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Substitute For Liquid Smoke: 5 Best Substitutes

Substitute For Liquid Smoke: 5 Best Substitutes

Have you ever wanted to add that smoky flavor to your dishes but found yourself fresh out of liquid smoke? Then, you would be glad to know that several great options are available, and one of them might become your favorite substitute for liquid smoke.

Here is our go-to substitute for liquid smoke and our quick tip on how to use it. For even more substitute options, read below.

Smoked paprika. When using smoked paprika as an alternative, only use one teaspoon of smoked paprika for every tablespoon of liquid smoke.

If you’re in a hurry, here are all of our substitutions for liquid smoke. To learn all of the details about when and how to use them, just scroll down. 

  • Chipotle Powder: 1/2 t for 1 T liquid smoke
  • Smoked Salt: 1/4 t for 1 T liquid smoke
  • Smoked Tea: 1/4 t for 1 T liquid smoke
  • Charcoal: Smoke for 20 to 30 minutes for 1 t liquid smoke
  • Smoked paprika: 1 t for 1 T liquid smoke

Substitutes For Liquid Smoke

Chipotle Powder

Chipotle powder comes from dried and smoked jalapeño peppers. It has a strong, smoky flavor with a hint of heat, making it a great choice to retain that smoky note the liquid smoke offers.

Its flavor profile is reason enough why chipotle powder is a worthy addition to dishes like tacos, burritos, enchiladas, and other similar dishes. 

To substitute, use half a teaspoon for every tablespoon of liquid smoke.

Smoked Salt

Smoked salt is made by smoking regular salt with wood chips or sawdust. It has a subtle smoky flavor that enhances the flavors of other ingredients in your recipe.

As to which dishes it shines most, you will be glad to know that it is particularly well-suited for seafood dishes, grilled meats, and roasted vegetables—if you’re also a fan of those dishes!

Use 1/4 teaspoon of smoked salt for every tablespoon of liquid smoke.

Smoked Tea

Smoked tea is made by smoking tea leaves over pinewood. It has a robust, smoky flavor that you might find similar to liquid smoke. It’s a good substitute for liquid smoke in Asian stir-fries, stews, and soups.

Use 1/4 teaspoon of ground smoked tea for every tablespoon of liquid smoke.

Charcoal

Use a piece of charcoal for smoke infusion to add a smoky taste to your food without introducing additional spices or flavors that might overpower the other ingredients.

To give your food a smoky flavor, first get a large bowl. Burn some charcoal and once it smokes, put it in a smaller bowl. Place this small bowl in the large one with your food. Cover the large bowl to let the smoke flavor your food.

This approach is fantastic because it enables infusing smoky flavor into sweets, pies, and beverages without relying on other ingredients like hot peppers.

For the a similar smoky intensity as a teaspoon of liquid smoke, use charcoal for 20-30 minutes.

Smoked paprika

Last but not least, smoked paprika! It’s a spice made from dried peppers smoked over oak wood. It has a rich, smoky flavor similar to liquid smoke, adding another layer of taste to meat and vegetable recipes. 

Our favorite use of smoked paprika is adding it to grilled meat and marinating pork. 

Use a teaspoon of smoked paprika for every tablespoon of liquid smoke.

Here is our general guidelines for substituting liquid smoke:

  • Start with a small amount and add more to taste. Liquid smoke is very concentrated, so a little goes a long way.
  • Adjust the other seasonings in your recipe to compensate for the different flavor profiles of your substitute. For example, if you use smoked paprika instead of liquid smoke, you may want to add salt and pepper in small quantities.
  • Be aware that substitutes can have or add a different flavor to your recipes. If you use one of the substitutes with a slightly sweet flavor profile, you may want to reduce the amount of sugar in your recipe.

And here are some extra tips that can help you in using liquid smoke substitutes:

  • Experiment with different substitutes to find the one that you like best.
  • Don’t be afraid to get creative. There are a lot of dishes where you can use an alternative rather than liquid smoke. Try to experiment and see what you come up with.

The bottom line

In cooking, flexibility is your best friend. While liquid smoke is a handy tool, there are also plenty of tasty substitutes that you can try. Smoked paprika, chipotle powder, smoked salt, charcoal, and smoked tea bring unique smoky twists to your recipes. Just experiment to find what you like! And if you’re looking for a starting point, here’s a substitution ratio to get you started: replace a tablespoon of liquid smoke with a teaspoon of smoked paprika.

Substitute For Liquid Smoke: 5 Best Substitutes

Substitute For Liquid Smoke: 5 Best Substitutes

Need a substitute for liquid smoke? Here are our top 5 alternatives, with recommended ratios and other helpful tips.

Ingredients

  • Chipotle Powder: 1/2 t for 1 T liquid smoke
  • Smoked Salt: 1/4 t for 1 T liquid smoke
  • Smoked Tea: 1/4 t for 1 T liquid smoke
  • Charcoal: Smoke for 20 to 30 minutes for 1 t liquid smoke
  • Smoked paprika: 1 t for 1 T liquid smoke

Instructions

  1. Replace liquid smoke with one of our 5 top options. 
  2. Use one of the above ratios when substituting for liquid smoke in a recipe.

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