Complete guide to the best grilling planks & delicious BBQ food

by Joost Nusselder | Last Updated:  April 26, 2020

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If you’re a fan of grilling, you’ve got to try planking or grilling with wooden planks.

Planking fish (especially salmon) has been popular for centuries in the Pacific Northwest Indigenous communities.

The reason? The smoky, earthy flavor of the salmon is a delicacy!

Read on for the complete guide to using grilling planks for your next dish.

Delicious food with a grilling plank

There’s nothing like that aroma of freshly charred cedar and fish. But planking isn’t limited to fish only; you can use any type of meat or vegetables for cooking on your grill!

Imagine cooking delicious dishes, with minimal clean-up and food full of all the aroma of a real smoker!

Let’s take a look at the top choices for grilling planks, and then I’ll get into how to use them, the benefits, re-using and much much more.

Grilling plank Images
Bestseller: Wood Fire Grilling Co. cedar grilling planks Bestseller Wood Fire Grilling Co cedar grilling planks

 

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Grill Gourmet textured Cedar grilling planks Grill Gourmet textured Cedar grilling planks

 

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Best extra large cedar grilling planks: Wood Fire Grilling co. 7 x 15 inch Best extra large cedar grilling planks: Wood Fire Grilling co. 7 x 15 inch

 

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Best flavor variety: Wildwood grilling 6 grilling plank variety pack Best flavor variety: Wildwood grilling 6 grilling plank variety pack

 

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Best grilling planks reviewed

Browsing through the Amazon site can be confusing, as there are so many products to choose from.

We’ve narrowed down the selection to some of the best grilling planks available online.

Also read: how do you use a grilling plank and keep it clean

Bestseller: Wood Fire Grilling Co. cedar grilling planks

Cedar planks are the most popular types of wood. This type of wood works best when cooking fish like salmon, trout, striped bass, bluefish, and even swordfish.

You can also cook vegetables, chicken, scallops, and even pork. Cedar gives food a woody, hearty, and foresty type flavor to salmon and veggies.

Cedar grilling planks for grilling fish

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In this set of planks, you get the classic cedar flavor, plus alder planks, which provide a gentle, more delicate smokey flavor to any meat.

  • Alder is light and mild-flavored wood that works with all meat types. It also has a slightly spicy aftertaste.
  • It’s a great way to try alder and taste the difference between cedar and alder.
  • You can customize this pack to switch the alder with hickory or maple (for stronger flavors).
  • They are made in certified manufacturing plants in the US.
  • It can be used on the grill or oven.

Check them out here on Amazon

Grill Gourmet textured Cedar grilling planks

Textured grilling planks cedar

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Check out this pack of single-use cedar planks. They are affordable and excellent for use with fish and veggies.

Benefits of the product:

  • New thicker planks 1/3”
  • Ideal dimension: 5.5″ x 11.00″, which fits most foods
  • Premium quality wood at an affordable price.

Check the latest prices here

Best extra large cedar grilling planks: Wood Fire Grilling co. 7 x 15 inch

Best extra large cedar grilling planks: Wood Fire Grilling co. 7 x 15 inch

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If you are going to cook large fish or veggies, choose extra-large planks. These are perfect for fillets of King Salmon.

You can also feel safe using these cedar planks that are organic and untreated.

Benefits of the product:

  • The size of these planks is 7” x 15” x 3/8”
  • Large pack of 20 planks
  • The product is chemical-free
  • Planks are organic and sustainable Provides natural smoke flavor
  • Wood is untreated and natural

Check these out here on Amazon

Best flavor variety: Wildwood grilling 6 grilling plank variety pack

Best flavor variety: Wildwood grilling 6 grilling plank variety pack

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This pack contains a mix of 6 different kinds of wood:

  1. Western Cedar
  2. Alder
  3. Hickory
  4. Cherry
  5. Maple
  6. Red Oak

Since you have a selection of woods in this pack, you can try out the different flavors to see which you prefer.

Benefits of the product:

  • The planks are all made sustainably in the United States.
  • Planks are made in a certified facility with no chemicals and toxic materials.
  • They are certified organic.
  • It can be used on all types of grills and even in the oven.
  • Family-sized planks are available so you can cook for all the food at once on one plank.

Check out the latest prices and availability here

Takeaway

With all these options, you can choose a variety pack or stick to sustainable cedar planks.

You must try planking because you’ll be pleasantly surprised to taste the difference between classic grilling and wood plank cooking.

Besides, planking is a healthier way to cook because you don’t end up with carcinogenic chemicals that are produced when you grill on direct heat!

Next time you fire up the grill, consider planking your food and get ready for intense flavors and aromas!

Read more: 6 delicious cedar plank grilling recipes to try

Joost Nusselder, the founder of Lakeside Smokers is a content marketer, dad and loves trying out new food with BBQ Smoking (& Japanese food!) at the heart of his passion, and together with his team he's been creating in-depth blog articles since 2016 to help loyal readers with recipes and cooking tips.