Yes, Liquid Smoke Is Made From Real Smoke. Here's How It Works

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It would be easy to imagine that liquid smoke is an artificial flavor. With a taste that's almost more smoky than smoke, it could fit right alongside lab-synthesized banana or grape flavors. But what you're adding to your brisket or barbecue sauce is not only entirely natural, but also made from real smoke.

It's created with a simple yet genius method that seems to have leapt from the pages of school science experiments. It starts with burning wood chips as you would for smoking food, but the smoke is then passed through a condenser. As the smoke hits the cold air, it forms water droplets that are infused with all of the flavors of the burning wood. These droplets are then filtered and heated to further concentrate the smoky taste, and that's essentially what you're getting in a bottle of liquid smoke.

Depending on the brand, the flavor can vary, partly due to the choice of wood. Just as for traditional smoking, mesquite, hickory, and pecan are popular choices. Some brands also add other ingredients to create a liquid smoke that will taste good on its own, with extras like vinegar and molasses. If you want to stick to the pure stuff, look for an ingredients list that only includes smoke and water, such as Wrights.

The most important thing to keep in mind when using liquid smoke is its potency. A heavy hand when cooking can easily ruin a dish, but in the right context and amounts, it's a truly unique ingredient. Liquid smoke was originally invented to recreate the taste of smoked meat without the need for a smoker. And that's still where it does some of its best work. Adding liquid smoke to a marinade or glaze will give steaks, pulled pork, or chicken wings a barbecue flavor, regardless of whether they've been cooked on the grill, in the oven, or even in an air fryer.

But meats are only the beginning — there are far more creative uses for the flavoring. Vegan banana peel bacon or carrot hot dogs become a lot more convincing when they're imbued with that real smoke taste. Liquid smoke also makes sense for ingredients that you wouldn't normally cook in a smoker or grill. Think a rich and flavorful chili, a smoky twist on mac and cheese, or a whole new direction in cocktails.