smoked chicken

This smoked chicken recipe is a whole chicken coated in homemade spice rub, then slow smoked to tender juicy perfection. This is some of the best chicken I've ever eaten, it's full of flavor and couldn't be any easier to make.

Smoked Chicken

recipe chicken brine (optional but recommended)

chicken

BBQ Spice Rub

parsley

Prepare the chicken brine as directed in the brine recipe (link is in the ingredients list). Brine the chicken for 24 hours.&nbsp;

If you're short on time, you can skip brining the chicken and still have a good result.

Preheat the smoker to 250 degrees F. Load the smoker with apple wood chips or wood chips of your choice.

Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry. Tuck the wings underneath the chicken and tie up the legs with kitchen twine.

Place the chicken in a disposable aluminum pan and coat the chicken with the spice rub. Be sure to loosen the skin and rub some of the seasoning directly onto the meat underneath the skin.

Place the chicken in the smoker. Smoke for 3.5-4.5 hours or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165 degrees F. You will need to replenish wood chips during the cook time, so keep an eye on your smoker.

Remove the chicken from the smoker and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Place the chicken on a platter. Garnish with parsley if desired. Carve the chicken, then serve.

Smoked chicken, Georgia style, is big, bold, and assertive, but the skin, although it is packed with flavor, is not crispy.

Georgia Style Smoked Chicken Recipe

salt

Meathead's Memphis Dust

Prep. An hour or three before cooking, split the chicken in half by cutting it with heavy shears. Dig out all that brown goop nestled along the spine (kidneys). In fact, I usually just remove the spine, rinse out the kidneys, toss the spine in a bag, and save it for making stock.

Sprinkle the chicken with salt. This is called dry brining. The salt migrates into the meat, and helps season it and hold onto moisture. Wet the chicken and dust both sides thoroughly with the spice mix but remember, spices don&#039;t penetrate far (I discuss this in my article on marinades).

Fire up. Preheat your smoker to 325°F. If you are using a grill, set it up for 2-zone or indirect cooking. At 325°F, you can render more fat and crisp the skin a bit.

Cook. Put the meat in the smoker or on the indirect side of the grill. Add less wood than you normally do. Resist the urge to add more. After you&#039;ve tasted it you can decide if you want to use more wood next cook. But chicken doesn&#039;t need much smoke. Cook for about 1.5 to 2 hours or until the temperature in the thickest part of the meat without touching bone is 165°F.

Serve. Remove the chicken from the smoker or grill and serve as whole parts, chopped, or pulled.

  This smoked chicken recipe is perfect for your Pit Boss Wood Pellet Grill or smoker. Easy to prepare and smoke, a whole chicken is   halved   and topped with a lemon honey glaze for a nice combination of zesty, sweet flavors.  How long does it take to smoke a Whole Chicken?  Depending on the size, it can take anywhere from 3 to 4 hours to smoke a whole chicken at 225°F.    This recipe cuts the chicken in half, allowing the chicken to smoker faster and absorb more smoke flavor into the meat. How to cut a Whole Chicken in halves  On a clean cutting board, place the chicken breast side down. Using the kitchen shears, cut on either side of the spine all the way up either side of the back and remove the spine, discarding. Flip the chicken over, breast side up. Using a very sharp knife, cut the chicken in half through the breastbone. Dry brining Whole Chicken  Generously sprinkle the chicken halves with Champion Chicken and let the chicken sit at room temperature for one hour. For more than an hour, let it dry brine in the refrigerator. Wood Pellet Recommendation  It is recommended to use   Apple Hardwood Pellets with this recipe for its sweet and light aromas.  This recipe uses   Champion Chicken Seasoning. 

Whole Smoked Chicken with Honey Glaze

Honey

Lemon

Pit Boss Champion Chicken Seasoning

Unsalted Butter

Chicken, Giblets Removed and Patted Dry

Start up your Pit Boss Smoker. Once it’s fired up, set the temperature to 225°F.  

In a small saucepan, melt together the butter and honey over low heat.  Squeeze ½ lemon into the honey mixture and remove from the heat.  

Smoke the chicken, skin side down until the chicken is lightly browned and the skin releases from the grate without ripping, about 6-8 minutes.

Turn the chicken over and baste with the honey butter mixture.

