Name: 12 Best Liquid Smoke Substitutes [Tried And Tested]
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 13 min
Ingredients: 1 slice Smoked bacon; 1/2 tsp Smoked paprika; 1 handful Burnt vegetables; 1/2 teaspoon burnt bread powder; Grilling with wood chips; 1 handful Smoked ham hock; 1/2 tsp Smoked salt; Chipotle peppers; 1 handful Lapsang souchong; Skip it

Table of Contents

I’ve personally tried and tested a range of different liquid smoke substitutes to find the best one.

Whatever your reason for needing a substitute is and whatever dish you’re cooking.

Here’s the quick answer.

The best and easiest liquid smoke substitutes are bacon, smoked paprika, chipotles, burnt bread powder or charred vegetables. You can also try smoked ham hocks and smoked salt. You can also smoke your own food with wood chips, charcoal, or a smoke gun.

Ready? Let’s jump right in.

The Experiment

I whipped up a basic mac and cheese and tried out twelve different liquid smoke substitutes.

Liquid smoke is what you get when you capture the smoke from burning wood and condense it into a liquid substance.

It’s widely used to add a smoky hit to processed food like hotdogs and cheese, and it’s also used to make home-cooked food taste like it just came off the grill. But it’s far from a pantry staple, so what other options are out there?

Here are the substitutes I tested and my verdicts:

Substitutes	1 teaspoon liquid smoke	Verdict
Bacon	1 slice of bacon	8/10
Smoked paprika	½ teaspoon smoked paprika	9/10
Chipotle peppers	½ teaspoon ground chipotle peppers or 1 teaspoon adobo sauce	8/10
Grilling/smoking with wood	1-2 handfuls of wood chips for half an hour of smoking	8/10
Adding charred vegetables	a handful of burnt vegetables	8/10
Smoked ham hocks	1 piece	8/10
Burnt bread powder	1/2 teaspoon of burnt bread powder	7/10
Smoked salt	½ teaspoon smoked salt	7/10
Lapsang souchong	1 teaspoon	6/10
Smoke machine	1 use of the smoke machine	7/10
Charcoal	5 minutes of smoking with hot charcoal	7/10
No substitute	None	5/10

It’s pretty laborious, but grilling/smoking with wood chips will give your dishes pure smoky goodness.

The rest of the substitutes will give you smokiness but with added savory, salty, or spicy flavors.

Common dishes and their substitutes

Here are some common dishes that use liquid smoke and the best substitutes:

Meat, vegetable, and pasta dishes – bacon, burnt vegetables, smoked paprika, smoked salt, chipotle
Soups and stews – bacon, smoked ham hocks, smoked paprika, smoked salt, chipotle peppers
Marinades and spice rubs – smoked paprika, smoked salt, adobo sauce from chipotle peppers, burn bread powder
Desserts and cocktail drinks – smoked salt, smoke machine

Bacon

Bacon is the easiest substitute for liquid smoke in dishes like mac and cheese or soups. Just make sure you’re using a smoked variety!

It’s widely available anywhere, and if you’re a meat eater – chances are you have some in your fridge or freezer.

And if you’re vegan, there are some great plant-based bacon brands to choose from nowadays.

The smokey flavor wont be that strong though, so you might want to combine this with another one of the substitute options to double up on the smokey notes.

Taste and texture
The smokey flavor wasn’t anywhere near as strong as with liquid smoke, but who doesn’t love bacon?
Measurements
1 teaspoon liquid smoke = 1 slice of bacon

Smoked paprika

Can’t have meat? Smoked paprika is an excellent vegan substitute for liquid smoke (again, making sure you get the smokey variety, not just straight paprika).

It’s widely available and you can easily add it to any dish – from mac and cheese to veggies, and even steak rubs and marinades.

Watch out when using it, though.

Its smokiness comes with a background of sweet and spicy notes. Add the paprika in small quantities, tasting as you go until you get the flavor just right.

Taste and texture
It gave my mac and cheese a nice smokey note and turned it a brilliant reddy-orange color!
Measurements
1 teaspoon liquid smoke = ½ teaspoon smoked paprika

Chipotle (ground or in adobo sauce)

Chipotle peppers are jalapeno chilies that have been smoked and dried.

They’ll add a rich, smoky twist to your dishes, along with a prominent fiery kick.

Pro tip: if you want less of that spicy flair, skip the ground peppers and use chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.

You can take less of the peppers and more of the adobo sauce which isn’t as spicy.

Taste and texture
My mac and cheese was slightly too spicy for my liking after adding these peppers, but if you like spicy food, you’ll love this substitute.
Measurements
1 teaspoon liquid smoke = ½ teaspoon ground chipotle peppers or 1 teaspoon adobo sauce

Grilling/smoking with wood chips

If you have a grill, some wood chips, and time you can make your own smoke.

It’s a bit of work because you have to set up the grill, but trust me – the smokiness the right kind of wood imparts is unbeatable.

According to Chad’s BBQ, the rule of thumb is hardwoods are best used with red meat.

Lighter woods are recommended for fish, chicken, and dishes like mac and cheese.

