Pecan Wood For Smoking Chicken

What Is a Pecan Wood

A Pecan wood consists of a hickory type wood that features buttery-smooth and rich edible nuts. It’s excellent for constructing furniture, but people also chop it into chips and chunks for smoking chicken or any other meat. The flavor of pecan wood is more rigid compared to other fruity woods. However, its flavor is milder than that of mesquite and hickory.

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Who Should Use Pecan Wood

For a person who wishes for a richer tasting smoking wood, Pecan is suitable. It speaks to nutty aromas sitting behind its sweet flavor. It also holds its own well against meats like beef, game, and pork. Both chunks and chips are available, with the difference that chips tend to burn compared to pieces.

Smoked chicken pieces cooked for a short period of time require wood chips. But smoked full chickens cooked for a long time, such as up to 1-2 hours, calls for wood chunks. Avoid mixing pecan with hickory because it has a stronger flavor than other fruity wood. You will end up with an unpleasant taste.

What You Should Know

Pecan wood doesn’t overpower the seasoning at all, so there will be no overwhelming odor and the flavors will remain intact in the cuts of meat. There is no reason for you to change out the firewood midway through the cooking session.

Many people refer to pecan as a cool wood, but there is little evidence to support that argument. Nevertheless, pecan is an excellent coal source, and it burns equally well as the rest of the hardwoods.

Pecan Wood for Smoking Chicken

When you are using pecan wood chips to smoke chicken, you must decide whether to use chunks or chips. Chips tend to smoke faster, but chunks are a better choice when working slow and steady on a large chicken. You can start smoking chicken at 275  in any one of the following ways:

Charcoal Grill

If you’re utilizing a charcoal grill, charcoal starter, and heat coals, start pouring the coals inside your grill. Now directly place the wood over the hot coals. Try setting up a fuse burn, along with wood chips or chunks and charcoal for extended smokes.

Electric or Gas Grill

When it comes to an electric or gas grill, proceed to place the wood chips or chunks inside a smoke box or foil pack and put it under direct heat. When the wood starts smoking, try moving them towards the grill’s cooler part and place your food.

Smoker Grills

Here smoker grills refer to offset barrel smokers, pipe smokers, and horizontal smokers. They have control over the entire smoking procedure. These grills are best suited for gentle cooking at low temperatures that leave pork ribs or chicken falling off the bones. Start by lighting the coals inside the starter, opening the chimney baffles and intake, and inserting the hot lump coals inside the firebox. Now add the chunks or chips onto the coals.

Pecan wood is an excellent choice for barbecue fanatics because it complements different meats. Its rich nutty aroma helps in pulling off the best chicken recipes. Aside from smoked chicken, you can also cook a smoked lamb, smoked BBQ brisket, smoked spare ribs, smoked ham, pork loin, etc. The wood also does a great job in combating protein with a strong odor like gamey meat. You can also experiment with wood combinations for smoking. Who knows, you might end up with the next big recipe for your family and friends.