Best Wood Pellets for Smoking of 2026

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Bryan Hicks
Last Updated: Jan 15, 2026

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Wood pellets for smoking are a popular choice among barbecue enthusiasts for their convenience and versatility. Made from compressed sawdust, these pellets come in a variety of flavors, including hickory, mesquite, and applewood, and can be used in pellet grills, smokers, and even traditional charcoal grills with a pellet smoker attachment. They provide consistent smoke and heat, making it easy to achieve perfectly smoked meats, fish, and vegetables. Plus, they produce less ash and are more environmentally friendly than traditional charcoal or wood chips. Whether you're a seasoned pitmaster or a beginner, wood pellets for smoking are a must-try for any outdoor cooking enthusiast.

At a Glance: Our Top Picks

BBQr's Delight Wood Smoking Pellets Cover #TOP 1
BBQr's Delight Wood Smoking Pellets
ftb score rating icon 9.9
Traeger Signature Blend Wood Pellets 18lb Cover #TOP 2
Traeger Signature Blend Wood Pellets 18lb
ftb score rating icon 9.8
Camp Chef BBQ Pellets, 20 lb. Bag Cover #TOP 3
Camp Chef BBQ Pellets, 20 lb. Bag
ftb score rating icon 9.6

Top 10 Wood Pellets for Smoking

#TOP 1

BBQr's Delight Wood Smoking Pellets

PEL1-Super6Pack
Brown
Original
BBQr's Delight Wood Smoking Pellets Cover
BBQr's Delight Wood Smoking Pellets - Super Smoker Variety Value Pack - 1 Lb. Bag - Apple, Hickory, Mesquite, Cherry, Pecan and Sugar Maple

Get the BBQr's Delight Wood Smoking Pellets Super Smoker Variety Value Pack that includes six flavors of wood pellets: Apple, Hickory, Mesquite, Cherry, Pecan, and Jack Daniel's with 1 pound bag for each flavor. Each bag of wood pellets can be used up to 10 times, and only 1/3 cup per use is needed without soaking necessary. It can work with any type of outside grill, such as gas, charcoal, electric, or smoker. The product is proudly made in the USA, and it is perfect for smoking meat, fish, or poultry, giving them a great smoky flavor.

What We Like
Distinctive wood flavors
Sampler variety pack
Good gift option
High pellet quality
Fast delivery
What We Don't Like
Limited amount per bag
Short smoking duration
#TOP 2

Traeger Signature Blend Wood Pellets 18lb

PEL402
Multicolor
18lb
Traeger Signature Blend Wood Pellets 18lb Cover
Traeger Grills Signature Blend 100% All-Natural Wood Pellets for Smokers and Pellet Grills, BBQ, Bake, Roast, 18 lb. Bag

The Traeger Signature Blend Pellets offer a rich mix of hickory, maple, and cherry hardwoods that add a full, smoky flavor to anything you cook, from meats to vegetables. These pellets are made from all-natural hardwood sourced from American mills, ensuring top quality and a true wood-fired taste. Traeger has perfected these pellets over years, balancing moisture to create a steady, reliable burn that produces just the right amount of smoke. Whether you're grilling, roasting, or baking, these pellets provide a consistent flavor and ease of use that will enhance your outdoor cooking experience.

What We Like
Clean, even burn
Natural hardwood flavor
Low ash production
Consistent heat and smoke
Long-lasting pellets
What We Don't Like
Occasional shipping delays
Rare packaging issues
#TOP 3

Camp Chef BBQ Pellets, 20 lb. Bag

PLCB
Competition Blend
20-Pound
Camp Chef BBQ Pellets, 20 lb. Bag Cover
Camp Chef Competition Blend BBQ Pellets, Hardwood Pellets for Grill, Smoke, Bake, Roast, Braise and BBQ, 20 lb. Bag

Camp Chef Competition Blend BBQ Pellets are made from premium solid hardwoods, including Maple, Hickory, and Cherry, to provide you with a perfect blend for grilling, smoking, baking, roasting, braising, and barbecuing your food. These 100% all-natural food grade pellets come in a 20 lb. bag and are made in the USA.

