When you are smoking meat means that you are cooking it over a type of firewood. The best part about smoking meat is that it blends with the natural flavors of the wood, leading to some different and delicious flavor combinations.
Many types of meat can be smoked over firewood, and this includes fish meat as well!
In this article, we will go into the top six types of wood to smoke fish over. Another thing we will touch on is the size of the wood to use, which is also another important thing to consider.
Best Wood for Smoking Fish
Alder
Alder wood is a light brown type of hardwood. However, out of all the different hardwoods out there, it is probably the softest one out there.
Most often, Alder wood is used to make furniture and other household items, such as picture frames and cabinets, to name a few.
Using Alder wood to smoke fish will infuse it with a very mild smoky flavor. You will even be able to detect some sweetness in there.
Alder has a neutral flavor, so if you like something super mild, this might be the option for you.
Peach
Peachwood comes from the peach tree, which is native to Asia. Other than being used for grilling and smoking meat, it is also used for woodworking.
It can be used to make household items like table tops, toys, bowls, furniture, and even cabinets.
Combining the natural flavors from the fish with the flavors from Peachwood creates something quite delicious.
It will infuse your fish with this mix of smoky and sweet. The best part is that it is a very mild flavor, so do not worry about it being too overpowered or something.
Cedar
Cedar wood comes from a cedar tree, which is a common type of wood used to make houses and other household items. This is a durable type of wood, so it’s no wonder that contractors and others prefer to use this type of wood when building houses.
This wood is not commonly used to smoke fish, but it does not mean it can’t be done! Smoking fish over cedar wood combines the natural fish flavors with this very savory taste that comes from the wood.
For those that want to try something different, Cedarwood is a good option to smoke your fish over.
Apple
Applewood comes from an apple tree, which is responsible for the delicious apple fruit. While this tree is not native to the United States, it has been brought to commercial farms specifically for its fruit.
However, the wood is also great and can be used for furniture and other household items.
One of the more popular woods to smoke fish over, applewood will add a mildly fruity and sweet flavor to your fish. The best part is that it’s not overpowering at all, so you will not be overwhelmed when you bite into your fish smoked over applewood.
Orange
Orangewood comes from the orange tree. These citrus trees tend to grow in North America, specifically in the United States of America.
They are usually found in states with warmer climates, like Florida, Texas, and California, to name a few.
It should not be a surprise that when you smoke fish over orangewood, it ends up infusing your fish with a citrus flavor.
This is a unique flavor you wouldn’t think of when biting into fish, but it works, and once you finish eating, you will want to start making some more!
Mesquite
Mesquite wood is a dark brown heartwood that can be found in the southern part of North America. It is used for furniture, turnings, floorings, cabinets, and even fine art.
These trees are on the short side, but just because something is short does not mean make it any less durable!
While this is not the most common type of wood to be used to smoke fish, it still is worth considering. It’s on the strong side, so make sure you do not leave the fish over the fire too long. Best to use with fish that has a lot of fat or oil.
Size of Wood
Always remember that it’s important to keep the size of the wood in mind when you are smoking meat. If you end up using the wrong size, then your meat might end up burnt or undercooked.
You can buy the following wood sizes for smoking food:
- Split Sized Wood is a log-shaped type of wood that burns for a decent amount of time. Best to use for larger cuts of meat.
- Wood Chips are small little pieces of wood that tend to burn out pretty quickly. If you use this size for smoking wood, then make sure it’s a smaller cut of meat.
- Pellet Wood is wood in a pellet shape and is most often used for pellet grills. If you use this type of wood, it is best if a small cut of meat is used because of how quickly it burns out.
- Wood Chunks are chunk-sized pieces of wood that burn for a decent amount of time. Best for larger cuts of meat.
- Wood Discs are puck-shaped sizes of wood that are very eco-friendly.
Always practice fire safety when smoking meat. You do not want to cause any forest fires! Smokey the bear will appreciate it if you can keep your fire contained.
Final Thoughts
And there you have it all your barbeque and food lovers out there! Besides learning about the best types of wood to use for smoking fish, we also touched on the size of the wood to use during the smoking process.
The reason for this is that if you do not use the right size, you could end up running your food.
If you are truly unsure of what wood on this list to use to smoke your fish, consider trying all of them out. You might end up having one or more that you prefer over the rest.
You might also be interested in the following:
- The Best Wood for Smoking Ribs
- The Best Wood for Smoking Salmon
- The Best Wood for Smoking Turkey
- The Best Wood for Smoking Chicken
- The Best Wood for Smoking Cheese
- The Best Wood for Smoking Pork
- The Best Wood for Smoking Brisket
I have been smoking and grilling meat from an early age and enjoy sharing my knowledge and expertise through the hundreds of articles I have written about BBQ. I hope to make everyone’s BBQ journey that little bit easier.