Taste and texture
This is the perfect substitute in terms of flavor, but not very accessible.
Measurements
1 teaspoon liquid smoke = 1-2 handfuls of wood chips for half an hour of grilling – add more if needed

Adding charred vegetables

This substitute option is quick and easy.

Take a look in your fridge and see what ingredients you have in there that you can roast. Then roast them until they’re charred on the outside.

Or you can fry them in a cast iron skillet until they’re lightly burnt (like these one ingredient burnt onions).

Another option is to char the vegetable on an open flame, like the aubergine in this burnt aubergine chili.

The charred skin will impart a subtle smokey flavor to whatever dish you mix it into!

Taste and texture
The smokey flavor was quite subtle, but I liked that fact my food ad more vegetables than normal!
Measurements
Replace liquid smoke in your recipe with a handful of charred vegetables.

Smoked ham hocks (or other smoked meat)

Smoked ham hocks are another meat product you can use instead of liquid smoke.

They’ll give your dishes a hint of smokiness with an added savory, salty bite.

They’re typically sold after they’ve been cured or smoked, but you can also buy them raw and smoke them yourself.

A small caveat is you have to slow-cook the ham hocks before using them in your dish to make them tender.

Taste and texture
You get a mild smokey flavor, but this substitute will only work with certain dishes.
Measurements
1 teaspoon liquid smoke = 1 handful smoked ham hock

Burnt bread powder or crumbs

If you’re not scared off by eating burnt food, you can try mixing in a spoonful of burnt breadcrumbs to your dish.

To make it all you need to do is burn some bread (easy right!), let it dry out and them grind it into a powder (here’s a recipe if you want to follow one)

The resulting powder tastes nutty and smokey, and it’s easy to incorporate into pretty much any dish you want.

Although it will turn sauces and desserts a not very appetizing colour if you mix it in! So instead I’d stick to sprinkling the powder on top just before serving.

Taste and texture
The burnt flavor of bread can be quite intense, so don’t add too much!
Measurements
1 teaspoon liquid smoke = 1/2 teaspoon burnt bread powder

Smoked salt

Smoked salt isn’t a household staple, but it’s a really great substitute for liquid smoke if you have it.

It’s made with regular salt that’s undergone a smoking procedure to infuse it with a fragrant and smoky flavor.

And the great thing about this substitute is its versatility. You can use it in savory dishes, desserts, and cocktails.

Pro-tip: if you’re using more than a dash, don’t also add regular salt.

Taste and texture
Its flavor is more subtle than liquid smoke and you can’t add too much or the dish will be overly salty.
Measurements
1 teaspoon liquid smoke = ½ teaspoon smoked salt

Lapsang souchong (smoked tea)

This special black tea has a sweet, smoky flavor, making it an excellent substitute for liquid smoke.

You can crush the leaves to mix them with your seasoning blend or steep them and add the tea directly to your dish.

Due to its herbal notes, this substitute is best for meat rubs and stews.

Note: certain varieties of this tea are banned in some countries due to health concerns, so make sure you’re buying a trusted brand like Twinings.

Taste and texture
It was really hard to find! But the smokiness was reminiscent of liquid smoke, just with sweet herbal undertones.
Measurements
1 teaspoon liquid smoke = 1 teaspoon lapsang souchong

Get a smoke machine

A smoke gun is a fancy gadget that burns wood and directly pumps it into your covered dish to infuse it with pure smokiness.

It’s popular in cocktail making and with professional chefs. Smoke guns don’t come cheap (one for use at home will set you back around $100), but if you’re addicted to smokey food it’s worth it for the convenience.

You can also get yourself a dedicated smoker if you really want to commit!

Taste and texture
The smokey flavor was on point and it was simple to use.
Measurements
1 teaspoon liquid smoke = 1 use of the smoke gun

Use charcoal

You can use charcoal over the stove to give your food a smokey flavor.

First you need to activate the charcoal but holding it over a hot stove until it starts to turn from red hot to gray (about 5 minutes). Be very careful when you do this!

Have whatever dish you want smoked in a frying pan or saucepan, and put a small square of foil in the middle of the pan. Place the coal on the foil, pour over some melted butter and put a lid on the pan.

The butter will smoke and infuse your food with flavor.

Taste and texture
If you have charcoal on hand, this delivers a great smokey flavor to your food.
Measurements
Replace liquid smoke in your recipe with 5 minutes of smoking time.

Skip it

If you can’t find a substitute that works, you can always skip the liquid smoke.

It’s not a necessary ingredient, just a flavor enhancer.

If you stick with the rest of the ingredients and recipe, your dish will turn out fine. Especially if you play around with other seasonings to compensate for the loss of flavor.

Something like a splash of soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce won’t add smokiness, but will add extra depth to a dish.

Taste and texture
Your dish will stay the same but lack a smoky bite.
Measurements
Nothing

Homemade liquid smoke

Making your own liquid smoke is admittedly not practical. But if you have the time and equipment, why not give it a try?

Carnivore Style has a great step-by-step recipe you can follow.

It’s an intensive and complicated process, but it’s also lots of fun!