liquid smoke
A concentrated liquid flavoring made by capturing and condensing actual wood smoke; used a few drops at a time to add smoky flavor without a smoker or grill.
Buying guidance
It's far more concentrated than its watery appearance suggests -- a few drops flavor a whole pot, and too much turns bitter and acrid rather than pleasantly smoky, so add it gradually and taste as you go. Hickory and mesquite are the most common woods and taste noticeably different from each other, so pick based on the smoke character wanted.
Substitutions
- Smoked paprika -- adds smoky flavor plus color; add it early so it can bloom in fat.
- Chipotle in adobo -- adds smoke along with real heat and some sweetness and tang from the adobo sauce.
- Smoked salt -- adds smoke flavor as part of the salting, so cut back other salt accordingly.
Tips & common mistakes
It's water-soluble rather than fat-soluble, so it needs to be stirred into a liquid, marinade, or sauce to distribute evenly -- a few drops on a dry surface the way you'd apply a spice rub doesn't work the same way.
Storage
Because it's mostly water plus concentrated smoke compounds, an opened bottle keeps its flavor for a very long time at room temperature or in the fridge, with far less urgency about spoilage than most other opened condiments.