Liquid Smoke

Liquid smoke is a seasoning made by condensing real wood smoke into water. A few drops add smoky, barbecue-like flavor to food without a smoker.

Say it: LIK-wid SMOHK

By Andrew Cooks · Updated · 13 min read

At a glance

Liquid smoke is a seasoning made by capturing real wood smoke and condensing it into water, a genuine smoke flavoring, not an artificial chemical. Wood (usually hickory, mesquite or other hardwood) is smoldered, its smoke is passed through cool water where the flavor and aroma compounds dissolve, and the resulting brown liquid is filtered and refined into a bottled concentrate. A few drops give food a smoky, barbecue-like flavor WITHOUT a smoker or hours of smoking. Cooks use it to add smokiness to barbecue sauce, marinades, baked beans, chili, pulled pork, burgers, bacon-style flavorings, dips and vegetarian and tofu dishes (to mimic smoked meat). It is potent, so it is used sparingly: a little goes a long way, and too much tastes harsh and acrid. Read liquid smoke as bottled wood smoke: a real, concentrated smoke flavoring for adding barbecue smokiness quickly and easily.

What it does for you

Liquid smoke delivers real wood-smoke flavor to food without the smoker, the wood or the hours. It is made by burning or smoldering wood, channeling the smoke through cool water (or a condenser) so that the smoke's flavor and aroma compounds (the same phenols, carbonyls and acids that flavor smoked food) dissolve into the water, then filtering and refining that condensate into a stable liquid concentrate; the harmful or undesirable fractions (and much of the tar and soot) are largely removed in processing.

Cook's tip

Measure liquid smoke in drops, stir it in, and taste before adding more, since too much turns food harsh and bitter and it cannot be taken back out.

Kitchen trivia

Did you know liquid smoke is genuinely made from real smoke, and was commercialized over a century ago by a pharmacist condensing the smoke from a chimney?

See the answer

Key facts

Flavor
Intensely smoky and barbecue-like, with sharp, phenolic, slightly bitter notes; potent, so a few drops flavor a whole dish
Origin
Commercialized in the United States; the classic product traced to Ernest H. Wright, late 19th century (patent c.1895)
Type
Smoke flavoring: real wood smoke condensed into water, then filtered and concentrated

Common uses

Liquid smoke is used, a few drops at a time, wherever a smoky flavor is wanted without smoking. It is a mainstay of barbecue cooking indoors and out: stirred into homemade barbecue sauces, marinades, spice rubs and mopping sauces; added to slow-cooker and oven pulled pork, brisket, ribs and 'barbecue' dishes to give a smokehouse flavor; and mixed into baked beans, chili con carne, stews, soups and bean dishes for smoky depth. It flavors burgers, meatloaf, sausages, meatballs and homemade bacon-style and jerky seasonings; it goes into dips, dressings, cheese sauces and Bloody Mary mixes; and it is brushed on or mixed into grilled and roasted foods.

A particularly important use is in VEGETARIAN and VEGAN cooking, where liquid smoke gives smoked-meat flavor to tofu, tempeh, plant-based 'bacon', vegan jerky, smoky beans, mushroom dishes and meat substitutes. It is also used commercially to flavor countless products: sauces, snacks, processed meats and more. In every case the rule is restraint: because it is so concentrated, liquid smoke is added in drops or a fraction of a teaspoon and tasted as you go, since too much quickly turns food harshly, bitterly smoky.

The golden rule with liquid smoke is: use far less than you think. Start with just a few DROPS or a fraction of a teaspoon for a whole dish, stir it in, and taste before adding more: it is intensely concentrated, and too much tastes harsh, bitter and artificial rather than pleasantly smoky. To make a quick smoky barbecue sauce, stir a few drops into ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar and spices.

For smoky baked beans or chili, add a small dash along with smoked paprika. For oven or slow-cooker pulled pork or 'barbecue', rub the meat with spices and a little liquid smoke before the long, low cook to give a smokehouse flavor without a smoker. In VEGETARIAN cooking, marinate tofu or tempeh with soy sauce, a little oil and a drop or two of liquid smoke to mimic smoked bacon or jerky.

Add it early so it blends in, keep the bottle tightly closed (a little lasts a long time), and remember that liquid smoke is a real, potent smoke concentrate: measure it in drops, not glugs.

