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    Home » Kitchen Laughter Recipes Blog » Smoked

    Liquid Smoke Substitute

    Published: May 4, 2022 by Jason C · This post may contain affiliate links ·

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    Nothing beats that homemade smoke flavor, but sometimes pulling out the smoker for a twelve or sixteen-hour stretch is impractical. When you don’t have time to slow smoke your meat, liquid smoke is a great fast way to add smoke flavor to food. But even that is sometimes too much to ask of our kitchen pantries! Keep our chart handy to choose the best liquid smoke substitute for your recipe.

    nine photos showing different options for liquid smoke replacements.
    The Best Liquid Smoke Substitutes
    Contents hide
    1 Choosing the Best Substitute for Liquid Smoke
    2 Smoked Paprika
    3 Smoke Infuser
    4 Chipotle Powder
    5 Beer
    6 Smoked Meat
    7 Smoked Salt
    8 Canned Chipotle Peppers
    9 Charcoal
    10 Smoked Tea
    11 Hickory Smoke Powder
    12 Wood Chips
    13 DIY Liquid Smoke
    14 Best Way to Use
    15 Common Brands
    16 FAQ

    Finding a liquid smoke alternative is as easy as looking over our chart with a summary of information including how to substitute for 1 tsp liquid smoke. Below the chart, you can read more details about each possible liquid smoke replacement to find out if it’s the right choice for the job.

    Choosing the Best Substitute for Liquid Smoke

    Consider each possible liquid smoke substitute by asking how the smoke is used in your recipe. Each different substitute comes with its own flavor profile and you need to consider how that will match the flavor profile of your recipe.

    Liquid Smoke SubstituteHow to substitute for
    1 tsp Liquid Smoke
    CharacteristicsUses
    Smoked Paprika½ tsp Spanish PaprikaPaprika flavorDry rub, soups, sauces, stews, or marinades
    Smoke Gun5-6 MinutesWood-smoke flavorCooked or cooking food
    Chipotle Powder¼ – ½ teaspoonSpicy smoke. Adds heatDry rub, soups, sauces, stews, or marinades
    Beer1 cup or canSmokey sweetSoups, sauces, stews, or marinades
    Smoked Meat1 cup dicedThe meat of choiceSoups, sauces, stews, or marinades
    Smoked Salt1 tsp SaltSalty smokeDry rub, soups, sauces, stews, or marinades
    Canned Chipotle Peppers¼ – ½ tsp liquidSpicy smoke. Adds heatSoups, sauces, stews, marinades
    Charcoal20-30 MinutesNeutral flavorCooked or cooking food
    Smoked Tea1 teaspoon dry. Tea flavor. PineyDry rub, soups, sauces, stews, marinades
    Hickory Smoke Powder¼ – ½ tspHickory Smoke Flavor.Dry rub, soups, sauces, stews, or marinades
    Wood Chips20-30 MinutesWood Flavor of ChoiceCooked or cooking food
    DIY Liquid Smoke1 tspLiquid Smoke Wood of ChoiceAdd to meat recipes, soups, sauces, stews, or marinades
    Different Liquid Smoke Alternatives and Usage

    Smoked Paprika

    glass bowl with smoked paprika in it.
    Smoked Paprika is Easy to Find and Use

    There is a good chance you already have this tasty spice also known as Spanish paprika in your spice cabinet, especially if you’ve cooked many Kitchen Laughter recipes such as these smoked chicken thighs.

    Since the spice has a built-in smoke flavor it’s a great way to add that smoky vibe to your dish of choice. The most intense effect will be gained if you can find pimenton de la Vera, but other Spanish smoked paprika will also get the job done well.

    Remember that paprika comes with its own flavor profile. Make sure the addition of this subtle spice won’t throw off your dish. You can choose mild, medium, or hot smoked paprika, depending on your preference.

    Smoke Infuser

    If you already have a smoke infuser gathering dust in the closet, it’s time to put it to good use! A few wood chips, a smoke gun, and a little bit of time and you have smoke-infused food.

    Plan to place your food inside a closed container with an opening large enough for the smoke nozzle to fit inside. You can use plastic wrap if necessary. The longer you leave the food sealed up with the smoke, the stronger the smoke flavor. Plan to use the tool for at least 5-6 minutes to get the flavor into your dish.


    Chipotle Powder

    closeup of a container with chipotle powder and a scoop.
    Chipotle Powder has a Smoky Quality

    Another great spice, this one has a lot more heat than paprika but a similar flavor profile. It also has built-in smokiness from the ground chipotle peppers.

    Use chipotle powder in your dry rub, soup or stew when you don’t mind the added heat and want the smoke.

    Beer

    woman holding a dark beer.
    Dark Beers, Like a Stout, Work Great

    Pick the right beer, and the smoky flavor of the alcohol will carry itself over into the dish as we did in the Guinness Brisket Baked Beans. Porters and stouts such as the Guinness are an excellent choice. You can also purchase smoked beers.

    Use beer as part of a marinade or use it as part of a BBQ sauce for your meat.

    Smoked Meat

    two plates loaded with smoked meats.
    Adding Smoked Meats as a Great Substitution

    If you can add a little smoked bacon or smoked sausage to your recipe, it can add smoked flavor. The more meat you use, the more smoked flavor you will get. Any smoked meat will work. If you have leftover smoked brisket or other smoked meats don’t let that go to waste. Chop it up or grind it and freeze it to use in future soups like this brisket chili, stews, sauces or dips.

    This is a great way to infuse soup, stews, or sauces such as marinara sauce with smokey goodness.

    I always seem to have leftovers in the freezer and try to use those as much as possible.

    Smoked Salt

    pile of smoked salt on a blue background.
    Smoked Salt Leaves a Mild Smoky Flavor

    If you’ve never tried using smoked salt before, you are in a real treat. The thing is – you don’t want to add too much salt to a recipe, so while it is possible to get a subtle smoke flavor from this ingredient, it is difficult to go bold.

    To use smoked salt, try it as a one-for-one replacement for the salt in your recipe.

    Canned Chipotle Peppers

    ceramic bowl with canned chipotle peppers poured in.
    Canned Chipotle Peppers are a Great Replacement

    Chipotle peppers are smoked, so when they are canned the flavor carries over into the liquid in the can as well. Either the peppers themselves or the adobo sauce in the can may be an excellent substitute for liquid smoke as long as you don’t mind adding a little heat to your dish.

    Use ¼ to ½ teaspoon of the adobo liquid in the can in your recipe for smoked flavor without too much heat. If you love heat, adjust the amount accordingly. You can also use the chopped peppers in some recipes. You can see in this grilled chipotle-lime chicken thighs we used both the liquid and the chopped peppers in the quick grill recipe.


    Charcoal

    lump of charcoal on a white background.
    Use Lit Charcoal for a Smoky Flavor

    Get the piece of charcoal from your grill smoking from either your grill flame or a gas cooktop. Once it is smoking away, place it in a pan with the food you want to get smoky. Cover it with a lid or wrap it up with a cover of some kind to trap the smoke inside. It will be subtle but can be effective.

    Plan to use smoking charcoal for at least 20 – 30 minutes to get the flavor into your dish.

    Smoked Tea

    tea leaves on a white table with cup of smoked tea.
    Select a Smoked Tea Variety

    This form of tea is literally smoked to enhance the flavor and is quite a nice substitute for liquid smoke if you can find it at your local stores.

    Smoked tea has a pine-flavored smoke and aroma. Use it in dry rubs, soups, stews, sauces, or marinades to get smoky goodness into your food. For liquid applications such as soups or marinades, you may want to brew tea first and then add it as a liquid.

    Lapsang Souchong is my favorite. It has the best balance of smokiness.


    Hickory Smoke Powder

    hickory smoke powder in a ceramic bowl.
    Hickory Smoke Powder

    Perhaps one of the best liquid smoke substitutes, the hickory smoke powder is used as a seasoning when added to recipes. It’s perfect to add to a soup, a sauce, a marinade, or a dry rub. You can also mix it with salt and pepper and add it as a seasoning as you grill.

    This powder should be used very sparingly as it is very strong. Use ¼ to ½ teaspoon in your dry rub and adjust to taste on your second or third usage.


    Wood Chips

    wood chips in a smoking box that can be used to infuse the smoke flavor into food.
    Infuse with Smoking Wood Chips

    If you have fire-safe containers, light a few woodchips and cover both your wood chips and the food you want to infuse with smokiness with a large metal bowl.

    Plan to use smoking wood chips for at least 20 – 30 minutes to get the flavor into your dish.

    DIY Liquid Smoke

    When all else fails, make your own liquid smoke and substitute it one-for-one for store-bought in any recipe.

    Best Way to Use

    The ideal way to use each of these liquid smoke replacements will depend upon your recipe. If you are making a soup, stew, sauce, or marinade you can add a dry replacement like you would seasoning as you build the flavors. You can also add a liquid replacement as the recipe simmers. If you are making a dry rub, add the dry seasoning directly to the rub before putting it on the meat.

    Common Brands

    There are several manufacturers of liquid smoke, and it is best to keep a bottle on hand for those recipes that need it.

    You’ll find Stubbs, Wright’s, Colgin Cellars, and Lazy Kettle are the most common brands out there. Your local grocery store will have them with the spices, or you can order them online.

    FAQ

    Can cumin substitute for liquid smoke?

    No. Cumin is not even in the top ten liquid smoke substitutes by any stretch. If you are looking for a dried spice to use in place of liquid smoke, try smoked paprika, chipotle powder, smoked chili powder, or hickory smoke powder – all of which can be used in a dry rub on your meat to give it a subtle smoke flavor.

    Can I substitute liquid smoke for Worcestershire sauce?

    Worcestershire sauce is a fermented form of fish sauce made from anchovies. The best substitute for Worcestershire sauce is not liquid smoke, but another fish sauce or steak sauce containing anchovies.

    What can I substitute for liquid smoke?

    You have so many choices! Whether you make your own DIY Liquid smoke or choose one of the other options such as hickory smoke powder, smoked paprika, chipotle powder, liquid from canned chipotle peppers, wood chips, charcoal, a smoke machine, smoked salt, smoked meat, smoked tea, or even beer, you can find the perfect liquid smoke substitute when you look at the chart we provided in this post. Bookmark it to find it later!

    What can be used in place of liquid smoke?

    You can use hickory smoke powder, smoked paprika, chipotle powder, liquid from canned chipotle peppers, wood chips, charcoal, a smoke machine, smoked salt, smoked meat, smoked tea, or even beer.

    Is liquid smoke healthy?

    While many people worry about the carcinogens in liquid smoke, the fact is  pyrogallol-like polyphenols are probably not nearly as dangerous in liquid smoke as they might seem. In addition, liquid smoke is usually used in very small amounts in any recipe so the amount consumed is far below the recommended daily maximum for these substances (PLPs). It is unlikely that liquid smoke is a health risk, but you should always consult your own physician for medical advice.

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