What Is Liquid smoke and How Can I Use It?

Wondering what to do with liquid smoke? This guide covers how to pick it, cook it, store it, and swap it, plus 114 recipes to put it to work.

What is liquid smoke?

Liquid smoke is made from the smoke created by burning sawdust or wood chips under controlled conditions. The smoke is funneled into a chamber, condensed and then cooled into a liquid.

Liquid smoke is used as a seasoning which imparts an intense smokey flavor to a variety of recipes and food preparations. It is frequently used in the processing of hot dogs, and bacon as well as flavoring tofu and jerky.

It can be used in marinades to impart a "smoked" flavor into foods, indoors, without using a smoker.

A little liquid smoke goes a long way with its intensely concentrated flavor and can easily overpower your dish if not used sparingly. A few drops may be all that is needed.

Where to buy

Liquid smoke is very inexpensive and can ordered for only a few dollars.

View a wide selection of Liquid smoke on Amazon

Quick facts

In Chinese: 烟液
British (UK) term: Liquid smoke
en français: fumée liquide
en español: humo líquido

Recipes using liquid smoke

There are 114 recipes that contain this ingredient.

More Power To Ya Meatballs

Smoky barbecue meatballs simmered in a sauce of ketchup, brown sugar, tomato paste, and liquid smoke. A crowd-pleasing party meatball that holds well in the slow cooker.

Baba Ghanoush No.2

Smoky baba ghanoush of broiler-charred eggplant pureed with tahini, sauteed garlic and onion, and a touch of liquid smoke for that fire-roasted flavor. Served at room temperature with pita.

Barbecued Chicken

Grilled chicken rubbed with a bold homemade spice blend of paprika, chili powder, and garlic, brushed with a sweet ketchup-brown sugar BBQ sauce with a hint of orange. Crispy skin, juicy meat, zero fuss.

Smoked Cheese Multi-Grain Quesadillas

Looking for a quick tasty snack? It's easy to make your own smoked mozzarella (in less than a minute), add a handful of scallions and melt it together in minutes for a smokey and gooey satisfying treat.

Chauvinist Pig Sauce (For Pulled Pork)

Had some leftover pulled pork and wanted something a little different than your standard barbeque sauce. Why "Chauvinist Pig"? Secret's in the sauce!

Soy Sauce Veggie Oat Burgers

Serve in buns or as a main course, hot or cold. Can be frozen.

Cola Barbecued Ribs

These delicious cola barbecued ribs will for sure satisfy your tummy.

Smoked Corn Stuffed Pepper

These delicious stuffed peppers are packed with goodness. Make this tasty meatless dish for a change.

Quick Smokey Barbecue Dipping Sauce

Good as a quick barbecue sauce but we use it for a dipping sauce for chicken fingers or homemade chicken nuggets.

Red Cabbage & Red Bean Soup

Vegan red cabbage and kidney bean soup with parsnips, carrots, and a smoky broth seasoned with liquid smoke, allspice, and thyme. Hearty, low-fat, and full of flavor.

Easy Salmon Pate Dip

A delicious change from the standard Krab or Clam dip.

Lexington Style Pulled Pork

Use the slow-cooker and liquid smoke instead of grilling and wood chips. The result is outstanding, and the pork is packed with flavor.

KFC Honey BBQ Dipping Sauce

One of the favorite items that is on the menu is the Barbecue sauce that was original made fresh in the store and used to dip the wings, the original chicken and now the chicken strips. Now it comes in a bag and all we have to do is adding hot water and keep warm.

Crescent City Red Beans & Rice (Crock-Pot)

New Orleans red beans and rice made easy in the slow cooker. Dried red beans cooked low with a smoky ham hock, garlic, and bay, thickened creamy, then piled over rice with browned smoked sausage.

Jack Daniels Baked Beans

Easy Jack Daniels spiked smokey baked beans. Enriched with sugar and "spice" and everything nice! :)

North Carolina Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

This recipe for an indoor slow cooked (Crockpot) pulled pork takes inspiration from North Carolina. Instead of ham hocks it uses bacon and liquid smoke.

Smoky Beef & Black Eyed Peas

Slow cooker beef chuck roast simmered all day with black-eyed peas, carrots and green chiles, finished with a hit of hickory liquid smoke. Set it and forget it for 9 to 10 hours.

Robb's Pit-Style Pork Roast

Pit-style pork shoulder roast smoked over hickory wood chips with a tangy mustard-vinegar BBQ sauce. Slow-grilled for 3 hours using indirect heat until falling-apart tender.

Oven Kalua Pig

Oven kalua pig wrapped in banana leaves with sea salt and liquid smoke, slow-roasted for 7 hours until fall-apart tender. A Hawaiian luau classic made at home without an underground imu.

Dehydrator Barbecue Sauce

Barbecue sauce made with dehydrated vegetables, white wine, honey, Worcestershire, and liquid smoke. A Cajun-style pantry BBQ sauce that simmers for hours using shelf-stable dried ingredients.

Chris's Kicky Ketchup

Doctored ketchup spiked with garlic, hot sauce, liquid smoke, and minced peppers. Turns the cheapest store-bought ketchup into a smoky, chunky table sauce with a kick.

Shredded Barbecued Beef Sandwiches

Shredded barbecue beef brisket sandwiches with a paprika, garlic, and mustard dry rub plus a hit of liquid smoke. Slow-roasted until fork-tender, piled on French rolls with warm barbecue sauce.

Broiled Chicken Fajitas

Broiled chicken fajitas marinated in lemon juice, garlic, oregano, and a hit of liquid smoke. Served with sauteed peppers, onions, tomatoes, and picante sauce in warm corn tortillas.

