Butcher Paper vs Parchment Paper: What's the Difference?
By the Avco Boxes team · Updated
No, butcher paper and parchment paper are not the same. Butcher paper is a sturdy kraft paper, uncoated or lightly treated, made for wrapping meat and popular for wrapping brisket because it breathes. Parchment paper is coated with silicone, which makes it nonstick and heat-resistant for baking. As a rule, wrap with butcher paper and bake on parchment.
Is butcher paper the same as parchment paper?
No. They are both paper and they sit near each other in the store, but they are made for different jobs. Butcher paper is about strength: it is a thick kraft paper meant to wrap raw meat at the counter and hold up to handling, and plain butcher paper has no nonstick coating. Parchment paper is about release: its silicone coating stops food from sticking and lets it handle oven temperatures up to the limit printed on the box.
The confusion usually comes from barbecue. Pitmasters wrap brisket in butcher paper partway through a cook, and people who do not have any on hand wonder whether parchment will do the same thing. It will work, but not in quite the same way (more on that below).
Butcher paper vs parchment paper at a glance
| Butcher paper | Parchment paper | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Kraft paper, uncoated or lightly treated | Paper coated with silicone |
| Nonstick | No | Yes |
| Breathes | Yes, lets steam escape | Less, the coating holds in more moisture |
| Strength | Thick and tear-resistant | Thinner, tears more easily under heavy loads |
| Typical colors | White, pink or peach (unbleached), brown | White (bleached) or brown (unbleached) |
| Best for | Wrapping meat, smoking brisket, covering tables | Lining baking sheets and pans, baking en papillote |
| Heat use | Smoker wrapping; check the package for any heat rating | Oven baking up to the rating on the package |
What butcher paper is, and why pitmasters use pink paper
Butcher paper is a heavy kraft paper. Butcher shops have long used it to wrap cuts of meat because it is strong enough not to tear at the counter and absorbent enough to handle a little moisture. It comes in white, brown and a pinkish unbleached color usually sold as pink or peach butcher paper.
Pink butcher paper became popular in barbecue for wrapping brisket and other large cuts partway through smoking. Wrapping helps the meat push through the long stall where its temperature stops climbing. Unlike foil, which traps steam, butcher paper breathes, so some moisture escapes and the bark stays firmer. That is the main reason pitmasters reach for it over foil.
Two related papers are easy to mix up with it. Coated or waxed butcher paper has a coating on one side to hold in juices for storage. Freezer paper has a plastic coating on one side and is made for wrapping meat for the freezer. Neither is meant for a smoker or an oven, so read the label before you buy.
What parchment paper is
Parchment paper is paper with a silicone coating. The coating makes it nonstick, so cookies, roasted vegetables and fish lift off cleanly, and it lets the paper go in the oven. Each brand sets its own maximum temperature, so check the box rather than relying on a general number, and keep parchment away from the broiler, open flames and heating elements.
Parchment is not the same as wax paper either. Wax paper has a wax coating that can melt and smoke in an oven, so it is for wrapping and countertop work, not baking. Our guides on wax paper vs parchment paper and whether wax paper can go in the oven cover that in detail.
Can you substitute one for the other?
| Task | Use | Can you swap? |
|---|---|---|
| Wrapping brisket in a smoker | Pink butcher paper | Parchment works in a pinch, but it breathes less, so the bark tends to soften more. |
| Baking cookies or lining a pan | Parchment | Not recommended. Butcher paper is not nonstick and food can stick. |
| Wrapping raw meat for the fridge | Butcher paper | Parchment works for short storage but tears more easily. |
| Wrapping sandwiches | Deli, wax or greaseproof sheets | Either works. See how to fold a sandwich wrap. |
| Serving or tray lining | Butcher, deli or greaseproof paper | Either works; parchment costs more per sheet. |
In a restaurant or smokehouse
Commercial kitchens often use butcher paper in the smoker, parchment on sheet pans, and a third paper at the counter: greaseproof or wax sheets for wrapping sandwiches and lining trays. Avco's printed food papers are greaseproof sheets rather than butcher paper or parchment. They include custom deli paper and custom wax paper, in sizes from 6 x 6 to 14 x 18 inches, white or kraft, with a free digital proof, and suit brisket sandwiches and serving trays; see our BBQ and smokehouse packaging.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I use parchment paper instead of butcher paper for brisket?
- Yes, in a pinch. Parchment will hold the brisket together and help it through the stall, but its silicone coating breathes less than butcher paper, so the bark tends to soften more. Check that the smoker temperature stays below the heat rating on the parchment box.
- Can butcher paper go in the oven?
- Plain, uncoated butcher paper is often used in smokers and ovens to wrap meat, but heat ratings vary by product, so check the package. Do not use waxed or plastic-coated butcher paper or freezer paper in the oven, and keep any paper away from flames and heating elements.
- Is pink butcher paper the same as peach paper?
- Yes. Pink butcher paper and peach paper are two names for the same unbleached kraft butcher paper that barbecue cooks use to wrap brisket.
- What is the difference between butcher paper and freezer paper?
- Freezer paper has a plastic coating on one side that holds in moisture and protects meat in the freezer. Butcher paper is usually uncoated, so it breathes. Freezer paper is not meant for smokers or ovens.