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More about liquid smoke

Liquid smoke is a water-based smoke flavoring produced by condensing the smoke of smoldering wood. Hardwood (commonly hickory or mesquite, also apple, pecan and others) is burned or pyrolyzed, and the smoke is passed through water or a cooled condenser, where its flavor and aroma compounds dissolve; the liquid is then filtered, concentrated and refined (removing much of the tar, soot and certain undesirable compounds) into a bottled seasoning. It is a genuine, naturally-derived smoke flavor (captured real smoke) rather than a synthetic imitation, though it is a processed concentrate.

It is distinguished from actually smoking food (which flavors by direct exposure to smoke over time) as a quick, controllable shortcut to smoky flavor, and from smoked ingredients like smoked paprika or chipotle (which are foods smoked whole). Liquid smoke is used in tiny amounts to flavor sauces, marinades, meats, beans, and vegetarian and vegan dishes. It is highly concentrated and potent, so it is dosed by drops and dashes; overuse gives a harsh, acrid, bitter flavor.

Liquid smoke is a thin, watery, translucent liquid ranging from pale yellow-brown to deep reddish-brown, sold in small bottles, and looking rather like a light soy sauce or a thin tea. It smells intensely and unmistakably of wood smoke and barbecue (a powerful, campfire, bacon-like aroma concentrated in the bottle) and a single drop on the finger carries a strong smoky scent and a sharp, smoky, slightly bitter taste. Different types are sold by wood (hickory, mesquite, applewood, pecan) and vary a little in color and flavor, hickory being the classic all-purpose smoke and mesquite stronger.

It pours like water and disperses easily into liquids. There is nothing to see in its action (stirred into a sauce, marinade or dish it simply vanishes, leaving smoky flavor behind) but in the bottle it is that thin, brown, powerfully smoke-scented liquid, and its potency is obvious the moment it is opened: a small amount perfumes a whole kitchen.

The result is a genuine smoke flavoring that, added in tiny amounts, gives food the smoky, barbecue-like taste of real smoking. Its role in the kitchen is convenience and control: a few drops smokify barbecue sauce, marinades and rubs, baked beans, chili, stews, pulled pork, burgers, sausages and meatloaf; it is used to give oven-cooked or slow-cooker 'barbecue' a smokehouse flavor, to boost real smoked dishes, and, importantly, to give a smoked-meat flavor to VEGETARIAN and vegan foods, tofu, and plant-based 'bacon' and jerky. Because it is highly concentrated, it works in drops and dashes, and its whole point is to add smokiness fast, cheaply and repeatably.

Forms and grades

Bottled liquid concentrate by wood type (hickory, mesquite, applewood, pecan); also as smoke-flavor powders and industrial preparations.

Storage and shelf life

Store tightly sealed in a cool, dark cupboard; it is stable and long-lasting.

Pantry
Keeps for a long time (often a year or more) sealed; a little is used at a time so a bottle lasts.
Fridge
Not required; may be refrigerated after opening but a cool cupboard is fine.

Substitutions

Substitutes for liquid smoke
Use insteadHow muchWhat changes
Actual smoking in a smoker (for real barbecue character)For a smoke ring, bark and true smoked texture, smoking the food in a smoker is irreplaceable; liquid smoke only adds flavor
smoked paprika or chipotle (smoky whole-food seasonings)For smoky flavor with body and color, use smoked paprika or chipotle, which are foods smoked whole
A different wood type (hickory vs mesquite)Match the wood to the food: hickory is the versatile default; mesquite is stronger and bolder

Common mistakes

  1. The overwhelming mistake with liquid smoke is USING TOO MUCH. It is an intensely concentrated flavoring, and heavy-handed use makes food taste harsh, bitter, acrid and artificially smoky rather than pleasantly barbecued, so measure it in DROPS or a fraction of a teaspoon, add it gradually, and taste as you go; you can always add more, but you cannot take it out.
  2. A related error is treating it like a sauce or a main ingredient rather than a seasoning: it is a background flavor enhancer, not something to pour. Add it early enough to blend into the dish.
  3. Buy a wood type that suits your food (hickory is the versatile default; mesquite is stronger). Keep the bottle tightly sealed; it is potent and a small bottle lasts a very long time.
  4. Do not assume liquid smoke is a fake or unnatural chemical: it is genuinely made from real wood smoke condensed into water, though it is a processed concentrate.
  5. And remember it only adds smoky FLAVOR: it does not preserve food or replace the texture and crust that real smoking gives. Use it sparingly, as a seasoning, and let a light hand do the work.

Product picks

History

Liquid smoke has a surprisingly long and well-documented history. People had long noticed that soot and condensed smoke carried flavor, but the commercial product is usually traced to the American pharmacist Ernest H. Wright, who in the late nineteenth century (a patent around 1895) developed and marketed a liquid smoke by condensing the smoke rising from a stovepipe or chimney into liquid and refining it, the basis of the still-famous brand that bears his name. The idea rested on the same principle chemists were coming to understand: that the flavor of smoke lives in specific volatile compounds that can be dissolved out of smoke into water.