What We Like
Clean, consistent burn
Rich, balanced smoke flavor
Minimal ash residue
High-quality hardwood blend
Versatile for grilling and smoking
What We Don't Like
Bulky bag for storage
Flavor may be mild for purists
#TOP 4

Pit Boss Cherry Blend Hardwood Pellets 20 lb

55234
Cherry Blend
20 lbs
Pit Boss Cherry Blend Hardwood Pellets 20 lb Cover
Pit Boss (20 pound Cherry Blend) All Natural Hardwood BBQ Wood Pellets for Pellet Grills and Smokers

The Pit Boss Cherry Blend Pellets are made from a combination of cherry and oak hardwood, giving your food a gentle smoky taste that enhances the flavors without overpowering them. These pellets work great with a wide range of foods like beef, lamb, pork, poultry, game, and vegetables, making them very versatile for your grilling or smoking needs. Crafted from 100% natural North American hardwood, you can trust they are pure and high-quality. Plus, they produce very little ash, which means your grill stays cleaner and requires less effort to maintain after cooking.

What We Like
Consistent clean burn
Rich, balanced smoke flavor
Low ash production
Great value for price
Works well with various meats
What We Don't Like
Mild flavor for some tastes
Goes fast with frequent use
#TOP 5

Kona Wood Pellets Variety Pack

WOODFIRE-SMOKER-PELLETS-VARIETY-8-1lb
Natural
Kona Wood Pellets Variety Pack Cover
Kona Wood Pellets All Variety Pack, Intended for Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Grill, Wood Fire Oven & Smoker, 8, 1lb Resealable Bags

Kona Wood Pellets Variety Pack is the perfect choice for enhancing the flavor of your grilled food. Made from premium hardwoods sourced from retired orchards and sustainably harvested forests, these wood pellets offer an amazing wood-fired taste that will elevate your grilling experience. With a variety of flavors including Sweet Maple, Hickory, Cherry, Beech, Oak, Supreme Blend, Apple, Mesquite, and Acacia, you can enjoy a diverse range of smoky flavors throughout the grilling season. These smoking pellets are compatible with all grill types and can be used by simply adding them to a smoker tube or sprinkling them directly onto charcoal. The concentrated hardwood pellets burn hotter, producing the desirable thin blue smoke that pitmasters love. With 1/3 to 1/2 cup needed per use, this variety pack provides 80 uses, making it a cost-effective choice. Upgrade your grilling game with Kona Wood Pellets Variety Pack!

What We Like
Strong smoky flavor
Clean, even burn
Multiple wood varieties
Good value pack
Works with Ninja grills
What We Don't Like
Price slightly high
Minor labeling issue
#TOP 6

Bear Mountain Gourmet Blend Wood Pellets

Bear Mountain Premium BBQ Woods
FK99
Black
Two 20 Lb Bags
Bear Mountain Gourmet Blend Wood Pellets Cover
Bear Mountain 2-Pack Wood Pellets for Smoker, Grill & BBQ, 20 Lbs, Gourmet Blend - Premium Hardwood Barbecue Pellets for Indoor and Outdoor Grilling

The Bear Mountain Wood Pellets will elevate your grilling experience with their gourmet blend that adds a deliciously sweet finish to red meats, poultry, and vegetables. These pellets are low in moisture, ensuring a clean burn and enhancing the flavor of your food. Their all-natural composition means you can grill with confidence, knowing there are no fillers or additives. Plus, they are versatile enough to work with any outdoor grill type, whether it's a pellet, gas, charcoal, or electric grill. Enjoy the convenience of a 20-pound bag packed with flavor.

What We Like
Excellent smoke flavor
Burns thoroughly, less ash
Consistent heat output
Low dust
Reliable for long cooks
What We Don't Like
Slightly more dust in shipping
#TOP 7

CookinPellets Perfect Mix BBQ Grill Wood Pellets

40PM
Brown
1 pack
CookinPellets Perfect Mix BBQ Grill Wood Pellets Cover
CookinPellets Perfect Mix Natural Hardwood Hickory, Cherry, Hard Maple, and Apple BBQ Grill Wood Pellets for Pellet Grill and Pellet Smoker, 40 Lb Bag

CookinPellets BBQ Wood Pellets are crafted from a blend of popular hardwoods, including hickory, cherry, hard maple, and applewood, ensuring your grilled dishes are infused with rich, smoky flavors. These premium pellets enhance the natural taste of meats and vegetables without overwhelming them, making every bite satisfying. The exclusive mix offers versatility, allowing you to experiment with various meats and veggies for delicious results. With a generous 40-pound bag, you won't have to worry about running out of pellets during your grilling sessions, making it a convenient choice for any BBQ enthusiast.

