When it comes to cooking ribs it is the best idea to smoke your ribs with wood smoke which gives your ribs the tender and smoky flavor for which you need to find the best wood for smoking ribs.
The most commonly used woods for great smoky flavor every time are not limited to cherry, hickory, oak pecans, which are the best types of woods to experiment with and use on your BBQ ribs.
Cow rib meat is one of the best cuts that you want to share with your family and friends after smoking it. Its incredible taste and texture will inspire you to cook outdoor barbecues again and again.
Top 7 Best Wood for Smoking Ribs
Traditional woods like hickory, oak, and mesquite are best for your beef and pork ribs. However, the finest woods such as apple, pecan, cherry, and maple add a sweet fruity flavor to your ribs that will transport you into a world of smoking classics.
Smoking ribs involves several steps, although it gives you the opportunity to customize the flavor of the smoked meat. But there is every possibility of spoiling the taste of the ribs if there is a slight carelessness in choosing the wood used.
All you have to do is get it right, and with a little self-care, you’ll be able to add an amazing flavor to ribs. There is no doubt that your slightest carelessness will completely ruin some peculiar flavor profiles.
If you’re in a hurry, the list is ready for you, so that will give you the complete idea, but I would recommend reading the review in full.
- Hickory: The strong and rich aroma makes it the perfect addition to smoked pork cuts.
- Mesquite: Strong and spicy make up the standard wood that is the most popular smoking wood from BBQ experts around the world.
- Oak: An earthy aroma that adds a light and lovely layer of smoke flavor.
- Maple: Perfect from Smoky Crust to Sweet and Subtle Crust.
- Pecans: A mild and nutty flavor producing that can be a great combination with hickory.
- Cherries: Perfect for adding a lovely deep red color to pork ribs.
- Apple: A sweet and very mild note that pairs well to produce the best fruit wood for your BBQ ribs.
Hickory
Hickory is the most preferred wood for smoking, it is an excellent alternative to all types of smoking and would be included in the list of almost all smoking woods. It is a rich and reliable wood that is best for smoking ribs.
It is a decidedly sweet and hearty flavor that is very popular in the South and Midwest of the United States. If you’ve ever bought smoked BBQ from this region in life, know that it’s made from hickory.
Hickory is a solid wood that produces a lot of smoke, so caution is necessary when smoking with it, or else the natural flavor of your ribs may overpower. However, smoking brisket requires less attention because there is more meat in brisket than in ribs.
Hickory smoke gives your ribs a nice color, hearty feel, and mellow tone. This is a great option for your ribs that works well with the use of BBQ sauce to glaze the ribs.
But it is advised to avoid smoking too much, smoking too much will make it difficult to control the taste of your ribs as too much will make it bitter. You can also consider matching some other woods with it which would be a good decision.
| Image | Brands | Features | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Traeger Grills Hickory Hardwood Pellets Grill | 1. Premium quality 2.100% Natural hickory hardwood 3. Pairs well with everything 4. Clean Burn, Low Ash, and No Binders | Buy Now On Amazon |
 | WESTERN Premium BBQ Hickory Wood Chips | 1. Big Wood size 2. 100% natural Hickory wood 3. Heat treated | Buy Now On Amazon |
 | Camerons Hickory Smoking Wood Chunks | 1. 100% natural Hickory wood chunks 2. Works with all grills 3. Subtle fruity flavor | Buy Now On Amazon |
Mesquite
Mesquite is the next most preferred wood that gives a great flavor to your food and is known for the most precise ribs that pack the flavor into the ribs.
Mesquite infuses your cow ribs with an earthy, strong flavor that actually tastes great. Sure, using mesquite moderation is the best idea but it needs to be used in moderation. If you are using it then you need to think seriously about it.
Nature has filled the mesquite itself with oil, which makes the meat more likely to burn.
| Image | Brands | Features | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Louisiana Grills Texas Mesquite Pellets | 1. Premium quality 2.100% Natural maple wood 3. Pairs well with everything 4. Clean Burn, Low Ash, and No Binders | Buy Now On Amazon |
 | Oklahoma Joe's Mesquite Wood Smoker Chips | 1. light and sweet smoke flavor 2. Longer lasting smoke 3. Heat treated | Buy Now On Amazon |
 | Steven Raichlen's Project Smoke Smoking Chips - (Mesquite) | 1. 100% Mesquite wood chunks 2. Works with all grills 3. Ignited quickly and com-busts completely | Buy Now On Amazon |
Oak
The oak on this list makes a good BBQ smoker whose harshness produces more smoke than that but tastes earthy and the smoke coats the top of the ribs beautifully.
Many experts agree that oak is a great choice if you’re a beginner, mainly because it gives you a great and strong smoky flavor that you can easily control.