Continue to smoke the chicken, basting every 45 minutes, until the thickest part of the chicken reaches 160°F.

Never made a Smoked Whole Chicken on a Traeger? Don&#039;t fret, it&#039;s easy! In this post, we give step by step instructions on how to smoke a whole chicken.

How to Cook a Smoked Whole Chicken on a Traeger

Whole Chicken (, giblets removed, rinsed and patted dry.)

Fresh Thyme Leaves ((or 1 teaspoon dried))

Kosher Salt

Onion Powder

Cloves Garlic (, minced)

Tablespoon Dark Brown Sugar

Smoked Paprika

Crack Black Pepper

Mustard

Cayenne

Chili Powder

Cumin

Tablespoons Unsalted Butter (, softened)

oz Apple Juice

Foil Pan

Cornstarch

Water

Pan of apple juice

If you have time, put the chicken on a plate, uncovered in the fridge for at least 2 hours or up to a whole day to dry out the skin.

Heat a smoker to 375 degrees F.

Place the spices in a bowl and mix to combine.

Remove the chicken from the fridge and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the spices into the cavity of the chicken.

Add the butter to the remaining spices and mix until it forms a smooth paste.

Lift the skin of the chicken and rub 1/2 the butter on the meat under the skin and the remaining butter/spice mixture all over the bird.

Fill a foil pan with the apple juice and place it on the lowest rack and the chicken, breast side up on the rack above it. If you cannot do this, the chicken will have to go next to the pan and you will have to add 1 cup chicken broth to the juice after for the gravy.

Cook for 60-80 minutes, or until an instant read thermometer registers 165 degrees F. Ours took 70 minutes because it was a bigger bird.

Remove to a tray and allow to rest for 15-20 minutes. Do not cut before that.

Smoke the Whole Chicken:

Meanwhile, bring the accumulated juices and the drippings to a simmer in a skillet over medium heat.

Combine the cornstarch and water and slowly, while whisking add to the gravy. Continue whisking until thickened.

Slice the chicken and brush with the gravy. Serve!

Make the Gravy:

Smoked Whole Chicken

Slather to make the rub stick ((canola oil, mustard

tbsp Dry Rub

Apple or Cherry Wood Chips

Diamond Kosher Salt ((Use

Sugar

In a large bowl or container large enough to easily fit the chicken, whisk the salt and sugar with the water until it is dissolved. Submerge the chicken in the brine, then cover and refrigerate for 3 to 6 hours.

Thoroughly rinse and pat the chicken dry with paper towels and discard the brine. Let the chicken sit out on the counter to come up to room temperature.

To Brine the chicken:

Prep the smoker for indirect heat cooking and bring the temperature to 250° F. Add wood chips according to the manufacture&#x27;s instructions and place a drip pan filled with water below where the chicken will smoke.

Apply a light slather (canola oil, mustard or hot sauce) all over the skin of the chicken to help the spice rub stick. Sprinkle about 2 to 3 tablespoons of dry rub with a shaker for even distribution all over the skin. Do the presentation side (breasts) last.

Place the chicken in the smoker and cook until the internal temperature of the breasts reaches 160° F and thighs are around 180° F. This will take between 3 and 4 hours. Use a probe thermometer to verify. The temperature will continue to rise about 5 degrees once removed from the heat.

Rest the chicken on a cutting board for 15 minutes before carving and serving.

To Smoke the Chicken:

Easy Smoked Chicken is a great summer meal. The chicken turns out incredibly flavorful, tender and juicy. Perfect for BBQs or any time you want to cook a whole chicken but want to do something a little different than traditional roasting.

Easy Smoked Chicken

(8 cups) Cold Water, divided

Salt

Chicken,

cup Homemade BBQ Chicken Rub

Bring 1 cup cold water to boil. I usually...

Bring 1 cup cold water to boil. I usually do this in a 2 quart glass measuring cup in the microwave, however you can do this stovetop in a saucepan if you prefer.

Add the 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of...

Add the 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of Morton Kosher Salt (not table salt!) to the boiling water and stir until dissolved. Stir in the remaining 7 cups of cold water so that you have 8 cups of water total.

Place the whole chicken, giblets removed and discarded,...

Place the whole chicken, giblets removed and discarded, in a gallon sized freezer zip top bag.

Place the bag inside a large bowl.

