those who prefer a milder smoked chicken flavor.
Hickory also burns long and clean making it a perfect choice for any low n slow cooks. Mesquite on the other hand is only suitable for certain types of meat such as wild game beef brisket duck and lamb. It however might be too powerful for chicken fish ribs and even pork shoulder.
Because mesquite is the strongest wood used for barbecueso strong that it should be used sparingly. In fact its often combined with milder woods like apple and pecan in order to tone down the intensity. Amateurs should definitely use caution when experimenting with mesquite for smoking.
To chicken ribs pork shoulder mesquite can be too intense to cook with. Moreover using mesquite creates some colors to your food- a lighter color than the deep red color of Hickory. One more thing to mention is that mesquite burns hotter and faster than Hickory.
As a result it might not be an ideal wood for slow and low cooking. Hickory is available everywhere and is a great starter wood if youre new to barbecue smoking. It might not be as strong as other earthy woods like mesquite but it can still be overpowering if you use too much.
This could mean a layer of bitter smoke caked onto your chicken. Two of the most popular smoking woods that people have to choose from are hickory and mesquite. These are both incredibly common woods for smoking but they each have their advantages and disadvantages over each other.
Some meats are better smoked with mesquite while others are better smoked with hickory. Hickory wood is better than mesquite wood when smoking chicken because mesquite adds a strong flavor. Fruity woods are great for smoking chicken but not all woods are made the same.
Some woods are definitely better than others when it comes to smoking chicken and well help you find the perfect pairing for your next cookout. Hickory is a good all-round wood that produces a sweeter fragrant smoke. It is quite strong though compared with say apple wood or even oak.
Mesquite produces a very strong distinctive smoke that really works best with robust red meats like brisket. I have devoloped a trust with mesquite for the utmost smokiest flavor and mostly used mesquite for low and slow. The only time i have ever used hickory is with a comination of mesquite low on mesquite therefore filled the rest of the pan with hickory or other woods availble.
This time i used 100 hickoryand oh boy were the results excellent. I use a mesquite blend almost for everything because it gives the most smoke flavor. I havent found pellets to be like using real hardwood mesquite or hickory where you can oversmoke meat chicken especially if youre not careful.
I dare say oversmoking with a. Hickory is always the better choice if you want to have an oomph of smokiness on more delicate meats. Its savory bacon-like flavors compliment the chicken without overdoing it.
Its definitely a contender for the best wood for smoking chicken wings. Hickory imparts a rich slightly sweet flavor that pairs perfectly with the staple of the South. Its paired with traditional favorites like ribs pork shoulder hams and pork chops.
But it also goes great with chicken and beef. Hickory can be used with red meats port and other meats whereas mesquite is more suitable for certain meats like wild game red meat brisket duck and lamb. It however might be too powerful for chicken fish ribs and even pork shoulder.
Both Hickory and Mesquite wood can be found in different shapes suitable for any grill or smoker. The unique sweet aroma of mesquite wood adds a western taste that goes well with any meat but pairs particularly well with beef and chicken. These mesquite wood chunks are larger than chips making it easy to maintain a steady long-term smoke source.
The selection varies but often includes walnut oak apple citrus olive pecan almond mesquite and hickory. Sells both dry woods for grilling and green wood for smoking. For a more robust flavor hickory pecan mesquite and oak are perfect to add that kick Barnett explains.
Size also plays a factor. Larger wood chunks burn slowly releasing smoke over long. I have usually used Hickory smoke on baby backs and they are awesome.
But I dont like the taste of hickory on chicken. So this weekend I am doing a smoke of some baby backs and we also want to do chicken with them. So I am considering using Mesquite wood instead of Hickory since Mesquite is better on chicken.