Best Wood for Smoking Pork Shoulder and Pulled Pork: Hickory, Fruit Wood or Pecan

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Hickory is the classic wood for pork shoulder and pulled pork. A pork butt is big, fatty and cooks for 10 hours or more, so it can carry hickory's strong, bacon-like smoke without turning bitter. Apple and cherry are the milder choices, and the most popular mix is hickory with one of them, about half and half; cherry also gives the bark a deep mahogany color. Pecan and oak are good middle choices. Use mesquite only as a small share of the wood. Smoke at 225 to 250°F and take the shoulder to about 195 to 205°F, where it pulls apart easily. (The badges in the table above go by buyer rating; for the taste of pulled pork, read the ranking below.)

Best Woods for Pork Shoulder at a Glance

Wood	Smoke	Use on pork shoulder
Hickory	Strong	The classic pulled pork flavor
Apple	Light, sweet	Mild pork; mix half and half with hickory
Cherry	Light	Dark red bark; pairs with hickory
Pecan	Medium	Softer than hickory, richer than apple
Oak	Medium, clean	A neutral base for any mix
Mesquite	Very strong	A quarter of the wood at most

The Woods, Ranked for Pork Shoulder

1. Western Hickory Chips

$32.95 on Amazon →

Hickory chips for gas grills, electric smokers and kettles, sold as a 4-pack. On a long pork butt cook, add a handful at a time for the first 3 to 4 hours. Rated about 4.7 out of 5 across Western's chips, which have more than 10,000 ratings.

2. Old Potters Hickory Chunks

$29.99 on Amazon →

Kiln-dried 2 by 3 inch hickory chunks in a 790 cubic inch box, for charcoal smokers, kamados and offsets, where a chunk smolders far longer than chips. Rated about 4.6 out of 5 from under 200 ratings.

3. Western Variety Pack

$27.99 on Amazon →

Apple, cherry, hickory and mesquite chips: everything for the classic hickory and fruit wood mixes in one box. Rated about 4.7 out of 5 from more than 10,000 ratings.

4. Cattleack Pecan Chunks

$39.98 on Amazon →

Kiln-dried pecan chunks in a 10 lb box. Pecan is the choice if hickory tastes too strong to you but apple too light. Rated about 4.4 out of 5 from under 100 ratings.

5. Mr. Bar-B-Q Chips 3-Pack

$35.95 on Amazon →

Three 1.8 lb bags of apple, hickory and mesquite chips for gas and charcoal grills. More wood per flavor than the Western pack, but no cherry. Rated about 4.7 out of 5 from more than 3,000 ratings.

How to Smoke a Pork Shoulder

1. Trim and season. Trim thick hard fat to about 1/4 inch and season with a rub, the night before if you can.

2. Heat the smoker to 225 to 250°F and wait for thin, pale blue smoke.

3. Add wood for the first 3 to 4 hours. On charcoal, 3 to 4 chunks at the start and one more each hour or so during that time; with chips, a small handful every 45 to 60 minutes. After that the bark has set and more smoke adds little.

4. Ride out the stall. Around 150 to 170°F the temperature often stops rising for hours as moisture evaporates. Wait it out, or wrap the shoulder in foil or butcher paper to push through faster.

5. Cook to about 195 to 205°F, until a probe slides in with almost no resistance. Pork is safe at 145°F; the higher temperature melts the connective tissue so the meat pulls. Expect roughly 1.5 to 2 hours per pound at 225 to 250°F.

6. Rest, then pull. Rest the shoulder wrapped for at least 30 to 60 minutes before shredding.

Common Mistakes

Smoke for the whole cook. The meat takes on most of its smoke in the first hours.
Too much mesquite. Over 10 hours or more it turns bitter. Keep it to a small share, or leave it out.
Soaked wood. It steams before it smokes. Use dry chips and chunks.
Pulling too early. At 180°F the meat slices but does not shred. Wait for probe tender.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best wood for pulled pork?

Hickory, alone or mixed with apple or cherry. Pecan is a slightly milder alternative.

Should I use chips or chunks for a pork shoulder?

Chunks on any charcoal, kamado or offset smoker, because the cook is long and chunks burn steadier. Chips on gas grills and electric smokers. On a pellet grill, use hickory, a fruit wood, or a competition blend of pellets.

How much wood do I need for one pork shoulder?

On charcoal, about 4 to 6 chunks across the first 3 to 4 hours. With chips, a few handfuls over the same time.

Can I mix woods on a pork shoulder?

Yes. Hickory and apple half and half, or hickory and cherry, are the most common pulled pork mixes.

Does soaking wood chips help?

No. Soaked chips steam before they smoke and cool the cooker. Use them dry.

How long does it take to smoke a pork shoulder?

Roughly 1.5 to 2 hours per pound at 225 to 250°F, so 10 to 16 hours for an 8 lb butt, plus resting. Go by temperature and tenderness, not the clock.