Transfer the salt water to the bag containing the...

Transfer the salt water to the bag containing the chicken. Zip the bag to seal.

Place the bowl with the chicken and brine...

Place the bowl with the chicken and brine filled bag in the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours, or up to 8 hours.

Remove the chicken from the brine.

Discard the salt water. Rinse the chicken inside...

Discard the salt water. Rinse the chicken inside and out.

Place the chicken on a large baking sheet...

Place the chicken on a large baking sheet and pat dry.

Rub the chicken inside and out with the Homemade...

Rub the chicken inside and out with the Homemade BBQ Chicken Rub. I like to carefully separate the skin over the breasts from the meat so that I can put some of the rub under the skin.

Let the chicken sit while you prepare the...

Let the chicken sit while you prepare the smoker.

Prepare your smoker to a low heat setting.

On our Traeger, we use the "smoke" setting...

On our Traeger, we use the "smoke" setting (around 150-160 degrees F) and we either use Oak Pellets or the Gourmet Blend Pellets for our wood. Hickory or pecan would also work well for chicken.

Transfer the chicken from the baking sheet and...

Transfer the chicken from the baking sheet and place it on the smoker, insert the probe of a digital meat thermometer that is safe for BBQing into the thickest part of the breast, and smoke on 150-160 degrees F according to manufacturer instructions at 160 for about 3 hours.

Increase the temperature to 225 degrees F and...

Increase the temperature to 225 degrees F and continue to cook until the the meat thermometer registered 165 degrees F.

Remove the chicken from the smoker and let...

Remove the chicken from the smoker and let rest, loosely tented with foil, on a baking sheet for 20 minutes before slicing.

Easy smoked chicken thighs on the pellet grill are not only simple and fast, but SO delicious too. You can&#x27;t miss these!

Smoked Chicken Thighs

chicken thighs

bbq rub

canola oil

Preheat your pellet grill to 180-200°, on the...

Preheat your pellet grill to 180-200°, on the smoke setting, if you have one.

Liberally rub the chicken thighs with the homemade...

Liberally rub the chicken thighs with the homemade rub or your favorite dry rub.

Place the chicken on the grill, skin-side up,...

Place the chicken on the grill, skin-side up, and smoked for 30-120 minutes. The longer you smoke, the more intense the flavor will be, so adjust accordingly.

After the smoke time, crank up the grill...

After the smoke time, crank up the grill to 325° and place a temperature probe so you can track the temperature.

Let the chicken cook until the internal temperature...

Let the chicken cook until the internal temperature reaches 165°. Remove from the grill.

Place a cast-iron pan on the stovetop with...

Place a cast-iron pan on the stovetop with about 1/4 inch of oil in the bottom.

Place the chicken thighs skin-side down in the...

Place the chicken thighs skin-side down in the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes until the skin is crispy.

Tender, juicy chicken that&#039;s rubbed with a homemade BBQ seasoning and smoked low and slow.

Tbsp BBQ Chicken Rub

Set smoker to 250 degrees F using wood of your choice. We used competition blend wood, but hickory, apple, oak, pecan and maple would be great too!

Rinse the chicken under cold water. Pat dry. Trim any excess skin or fat around neck area on in the cavity of the bird.&nbsp;

Generously rub the chicken with dry rub. Make sure you get all areas of the chicken covered with the spices. We recommend lifting the skin away from the chicken and rubbing spices under the skin to make sure the spices infuse into the chicken. You can even throw some spice in the cavity to give it even more flavor.

Place the chicken on the smoker rack and close lid. Cook until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. This can very by chicken size. Ours took about 3 hours and was 3.5 lbs.

This smoked chicken breast is boneless skinless chicken that's coated in a homemade BBQ seasoning, smoked to tender and juicy perfection, then brushed with BBQ sauce. The best chicken breasts you'll ever eat!

Smoked Chicken Breast

chicken brine (optional but highly recommended)

chicken breasts

BBQ spice rub (homemade or store bought)

BBQ sauce (homemade

Follow the brine recipe as instructed, cutting all the ingredients in half. Place your chicken breasts in the bowl of brine, cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Remove your chicken from the brine. Pat dry. Preheat your smoker to 250 degrees F.

Coat the chicken breasts with the spice rub.

Place the chicken in the smoker and cook for 60-90 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 165 degrees F.

