Tips for Grilling with Fruitwood & Charcoal

We received a lot of questions about using charcoal, wood chips and wood chunks. I prefer to use natural hardwood charcoal, lit in a charcoal chimney without lighter fluid. I use fruitwood, such as cherry or apple, when grilling or smoking chicken, fish or fruit. Soak wood chips for at least 30 minutes, then place them on top of your hot charcoal in the grill. They will dry and then begin to give off smoke for a short time, adding great flavor.

Wood chunks can be used as fuel and flavor. Add dry chunks to your charcoal and they will slowly burn and increase the heat. You can also soak them in water for at least four hours or up to overnight and use them to provide smoking flavor for longer periods of time. If you’re smoking chicken or meat at a low temperature, around 250 degrees F, they should last for about four hours.

Smoked Turkey Legs

The Dr Pepper brine is magic. Once you try it, you’ll be hooked. Get the recipe >>>

Barbecue Chicken

The key is to cook the chicken quarters over indirect heat with a lot of smoke, before finishing them over the coals until nice and crispy. Get the recipe >>

If you’re a fan of sweet and sour chicken, you’ll like these ribs, which give you similar flavors without the crunchy coating. Get the recipe >>>