Best Wood for Smoking Fish and Seafood: Alder, Fruit Woods and What to Avoid

Affiliate disclosure: CharredPicks earns from qualifying purchases.

Alder is the best wood for smoking fish. It gives a light, slightly sweet smoke and is the traditional wood for salmon in the Pacific Northwest. Apple and cherry are the next choices for salmon, trout and shellfish; cherry also gives a deep color. Oily, strong-flavored fish such as mackerel, bluefish or sardines can take a medium wood like pecan or oak. Hickory only in small amounts, and no mesquite. Hot-smoke fish at about 175 to 225°F after a brine and a dry surface, and cook it to 145°F, the FDA's safe temperature for fish. (The badges in the table above go by buyer rating; for the taste of fish, read the ranking below.)

Which Wood for Which Fish

Fish	Wood	Why
Salmon, steelhead	Alder, or alder and cherry	The classic salmon smoke
Trout, whitefish	Alder or apple	Mild fish needs a mild wood
Mackerel, bluefish, sardines	Pecan, oak, or alder with a little hickory	Oily fish carries more smoke
Shrimp, scallops, oysters	Apple, cherry or alder	Short smokes; light wood
Tuna	Alder, cherry or apple	See our tuna guide

The Woods, Ranked for Fish

1. Camerons Alder Chips

$14.95 on Amazon →

Alder is the fish wood: mild, clean and slightly sweet, so a two to four hour smoke on salmon still tastes of salmon. Camerons sells it as coarse, kiln-dried chips in a 2 lb bag for charcoal grills, gas grills with smoker boxes and electric smokers. Rated about 4.7 out of 5 from more than 900 ratings.

2. Smokehouse Alder Chunks

$8.99 on Amazon →

The same wood as chunks, for kettles, kamados and charcoal smokers. One or two chunks on a small bed of coals are enough for a side of salmon. Rated about 4.6 out of 5 from more than 300 ratings.

3. Weber Cherry Chips

$7.99 on Amazon →

Cherry is a little stronger than alder and gives fish skin and flesh a darker, reddish color. Many salmon recipes mix it half and half with alder. Rated about 4.8 out of 5 from nearly 2,000 ratings.

4. Western Variety Pack

$27.99 on Amazon →

Apple, cherry, hickory and mesquite chips. Apple and cherry are good fish woods; use the hickory only as a small part of a mix with an oily fish, and leave the mesquite for beef. Rated about 4.7 out of 5 from more than 10,000 ratings.

5. Smokin Pecan Shell Pellets

$34.95 on Amazon →

For pellet grills: pellets made only from pecan shells, in a 19 lb box. Pecan is a medium smoke, a good match for oily fish and for people who want more smoke than alder gives. Rated about 4.4 out of 5 from under 300 ratings.

How to Smoke Fish

1. Brine. A wet brine of salt and brown sugar for 4 to 12 hours depending on thickness, or a dry brine of the same mix. Rinse and pat dry.

2. Form a pellicle. Leave the fish uncovered on a rack in the refrigerator for 1 to 4 hours, until the surface feels tacky. Smoke sticks to it, and it keeps white albumin from seeping out.

3. Smoke low. Hold the smoker at about 175 to 225°F. Lower heat gives more smoke and a moister result; higher heat is faster.

4. Add a little wood. A small handful of chips or one chunk at a time. Fish takes on smoke quickly.

5. Cook to 145°F in the thickest part. A salmon fillet usually takes 1.5 to 3 hours at these temperatures, depending on thickness.

Shrimp and scallops take only 20 to 40 minutes at about 225°F; pull shrimp when they turn opaque and pink.

Hot Smoking and Cold Smoking

Hot smoking (above about 175°F) cooks the fish and is the method on this page. Cold smoking (below about 90°F), as for lox-style salmon, does not cook the fish and needs proper curing, very fresh fish and careful temperature control, so follow a tested recipe if you try it.

Common Mistakes

Strong wood. Mesquite, or a lot of hickory, covers the taste of the fish.
Skipping the pellicle. Smoke does not stick to a wet surface.
Too much heat. Above about 225°F fish dries out and white albumin beads on the surface.
Soaked or green wood. It steams and smolders. Use dry, kiln-dried wood.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best wood for smoking salmon?

Alder, alone or mixed with cherry. Apple also works. All three give a light smoke that suits salmon.

Can you use hickory to smoke fish?

Only a little, and mostly with oily fish such as mackerel or bluefish. On salmon or trout, hickory alone tends to taste harsh.

What temperature should smoked fish reach?

145°F in the thickest part, the FDA's safe temperature for cooked fish.

How long does it take to smoke fish?

At 175 to 225°F, about 1.5 to 3 hours for a salmon fillet, depending on thickness, and 20 to 40 minutes for shrimp.

Should I soak wood chips before smoking fish?

No. Soaked chips steam before they smoke. Use dry chips in small amounts.

Are pellets or chips better for smoking fish?

Use whatever your smoker takes: pellets in a pellet grill, chips in gas and electric smokers, chunks on charcoal. The wood species matters more than the form.