Industrial production refined the process (controlled burning or pyrolysis of hardwood, condensation of the smoke, and filtration to remove tar, soot and undesirable fractions) into the standardized, food-grade smoke flavorings used today. Liquid smoke spread through the twentieth century as a convenient way to give barbecue and smoked flavor without a smokehouse, becoming a store-cupboard staple in American cooking especially, and a workhorse flavoring in the food industry, used to smoke-flavor everything from sauces and snacks to some 'smoked' processed meats and cheeses.

Is it still used today?

Liquid smoke is a widely-used, inexpensive store-cupboard staple and industrial flavoring. It is sold in supermarkets in several wood varieties (hickory and mesquite the most common, plus apple, pecan and others), used by home cooks to add smoky flavor to barbecue dishes, sauces, marinades, beans, chili and more without a smoker, and it is a favorite in VEGETARIAN and VEGAN cooking for giving smoked-meat flavor to tofu, tempeh, plant-based 'bacon' and jerky, and smoky beans and dishes, a use that has grown with the rise of plant-based eating. The food industry uses liquid smoke extensively to flavor sauces, snacks, processed and 'smoked' meats, cheeses and ready meals, often more cheaply and consistently than real smoking.

There is some ongoing discussion about smoke flavorings and the compounds in smoke, and regulators assess and approve food-grade smoke flavorings for safety, with processing designed to remove undesirable fractions; used normally, in the tiny amounts cooking requires, liquid smoke is regarded as safe. As a quick, cheap, controllable route to smoky flavor, for meat-eaters and plant-based cooks alike, liquid smoke remains a popular and versatile flavoring, the bottled shortcut to the taste of the smoker.

Questions people ask

What is liquid smoke?

Liquid smoke is a seasoning made by capturing real wood smoke and condensing it into water; it is genuine smoke flavor in a bottle, not an artificial chemical. Hardwood (usually hickory or mesquite) is smoldered, and its smoke is passed through cool water, where the flavor and aroma compounds dissolve; the liquid is then filtered and concentrated into a bottled seasoning. A few drops give food a smoky, barbecue-like flavor without a smoker or hours of smoking.

Cooks use it to add smokiness to barbecue sauce, marinades, baked beans, chili, pulled pork, burgers and dips, and to give smoked-meat flavor to tofu and vegetarian and vegan dishes. It is very concentrated and potent, so it is used sparingly (a few drops at a time) because too much tastes harsh and bitter. Think of it as bottled wood smoke for adding barbecue flavor quickly and easily.

Is liquid smoke natural or artificial?

It is natural in origin, genuinely made from real wood smoke, though it is a processed concentrate. To make it, hardwood is burned or smoldered and the resulting smoke is passed through water or a condenser, so the same flavor and aroma compounds that flavor smoked food (phenols, carbonyls and acids) dissolve into the liquid; that condensate is then filtered and refined, which removes much of the tar, soot and certain undesirable fractions, and concentrated into the bottled product. So liquid smoke is captured real smoke, not a synthetic imitation flavor.

It is, however, a processed food ingredient, and it is a concentrate, so it should be used in the tiny amounts cooking calls for. Regulators assess and approve food-grade smoke flavorings for safety, and the refining is designed to reduce undesirable compounds. Used normally (a few drops in a dish), liquid smoke is regarded as safe, and it is a genuine, naturally-derived way to add smoke flavor without a smoker.

How do you use liquid smoke, and how much?

Use it as a seasoning, in DROPS, and taste as you go. Liquid smoke is intensely concentrated, so a whole dish usually needs only a few drops or a fraction of a teaspoon. Start small, stir it in, taste, and add a little more only if needed, because too much tastes harsh, bitter and artificial.

Add it to homemade barbecue sauces, marinades and rubs; to baked beans, chili, stews and bean dishes; to slow-cooker or oven pulled pork and 'barbecue' to give a smokehouse flavor without a smoker; and to burgers, meatloaf and sausages. In vegetarian and vegan cooking, a drop or two with soy sauce gives tofu or tempeh a smoked-bacon flavor. Add it early enough to blend into the dish.

The single most important tip is restraint: measure it in drops, not glugs, keep the bottle tightly sealed, and remember a small bottle lasts a very long time because you use so little at a time.

Is liquid smoke the same as actually smoking food?

