The 10 Best Liquid Smoke To Enhance Flavor

It took him a while, but later on, a chemist, he came up with a way to create liquid smoke when he realized that the black oozing liquid occurred when smoke came into contact with cold air. Thus liquid smoke was born.

For J’s Hawaii Kiawe Liquid Smoke 5 oz. Bottle

Whenever you want to add a tropical feel to your cooking, you can use this delectable liquid smoke that is made in Hawaii. For J’s Hawaii Kiawe Liquid Smoke 5 oz. Bottle is Kiawe flavored, which makes it a lot like mesquite but with a much deeper and more intense flavor. It’s what you use when you want to give the meat a beautiful smoky flavor and add a taste of Hawaii to your cooking.

Wrights Hickory Liquid Smoke Mesquite 3.5 oz. (Pack of 2)

Not only is the Wrights Hickory Liquid Smoke Mesquite 3.5 oz. (Pack of 2) the kind of liquid smoke that gives everything you use it on that wonderful smoky taste, but it’s also manufactured with your health in mind. This product is inclusive and takes all kinds of dietary needs into consideration. As such, it’s peanut-free, nut-free, egg-free, sugar-free, and has no artificial ingredients added.

In addition to all that, it is also gluten-free, corn-free, and vegetarian. It’s safe to say that this is a product that can be used by pretty much anyone who wants to give something a smoky taste all the while taking their guests’ dietary requests into consideration.

Stubb’s Hickory Liquid Smoke, 5 fl oz., (Pack of 12)

If you like smoked meat, then you have probably tasted the legendary Stubb’s flavor at one point or another in your life. This Stubb’s Hickory Liquid Smoke, 5 fl oz., (Pack of 12) represents everything that is so good about the Stubb’s brand. Not only does it have a wonderful taste and flavor, but it does much more than just give your meat a smoky flavor.

This little bottle of flavor combines well with any of your personal seasonings to help you create your own signature bar-b-q dishes that come with a strong smoky taste. It’s designed to infuse well in burgers, briskets, and slow-cooked ribs.

One of the best things about this wonderful flavor is that you only need to use very little of it each time. One or two drops of it into your marinade or directly onto your meat is perfect.

Colgin Natural Mesquite Liquid Smoke, 16 oz. (Pack of 6)

Colgin is a brand that goes way back to the 1800s. This brand has been making wonderfully flavored liquid smoke since its first smokehouse was built in Texas. The thing about their products, like this Colgin Natural Mesquite Liquid Smoke, 16 oz. (Pack of 6) is that they are made out of all-natural liquid smoke, which means that there are no artificial additives whatsoever, and neither are there any preservatives used.

As a brand, Colgin is vegan, and it contains no animal by-products at all. It’s also gluten-free and prides itself on producing liquid smoke that can be considered to be the instant answer for getting a smoky flavored dish without needing to use a smoker. You can use this bottle to add flavor to almost any dish that you think can benefit from having a smoky taste and aroma.

You can easily create a signature smoky dish with just a few drops from this tiny bottle. The best part is that it’s easy enough to use. You simply just brush or dash it on your chicken, hot dogs, hamburgers to give them that tangy, smoky flavor.

Try Me Liquid Smoke, 5 oz. (Pack of 6)

Yet another wonderful product from a respectable company. Try Me Liquid Smoke, 5 oz. (Pack of 6) has no artificial additives nor preservatives, which makes it one of the safest liquid smoke products in the market today. It is also in tune with the paleo diet and is gluten-free. If you want a liquid smoke product that gives your dishes that wonderful flavor without putting your health at risk, then you have found it here.

Colgin Apple Liquid Smoke, 4 oz. (Pack of 12)

When was the last time you tasted smoked meat that had an apple flavor? This Colgin Apple Liquid Smoke, 4 oz. (Pack of 12) is a unique ingredient that would bring an interesting taste to every dish that you prepare. Manufactured by Colgin, this liquid smoke is not only healthy, but it also comes from good stalk which means you can trust it to be everything the company says it is and more.

Made out of nothing else but natural apple smoke, water, vinegar, salt, and molasses, you can use this liquid smoke on a variety of dishes and even add it to your special seasoning to create a unique blend.

What is Liquid Smoke?

Liquid smoke is a kind of flavoring used in a wide variety of dishes to give them a smoky taste without needing to use a smoker.

Ernest H. Wright, after realizing that smoke could condense into a liquid when it came into contact with cold air, decided to experiment with wood combustion. Liquid smoke, therefore, is a natural byproduct of a variety of burning wood.

Liquid smoke is created by burning different types of wood.

The exhaust from this wood and fire is nothing more than smoke and steam. That steam is then condensed via a cooled tube, which essentially captures the smoke. That liquid is then distilled into a smoky concentrate. The process involves the filtration of impurities such as ash and soot. What you remain with is a yellowish-brown product referred to as liquid smoke.
For more in-depth information about its chemical characteristics, see this study.

How is Liquid Smoke Used?

While the primary use for liquid smoke is to add a distinct smokiness to whatever food you might be grilling without a smoker, the truth is that most of the liquid smoke in this world has a wide variety of uses. These uses include:

• Flavor additive in different foods such as marinades, barbecue sauces, and any “barbecue” flavored foods
• It can also be found in hot dogs, different kinds of cheese and smoked meats
• It is also often used in a wide variety of the bacon that we buy
• Liquid smoke is also used in most foods that are labeled “smoked”. For example, smoked sausages, smoked gouda and so on

The truth is that most of these products are never really smoked in the way that we would assume. Even though they might taste like someone cooked them in a smoker, more often than not, it’s liquid smoke that was used to give them that smoky flavor.