What We Like
Excellent smoke flavor
Consistent burn and minimal ash
Works with all meats
Convenient shipping and availability
Attractive price point
What We Don't Like
Occasional auger jams (long pellets)
#TOP 8

Kona Pizza Blend Wood Smoker Pellets 2 lbs

KONA-PIZZA-2
Brown
Kona Pizza Blend Wood Smoker Pellets 2 lbs Cover
Kona Pizza Blend Wood Smoker Pellets, 100% Natural Hardwood - Rich Smoky Flavor - Ideal for Pizza Ovens, Smokers, and Smoker Tubes - 2 Pounds

The Kona Pizza Smoker Pellets are made from 100% natural hardwood, offering you a pure and authentic smoky flavor for your cooking. These pellets are specially designed to fuel pizza ovens like the Ninja Woodfire and Ooni Outdoor Pizza Ovens, helping you achieve that perfect pizza crust and taste. Using these pellets enhances your pizza experience by infusing rich smoky notes that elevate every bite. Crafted with premium quality wood, they make it easy for you to create delicious, flavorful pizzas right at home, bringing a restaurant-quality touch to your cooking.

What We Like
Heats pizza oven quickly
Great wood-fired flavor
Easy to light
Works well for pizza ovens
What We Don't Like
Burns up fairly fast
Higher price than alternatives
#TOP 9

Royal Oak Hardwood Charcoal Pellets for BBQ Flavor

0-16800-00964-8
Black
Royal Oak Hardwood Charcoal Pellets for BBQ Flavor Cover
Royal Oak 100 Percent Charcoal Hardwood Pellets for Real BBQ Flavor, Grilling and Smoking, High Heat, Resists Water, Easy to Clean, 30 Pound Bag

Royal Oak 100 Percent Hardwood Charcoal Pellets are made from real hardwood without additives or coatings, giving you the authentic barbecue flavor when grilling or smoking. These pellets are safe for any pellet grill and resistant to water, making for easy cleaning. They burn at high temperatures to sear in that authentic barbecue flavor you crave.

What We Like
Consistent, high heat output
Authentic charcoal BBQ flavor
Minimal ash residue
All-natural hardwood, no fillers
Suitable for grilling and smoking
What We Don't Like
Heavy bag, bit messy
Flavor may be strong for some
#TOP 10

Bear Mountain Hickory Wood Pellets 40 lbs

Bear Mountain Premium BBQ Woods
Bear Mountain - FB14
40 lb Bag
Bear Mountain Hickory Wood Pellets 40 lbs Cover
Bear Mountain All Natural Wood Pellets for Smoker, Grill & BBQ, 40 Lbs, Hickory - Premium Hardwood Barbecue Pellets for Indoor and Outdoor Grilling

The Bear Mountain Hickory Pellets are perfect for adding a rich, smoky sweetness to your grilled meats, poultry, fish, and vegetables. Made from pure hickory hardwood, these pellets contain no additives, giving you an authentic flavor every time you cook. Their low moisture content means you get steady, consistent smoke, which helps enhance the taste of your dishes. Plus, these pellets work well with many types of outdoor grills and smokers, so you can enjoy delicious hickory flavor whether you're cooking indoors or outside. This makes grilling easier and more flavorful for you.

What We Like
Excellent smoky flavor
Low ash production
Consistent, clean burn
All-natural hardwood
Good value for money
What We Don't Like
Flavor less intense than wood chips
Price may be higher on Amazon
Best Wood Pellets for Smoking Feature Image

The Basics of Choosing the Wood Pellets for Smoking

Different flavors of cooking and smoking pellets for BBQ

Cooking pellets come in various flavors, thus giving you many options to select from. These pellets are made from hardwood that infuses your food and gives a smoky taste. The flavor of pellets you are using to grill your food will impact the final taste of the food. 

  • Oak
  • Hickory
  • Apple
  • Cherry
  • Alder
  • Pecan

These flavors are famous for giving a unique taste to the food and letting you relish the real essence of your food. You can choose according to your interest. Moreover, there is also a blend of different flavors you can find on the market. The best part for the whiskey enthusiast is that they can also enjoy the taste of Jim beam infused in the meat because of the Jim beam bourbon barrel flavor of the pellets.

Benefits of using pellets for grilling

Easy to heat up:

Hardwood cooking pellets save you very valuable time cooking. The hardwood cooking pellets don't need hours to get heat high. They are very easy to heat up and ready to give a unique taste to your food.

Versatility

Cooking pellets are known to give versatility when cooking food. You can test different recipes with pellets, whether grilling meat for a bbq event or preparing a quick dinner.

Variety

As mentioned above, hardwood cooking pellets come in different varieties of flavors. You can select from a wide variety according to your interest, whether you want to go for a sweet or nutty flavor.