No, it adds smoky flavor, but it is not the same as real smoking. Genuine smoking exposes food to wood smoke over time, which not only flavors it but also dries the surface, forms a crust or 'bark', helps preserve the food, and (when hot) cooks it, giving texture, color and keeping-quality as well as taste. Liquid smoke only delivers the FLAVOR of smoke: stirred into a dish it makes it taste smoky, but it does not create a smoke ring, a bark, a preserved surface or the depth that hours in a smoker give, and it does not preserve the food.

So liquid smoke is a convenient shortcut to smoky flavor, invaluable when you have no smoker, or for seasoning sauces, beans and vegetarian dishes, but for real barbecue texture and the full character of smoked meat or fish, actual smoking is different and irreplaceable. Many cooks use both: real smoking for the main event, and a few drops of liquid smoke to boost or to add smokiness where a smoker is impractical.

Can you use liquid smoke in vegetarian and vegan cooking?

Yes, it is one of the most useful ingredients for plant-based cooking, and liquid smoke is itself vegan (it is made from wood smoke, not animal products). Because it delivers the smoky, barbecue, bacon-like flavor usually associated with smoked meat, a few drops can give a convincingly smoked-meat character to plant foods: marinate tofu or tempeh with soy sauce, oil and a drop of liquid smoke to mimic smoked bacon or jerky; add it to smoky vegan baked beans, chili, stews and barbecue-style dishes; flavor plant-based 'bacon', burgers and sausages; and add smoky depth to mushroom, jackfruit and other meat-substitute dishes. It is a key trick in vegan barbecue and comfort cooking for capturing the smokehouse flavor without meat or a smoker.

As always, use it sparingly (a drop or two) because it is potent, and build the rest of the flavor with salt, sweetness, spice and umami. For plant-based cooks wanting that smoked-meat taste, liquid smoke is a small bottle with a big effect.

Trivia answer

Liquid smoke sounds like it must be some modern artificial flavor, but it is genuinely made from real wood smoke, and the idea is surprisingly old. The commercial product is usually credited to Ernest H. Wright, an American pharmacist who in the late nineteenth century (with a patent around 1895) noticed that the smoke rising through a stovepipe or chimney condensed into a dark, smoky-smelling liquid on cooler surfaces, and realized that this condensed smoke could be collected, refined and bottled as a flavoring. His insight rested on the same fact that food chemists were coming to understand: the flavor of smoke lives in specific volatile compounds (phenols, carbonyls and acids) that can be dissolved out of smoke and into water.

That is exactly how liquid smoke is still made today, only industrially: hardwood like hickory or mesquite is smoldered, its smoke is passed through water or a condenser so the flavor compounds dissolve, and the liquid is then filtered to remove tar, soot and undesirable fractions and concentrated into the bottle on the shelf. So the little bottle of liquid smoke really is captured wood smoke, not a synthetic imitation: a genuine, if concentrated and processed, smoke flavoring. And because it is so concentrated, it is used in mere drops: the same potency that let a Victorian pharmacist bottle the essence of a chimney's smoke is why a single small bottle in your cupboard can smoke-flavor dish after dish for a very long time.

Origin and background

How it spread

Spread through 20th-century American cooking and the global food industry as a convenient smoke flavoring.

Where it's popular

The United States above all; used worldwide in home cooking and food manufacturing.

Cuisines that use it

American barbecue and home cooking; increasingly vegetarian/vegan cooking (to mimic smoked meat); global food industry.

How it's made

How it's produced

Hardwood smoldered/pyrolyzed, its smoke passed through water or a condenser so flavor compounds dissolve, then filtered and refined to remove tar/soot and undesirable fractions; concentrated and bottled.

From the same source

Captured, condensed wood smoke; a liquid counterpart to smoking food and to smoked ingredients like smoked paprika.

Growing and season

Season

None, a manufactured flavoring available year-round.

Possible allergens

Generally allergen-free; a food-grade smoke flavoring approved by regulators and used in tiny amounts; potent, so use sparingly (overuse tastes harsh).

Diet notes

Vegan and vegetarian (plant-smoke derived), fat-free and used in drops; valued for giving smoked-meat flavor to plant-based food.

Important: Allergen information is provided for general information only. We cannot guarantee it is complete or accurate, and ingredients and manufacturing practices vary by brand and change over time. Always read the label on the product you are using. If you have a food allergy or a medical condition, consult your health care provider.

Related

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Written by Andrew Cooks for Cooked.it. Pages are drafted with AI from our research database, then checked against sources and our editorial rules. Found something wrong? Tell us and we’ll fix it.

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