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 — with 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
| In Chinese: | 烟液 | |
| British (UK) term: | ||
| 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!
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.
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.