Grilled Butter Fly Pattern Pork Chops

Butterflied pork chops grilled over charcoal and brushed with a tangy homemade barbecue sauce spiked with malt vinegar, soy, and liquid smoke.

Salami

Homemade salami from ground beef with curing salt, mustard seeds, coarse black pepper, and hickory liquid smoke. A three-day process baked low and slow.

One-Dish Meal

Slow cooker one-dish meal with ground beef, bacon, smoked sausage, and four kinds of beans in a sweet-smoky ketchup and honey sauce. A hearty crowd-feeder for 10.

Knights Turkey Jerky

Homemade turkey jerky marinated in soy sauce, Worcestershire, liquid smoke, and hot sauce. Dehydrate in the oven or a dehydrator for a high-protein, smoky snack.

Knights Turkey Jerky

Homemade turkey jerky marinated in soy sauce, Worcestershire, liquid smoke, and hot sauce. Dehydrate in the oven or a dehydrator for a high-protein, smoky snack.

Mom's Baked Beans

Mom's baked beans dump canned pork and beans together with ham chunks, ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, liquid smoke, and pearl onions, then bake until thick. Easy potluck side from a no-fuss family recipe.

Sweet Pepper Pork

Wok-fried pork tenderloin cubes with sweet bell peppers, soy sauce, and a hint of liquid smoke, tossed with rice. A fast, smoky one-pan dinner the whole family will enjoy.

Fajitas Grande

Grilled chicken fajitas marinated overnight in Worcestershire, soy sauce, lime juice, cumin, and a shot of tequila. Served sizzling with sauteed peppers and all the fixings.

Barbecued Beef Brisket

Barbecued beef brisket rubbed and marinated overnight, then baked low and slow in a tangy-sweet homemade sauce until fork-tender. No smoker needed, just sliced brisket for piled-high barbecue sandwiches.

Smoked Chicken Hens

Whole chickens stuffed with sausage dressing and smoked over charcoal for 5 hours with a wine-herb water pan. Louisiana-style backyard smoking at its finest. Serves 8.

Stove Top Baked Beans

Smoky, sweet stove top baked beans loaded with crispy bacon, brown sugar, bell pepper, mustard, and liquid smoke. No oven needed for this crowd-pleasing BBQ side that gets better the longer it sits.

Yankee Style BBQ Beef

Slow-roasted beef brisket pulled into tender strands and simmered in a homemade BBQ sauce with molasses, chili sauce, and a hit of liquid smoke. Northern-style pulled beef that rivals any smokehouse.

Famous Jodeen Sausage (Wyoming Style)

Famous Jodeen sausage, a bold Wyoming-style homemade sausage loaded with garlic, jalapeno, cumin, sage, and a hit of liquid smoke. Blend with pork fat for juicy, spicy patties or links, great for wild game.

Barbecue Sauce 1

Cajun-style barbecue sauce simmered low with onions, sweet red bell peppers, white wine, honey, and a hint of dried mint. A from-scratch sauce with serious depth and Louisiana character.

Barbecued Beef Sandwiches

Why wait for dinner when you can enjoy these scrumptious sandwiches that make a perfect lunch.

Smokey Chicken & Beans

Smoky chicken and beans slow-simmered into a thick, sweet-and-savory stew with three kinds of beans, diced apple, maple syrup, barbecue sauce, and a hit of hickory liquid smoke. Cozy, hearty, and easy.

Honey-Mustard Barbecued Short Ribs

Dress up your ribs in a new way with this succulent recipe that is 100% stress free!

Spanish Bean Dish

Spanish bean dish with kidney beans, smoky liquid smoke, dry mustard, strong coffee, and a finishing pour of brandy. The vintage retro casserole that builds layered flavor from pantry odds and ends.

Smoky Black Bean Chili

Smoky black bean chili pulls together canned black beans, tomatoes, and salsa with chili powder, oregano, and a splash of liquid smoke. A fast vegetarian chili ready in under 30 minutes.

Deep-Fried Wild Turkey

Deep-fried wild turkey injected with cayenne-Italian dressing marinade, then immersed in hot peanut oil for crackling skin and juicy meat. The Cajun hunter classic.

Venison Roast

Venison chuck roast cooked low and slow in an oven bag with potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, and a smoky sauce of liquid smoke, Worcestershire, and soy. Set it and forget it for 3.5 hours.

Hawaiian Roast Pork

Hawaiian roast pork shoulder marinated overnight in soy sauce and liquid smoke, then slow-baked until fork-tender. Three ingredients, luau-style smoky flavor, no grill or smoker required.

Pete's Unusual Black Bean Chili

Black bean chili with ground chuck, cocoa powder, molasses, cinnamon, and liquid smoke for complex depth. Pressure-cooked dried beans and a low-and-slow simmer build serious flavor.

Tasty Black-Eyed Pea Salad

Southern black-eyed pea salad with spinach, pecans, Monterey Jack, and mushrooms in a smoky vinegar dressing. A make-ahead side that gets better overnight in the fridge.

Luau Chicken

Luau chicken bakes boneless chicken breasts under a sweet-and-savory pineapple sauce loaded with green pepper, celery, brown sugar, soy, and a hit of liquid smoke. Hawaiian-style luau flavors, ready from one casserole dish.

Smoked Turkey Poss Dup

Smoked turkey cooked overnight in white wine with garlic, onion, mint, and a touch of liquid smoke. Oven-smoked, low-and-slow Cajun-style turkey that feeds a crowd with juicy, herb-scented results.

Mighty Nice Shrimp Cheese Ball

Shrimp cheese ball with cream cheese, horseradish, lemon juice, and liquid smoke rolled in toasted pecans and parsley. A make-ahead party appetizer with real boiled shrimp.

All 114 recipes