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Is Hickory Good Firewood? Yes — Top Tier, and the Best for Smoke

Hickory matches oak on heat at around 27 million BTU a cord, holds coals longer than almost anything, and is the classic barbecue smoking wood.

By Zakaria 2 min read Save to Pinterest — opens Pinterest in a new tab
A thick log burning with flames over a bed of red embers
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Top tier. Around 27–28 million BTU a cord — level with oak — with the longest coal bed in common supply and the best smoke for cooking. Little spark, moderate splitting, 12–18 months to season.

Hickory against oak

This table answers the question on its own
HickoryOak
Million BTU / cord~27–28~27–28
Seasoning12–18 months18–24 months
Coal bedExcellentExcellent, marginally longer
LightsReluctantlyReluctantly
Cooking smokeStrong, bacon-likeMild, versatile
Price and availabilityUsually dearerUsually cheaper

Effectively a tie on heat. Take whichever your area supplies.

Seasoning it

  1. Split promptly. Dense wood, slow to give up water, and it stiffens as it dries.
  2. Single rows off the ground, ends open to the prevailing wind, top covered only.
  3. 12–18 months, up to two years for anything large.
  4. Meter a freshly split face — grey, checked ends mean nothing about the middle. Under 20%.
  5. Set the crotch pieces aside. Stringy sapwood around branch unions holds a split together after the maul has gone through; that is splitter work.

Why it suits an overnight load

The value of hickory is not peak heat — ash and locust get there too — it is how long the coals last. A stove loaded with hickory at bedtime still has a live bed to rekindle from in the morning, which cottonwood or birch will not give you.

Cooking over it

Hickory is the standard for smoking pork and beef across the American south. The smoke is strong, which is the catch — too much turns bitter, and most cooks either mix it with a fruit wood or use it for only part of the cook.

Only clean wood near food

Seasoned, untreated hickory only. Never anything painted, treated, pallet-sourced or reclaimed when you are cooking over the smoke.

In a fire pit

Steady, low-spark, long-burning — one of the better choices. The one thing to note is that any hot-burning dense hardwood will burn out a thin steel bowl faster than softwood does. That is an argument for a heavier pit rather than against hickory.

Common questions

Is hickory good firewood?

It is in the top tier on every measure that matters. Shagbark hickory delivers roughly 27 to 28 million BTU per cord, equal to oak, and it holds a coal bed as long as any wood in common supply, which is what you want for an overnight stove load. It burns with little smoke once seasoned and throws few sparks. It is also the classic barbecue smoking wood, so a cord of it does double duty.

Is hickory better than oak?

On heat they are effectively tied, both around 27 to 28 million BTU per cord. Hickory seasons slightly faster — twelve to eighteen months against oak's eighteen to twenty-four — and gives a better flavour if you cook over it. Oak holds a coal bed marginally longer and is usually cheaper and more available. Take whichever your area supplies; neither is a compromise.

How long does hickory take to season?

Twelve to eighteen months for normal splits, and up to two years for anything large. Hickory is dense and gives up water slowly, so splitting it promptly and stacking it in single rows off the ground with the ends open to wind makes a real difference. Meter a freshly split face before burning — under 20 percent — rather than judging by how grey the ends look.

Is hickory hard to split?

Moderately. Straight-grained hickory splits cleanly with a maul when green and is harder once dry, which is the usual pattern. Where it gets difficult is around branch unions and in the stringy sapwood, which holds a split together after the head has gone through. Split it early and set the knotty pieces aside for a hydraulic splitter.

Can you cook over hickory?

It is the standard wood for smoking pork and beef across the American south, giving a strong, bacon-like smoke. That strength is also the caution — too much hickory smoke turns bitter, which is why many cooks mix it with a fruit wood or use it for part of the cook rather than all of it. Only burn clean, seasoned, untreated wood when food is involved.

Does hickory spark in a fire pit?

Less than most. It is a dense hardwood with no resin pockets, so it burns steadily rather than popping, and the long coal bed means fewer refuels through an evening. That makes it one of the better fire pit woods, with the same caveat that applies to any hot-burning hardwood: it will shorten the life of a thin-walled steel bowl faster than softwood does.

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