How to clean a pellet grill

The use of pellets is becoming very popular for outdoor events. It gives a wonderful experience but to keep gaining benefits from the pellet grill; it is really necessary to clean it for its maintenance. Here is a quick guide to cleaning a pellet grill

  • Take a grease cleaner and spray it on the chimney and grill racks
  • After removing the grill rack, clean it thoroughly with a sponge
  • Clean the grill rack with a paper towel to remove grease
  • To clean the bottom of the grill pellet, use an ash vac
  • After that, clean the inside of the chimney/flue with a nylon brush
  • The next step is to wipe any dirt off the exterior and interior surface of the grill pellet with grease cleaner
  • Wipe off all the grease with a paper towel and put the equipment back in the grill pellet.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How long will 20 lbs of wood pellets last in a smoker?

A 20-pound bag of wood pellets can provide between 6 to 20 hours of cook time in a smoker, depending on the heat setting. The smoker typically burns 1 to 3 pounds of pellets per hour, so the duration will vary based on the specific smoker and cooking temperature.

2. Is it better to smoke with wood or pellets?

In most smoking scenarios, wood pellets are considered superior to wood chips. Wood pellets burn drier and slower, allowing for better temperature control and greater efficiency. They also impart enhanced flavor to the food being smoked.

3. Do different wood pellets really make a difference?

Absolutely! The choice of wood pellets can make a significant difference in the flavor of the food being smoked. Each type of wood imparts its own unique flavor profile, enhancing the taste of specific foods when combined thoughtfully.

4. How long will a 40-pound bag of pellets last?

A 40-pound bag of pellet fuel can provide up to 24 hours of solid heat, according to the Pellet Fuels Institute. The actual duration may vary depending on factors such as the ambient temperature and individual usage patterns.

5. Do you soak pellets before smoking?

No, soaking wood pellets before smoking is unnecessary. Wood pellets do not require moisture. In fact, soaking them in any liquid can cause them to disintegrate, as they are made from compressed sawdust.

6. How many pellets do I need for a 16-hour smoke?

For a 16-hour smoke at lower temperatures (under 275 degrees Fahrenheit), a 20-pound bag of pellets should be more than sufficient. It can last for 16-24+ hours of run-time, depending on the specific smoker and temperature settings.

7. What are the pros and cons of pellet smokers?

Pellet smokers have several advantages, including ease of use, environmental friendliness, and the ability to impart unique flavors to the food. However, they may lack portability and have a higher price point compared to other types of smokers.

8. How many wood pellets equal a cord of wood?

Approximately one ton of wood pellets is equivalent to about 1.5 cords of firewood. Homeowners who rely on a pellet stove as their primary heat source typically use two to three tons of pellet fuel per year.

Editor's Notes

During our wood pellet for smoking research, we found 25 wood pellet for smoking products and shortlisted 10 quality products. We collected and analyzed 202,370 customer reviews through our big data system to write the wood pellets for smoking list. We found that most customers choose wood pellets for smoking with an average price of $27.96.

The wood pellets for smoking are available for purchase. We have researched hundreds of brands and picked the top brands of wood pellets for smoking, including BBQr's Delight, Traeger, Camp Chef, PIT BOSS, Kona. The seller of top 1 product has received honest feedback from 460 consumers with an average rating of 4.9.

Written by
Bryan Hicks Avatar

Bryan Hicks is a professional gardener and a writer who lives in North Texas with his family and his dog. Bryan has spent more than half of his life surrounded by garden products. He has extensive experience in garden makeovers and maintenance and lawn care. His areas of expertise include outdoor decoration, gardening and garden design.

Wood Pellets for Smoking Comparison Table

#TOP1
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#TOP3
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#TOP5
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#TOP8
#TOP9
#TOP10
Brand BBQr's Delight Traeger Camp Chef PIT BOSS Kona Bear Mountain Premium BBQ Woods CookinPellets Kona Royal Oak Bear Mountain Premium BBQ Woods
Item Weight 6.85 pounds 18 pounds 20 pounds 20 pounds 8.5 pounds 1 pounds 40 pounds 2 pounds 29.9 pounds 38.1 Pounds
Material Wood Wood Wood Wood Wood Wood Wood Wood Wood Wood
Flavor Original Signature Blend 18lb Special Blend Cherry Apple, Cherry, Hickor, Mesquite Gourmet Blend Perfect Mix (1 Pack) Pizza Natural Wood Hickory
Item Form Pellet Pellet Pellet Pellet Pellet Pellet Pellet Pellet Pellet Pellet
FTB Score
ftb score rating icon 9.9
ftb score rating icon 9.8
ftb score rating icon 9.6
ftb score rating icon 9.4
ftb score rating icon 9.2
ftb score rating icon 9.0
ftb score rating icon 8.9
ftb score rating icon 8.9
ftb score rating icon 8.9
ftb score rating icon 8.9
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