The trouble with oak wood is that if water gets on it, it can damage your ribs. Smoking ribs is hours of work and creating a huge pile of oak ash, so you have to tread lightly with it otherwise it could all go to waste.
| Image | Brands | Features | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Traeger Grills PEL310 Oak Wood | 1. High quality 2.100% Natural Oak wood 3. Pairs well with everything 4. Clean Burn, Low Ash, and No Binders | Buy Now On Amazon |
 | Camerons Smoking Chips - (Oak) | 1. light and sweet smoke flavor 2. Oak Coarse Cut Wood Chunks pairs well with all kind of meat 3. Heat treated | Buy Now On Amazon |
 | Western Premium Oak BBQ Cooking Chunks | 1. Premium Quality 2. Works with all grills 3. Ignited quickly and big size | Buy Now On Amazon |
Maple
One of the best smoking woods is maple, which is great for giving your meat a sweet taste, mild, mildly smoky color.
You can do with ribs with maple syrup and maple wood pairs beautifully. Really you get a lovely sweet and lightly smoked taste. Sweeter and richer than other woods, this is a great choice if you like sweetness.
| Image | Brands | Features | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Bear Mountain BBQ Maple Hardwood Pellet | 1. Premium quality 2.100% Natural maple wood 3. Pairs well with everything 4. Clean Burn, Low Ash, and No Binders | Buy Now On Amazon |
 | Napoleon Maple Wood Chips | 1. light and sweet smoke flavor 2. Longer lasting smoke 3. Heat treated | Buy Now On Amazon |
 | Camerons Maple Smoking Wood Chunks | 1. 100% Maple wood chunks 2. Works with all grills 3. Ignited quickly and com-busts completely | Buy Now On Amazon |
Pecan
Pecans are the woods that give your meat ribs the sweet-to-sweet flavor, however, unlike most other sweet-tasting woods, they are richer and give you the nutty notes beneath all the sweetness.
If you’re looking for wood-like hickory, I think pecans are a great choice that manages to strike a really nice balance between earthy smoke and a rich, sweet flavor.
| Image | Brands | Features | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | PIT BOSS Pecan Blend Wood Pellets | 1. No added scents, sprays, or glues 2.100% Natural pecan wood 3. Premium-grade, pure-hardwood 4. Wood fibers hold pellets together | Buy Now On Amazon |
 | Weber Stephen Products Wood, Pecan Chips | 1. Provides a rich & Sweet flavor 2. Longer lasting smoke 3. Heat treated | Buy Now On Amazon |
 | Weber Pecan Wood Chunks | 1. 100% Pecan wood chunks 2. Provides a rich & Sweet flavor 3. Ignited quickly and com-busts completely | Buy Now On Amazon |
Cherry
Cherry has a slightly fruity flavor when combined with the best hardwood (hickory), you get two flavors that complement each other directly for best results.
Besides having a good taste, cherries impart a wonderful red color to your pork ribs, which enhances the taste of your food, which beautifies your dinner table.
| Image | Brands | Features | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Bear Mountain BBQ Cherry Wood Pellets | 1. Premium quality 2.100% natural hardwood 3. Pairs well with everything 4. Clean Burn, No Binders, Low Ash | Buy Now On Amazon |
 | Oklahoma Joe's Cherry Wood Smoker Chips | 1. Wood size 2. 100% natural cherry wood 3. Works with smoker electric, charcoal, and gas. | Buy Now On Amazon |
 | Weber Cherry Wood Chunks | 1. 100% natural cherry wood 2. Works with all grills 3. Subtle fruity flavor | Buy Now On Amazon |
Apple
Smoking ribs from applewood is a great idea for those who prefer a sweet note; The sweet smoke blends wonderfully into each strand of ribs. It works well when you use it as a glaze for BBQ sauce.
Each wood has its own uniqueness, as compared to others, if you compare mesquite its taste is a bit more subtle and sweet.
If you think of applewood, definitely think of it as the better wood which is going to give you a very subtle flavor but you really have to put in the time. Meaning you have to smoke your meat slowly and use a low temperature for a long time.
| Image | Brands | Features | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Traeger Apple Wood Pellets | 1. Premium quality 2.100% natural Sweet taste 3. Pairs well with everything 4. Work with all type grills | Buy Now On Amazon |
 | Oklahoma Joe's Apple Wood Smoker Chips | 1. Wood size 2. 100% natural alder wood 3. Works with all grills brands | Buy Now On Amazon |
 | Weber Apple Wood Chunks | 1. 100% natural raw timber 2. Works with all grills 3. Subtle sweet flavor | Buy Now On Amazon |
FAQ
How long should I smoke ribs?
Ribs are ready to eat very quickly compared to other meats. Smoke it at 225°F for a quick meal, and your ribs are ready in 2 hours. However, you should give them more time for the collagen in the ribs to break down and make them smell good.
What wood should I NOT use when smoking ribs?
Above we told you which wood you should use, it works best with ribs that have a sweet flavor, hardwoods, and a subtle smoke crust. Conversely, you really have to avoid softwoods (pine wood) which can damage your ribs, and don’t use briquettes at all.
Should I wrap my ribs in foil?
Yes, you should wrap the ribs in aluminum foil which keeps the ribs from drying out and retains more moisture. To add more flavor to ribs, add beer or apple juice to add an extra layer of steamy flavor. Wrap the ribs with your chosen liquid in foil, and leave enough room to breathe. Close it tightly so that the moisture does not come out.
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