Frequently Asked Questions

Liquid smoke makes grilling a variety of foods very easy. By giving the dishes that wonderful smoky flavor, you can easily make tasty treats without necessarily using a smoker. That being said, anything that acts as a shortcut to something else is often viewed as being inferior to the original. For the most part, that is true. However, when it comes to liquid smoke, there are more advantages to trying out the different flavors than they are disadvantages.

The idea of trying to find all the different types of wood used in the different liquid smoke flavors is not only exhausting but, in some cases, rather logistically improbable. Here are some common questions people ask about liquid smoke (these are some of the things you should know before choosing the right type of liquid smoke for you):

How Can I Cook with Liquid Smoke?

Liquid smoke is mainly used by people who don’t own smokers or don’t feel like using a smoker but still want to grill something that has that wonderful smoky flavor – using liquid smoke if fairly easy. All you have to do is shake the bottle and put a few drops (one or two) into your chosen seasoning or directly onto the meat or fish that you are grilling. If you want a subtler flavor, then you can dilute the liquid smoke in vinegar or even just water.

The best part is that you can add liquid smoke to a wide variety of recipes, including your own homemade barbecue sauce or smoker roasted nuts and a wide range of cocktails.

What Does Liquid Smoke Taste Like?

Liquid smoke tastes exactly like the name suggests it would taste – smoke. The thing about liquid smoke is that it comes in a wide variety of flavors. For example, there is liquid hickory smoke, mesquite liquid smoke, pecan, and even apple. The idea is that the liquid smoke you buy will taste exactly like the wood from which it was condensed.

There are, however, some types of liquid smoke that have artificial ingredients added to them (none that is on this list). These often have a more artificial taste as opposed to ones that have a genuine smoky taste associated with the wood used to create the liquid smoke.

Where Can You Buy Liquid Smoke?

You can find liquid smoke almost everywhere you look. From supermarket shelves, where the tiny bottles will most likely be found near the barbeque sauces to online platforms such as Amazon.

To ensure that the public is safe, liquid smoke bottles have a list of the ingredients on the product label. If you want to have a wonderful smoky flavor to your dishes, choose liquid smoke options that are made out of all-natural ingredients and have no artificial sweeteners or additives.

What are the Common Brands in the Market?

There are several common trusted brands in the market. Colgin, Stubb’s, and Wrights are all excellent brands that produce liquid smoke made of all-natural ingredients. These brands can be trusted to deliver nothing but the best tasting liquid smoke flavors.

How Long Does Liquid Smoke Keep?

When it comes to storage, most liquid smoke bottles can stay fresh and safe to use for up to two years. Typically, these bottles should be kept in the pantry and away from direct light. To help stay fresh for up to two years, keep the lid tightly sealed every time you are done using it.

What are the Nutritional Benefits of Liquid Smoke?

Liquid smoke is one of the best ways to add flavor to your favorite grilled dishes without adding any calories or fat to the overall ensemble. The most common liquid smoke brands produce products that are low in sodium and have zero to about 10 milligrams per serving. However, you need to read the label to ensure that there are no additional additives, which could increase the sodium levels.

Is Liquid Smoke Kosher?

There are some brands that produced Kosher liquid smoke. You, however, have to confirm that on the bottle. Products produced by the Wright brand “Wright Liquid Smoke” are actually certified as Kosher products.

Can I Get Organic Liquid Smoke?

This will also depend on the product as well as a brand from which you buy your liquid smoke. For the most part, the best brands in the market use all-natural ingredients and include no additives or artificial preservatives in their liquid smoke. The problem here, however, is all about your definition of organic. The simple fact that to get liquid smoke, the original wood has to go through a process complicates matters.

How would you know if the original wood was organically cultivated and if it was, how was it handled before it went through the process that’s involved in turning it into liquid smoke? Realistically speaking, it’s rather difficult to determine whether or not a particular brand of liquid smoke is organic. You can, however, buy bottles that use nothing but all-natural ingredients.

Are There Liquid Smoke Allergies?

Typically, whenever someone is allergic to something that is a food product, there is a good chance that they are only allergic to one or two ingredients in that product. Even though it’s technically possible to be allergic to liquid smoke, you would have to be allergic to a single ingredient in the product that you used. The safest way to go about this is to check out all the ingredients in the label to ensure that you aren’t allergic to any one of them.

Is Liquid Smoke Safe to Use?

Truth be told, there is quite a bit of testing that goes into creating the perfect bottle of liquid smoke. For the most part, liquid smoke is very safe to use. The produce the stuff, a particular type of wood (depending on the desired flavor) is passed through a smoking chamber where the smoke is captured and condensed.

That authentic smoke-flavored liquid that is produced contains PAHs (Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons), which, unfortunately, can be carcinogenic. However, the quantities found in liquid smoke bottles are way below the dangerous limit. You could actually have to literally drink about three bottles of your preferred liquid smoke for you to come close to your daily dosage limit and expose yourself to possible cancer.

Liquid smoke is not only very easy to use, but it’s one of those products that make life so much better. The next time you feel like grilling your salmon without a smoker but still want it to have that authentic smoky flavor, all you have to do is choose any one of the bottles on this list and add a few drops to your seasoning. Your fish will have a wonderful smoky flavor without all the associated hassle.