Brush the chicken breasts with the BBQ sauce then smoke for an additional 10 minutes.

Let the chicken sit for 5 minutes. Slice and serve with any remaining BBQ sauce.

<p>Delicious juicy Smoked Chicken Leg Quarters smoked on a Traeger Grill to perfection. </p>

Smoked Chicken Leg Quarters

leg quarters

marinade (we used Lawry’s Zatarain’s Cajun)

Traeger pork & chicken rub

Apple BBQ Hardwood Pellets

water

Marinade chicken in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. (we marinade our chicken overnight) 

Once chicken is marinated, sprinkle both sides with the rub.  

Prepare the Traeger grill on smoke according to directions. Set the temperature to 225 degrees and preheat, lid closed for 15 minutes. 

Place a small stainless steel pot of water or apple juice in the inside corner to help keep moist.

Place chicken in grill skin side up with lid closed. 

Smoke for 2 hours or until instant &#8211; read meat thermometer reads 165 degrees. ( insert thermometer into thickest part of the thigh, not touching the bone)

Remove chicken and let rest 5 minutes before serving. (we don&#8217;t add barbecue sauce.) 

Homemade quesadillas filled with smoked chicken, spinach and cheese taste terrific served with fresh guacamole.

Top 35 smoked chicken recipes from across the web

The most viewed smoked chicken recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Smoked Chicken

Georgia Style Smoked Chicken Recipe

Whole Smoked Chicken with Honey Gla...

How to Cook a Smoked Whole Chicken ...

Whole Smoked Chicken with Honey Gla...

Smoked Whole Chicken

Easy Smoked Chicken

Smoked Chicken Thighs

Smoked Whole Chicken

Smoked Chicken Breast

Smoked Chicken Leg Quarters

Chicken quesadilla with guacamole

Smoked chicken noodle soup

Smoked chicken and basil microwave ...

Smoked chicken & wild rice salad

Smoked chicken salad with peanut ch...

Smoked Whole Chicken Recipe

Nashville Chicken Thighs with Honey...

Crispy Smoked Pit Boss Chicken Wing...

Smoked Spatchcock Chicken

Smoked Spatchcock Chicken (Crispy S...

Smoked Beer Can Chicken on a Pit Bo...

Pit Boss Smoked Whole Chicken

Smoked Whole Chicken on a Pellet Gr...

Alabama White BBQ Sauce With Chicke...

How to Brine and Smoke a Whole Chic...

Pit Boss Smoked Chicken Breasts

Smoked Chicken Thighs

Smoked Chicken Drumsticks

Smoked Drumsticks

Smoked Chicken Breast Recipe

Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings

Dry Brined Chicken - Spatchcocked a...

Smoked Chicken Legs

Smoked Beer Can Chicken

Top 35 smoked chicken recipes from across the web

The most viewed smoked chicken recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Smoked Chicken

Georgia Style Smoked Chicken Recipe

Whole Smoked Chicken with Honey Gla...

How to Cook a Smoked Whole Chicken ...

Whole Smoked Chicken with Honey Gla...

Smoked Whole Chicken

Easy Smoked Chicken

Smoked Chicken Thighs

Smoked Whole Chicken

Smoked Chicken Breast

Smoked Chicken Leg Quarters

Chicken quesadilla with guacamole

Smoked chicken noodle soup

Smoked chicken and basil microwave ...

Smoked chicken & wild rice salad

Smoked chicken salad with peanut ch...

Smoked Whole Chicken Recipe

Nashville Chicken Thighs with Honey...

Crispy Smoked Pit Boss Chicken Wing...

Smoked Spatchcock Chicken

Smoked Spatchcock Chicken (Crispy S...

Smoked Beer Can Chicken on a Pit Bo...

Pit Boss Smoked Whole Chicken

Smoked Whole Chicken on a Pellet Gr...

Alabama White BBQ Sauce With Chicke...

How to Brine and Smoke a Whole Chic...

Pit Boss Smoked Chicken Breasts

Smoked Chicken Thighs

Smoked Chicken Drumsticks

Smoked Drumsticks

Smoked Chicken Breast Recipe

Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings

Dry Brined Chicken - Spatchcocked a...

Smoked Chicken Legs

Smoked Beer Can Chicken

The most viewed smoked chicken recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine