Smoked Chicken Recipe

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 whole chicken is the latest in my smoking recipe series. I’ve brought you some of the basics like smoked chicken thighs and smoked chicken wings, now it’s time to try our hand with a whole bird!

I’m back with yet another smoker recipe and this smoked chicken might be my favorite so far! The chicken is incredibly moist and packed with that delicious smoky flavor. No dry, tough chicken around here!

To get a chicken ready to go into the smoker, you’ll need to do a few things. The first step is to tuck the wings underneath the front of the chicken. This will ensure that the wing tips don’t burn. The second step is to tie up your legs with a piece of kitchen twine. The legs will be less likely to burn if they’re close to the chicken, plus it makes for a neater presentation. If your chicken comes with giblets, be sure to remove and discard those too.

After your chicken is tucked and tied, it’s time to add the seasoning. I use a homemade BBQ spice rub which is the perfect blend of brown sugar and spices. If you’d rather use a store bought rub, that’s fine too. A whole chicken is a pretty substantial sized piece of meat, and you’ll want to make sure the seasoning penetrates throughout the chicken. There are a few ways to do this.

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.

Prep: 10min

Total: 250min

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 312 kcal, Protein 26 g, Fat 16 g, Saturated Fat 6 g, Cholesterol 108 mg, Sodium 101 mg, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 1 recipe chicken brine (optional but recommended)
• 4-5 lb whole chicken
• 1/4 cup BBQ Spice Rub
• parsley for garnish (optional)

Instruction:

1. Prepare the chicken brine as directed in the brine recipe (link is in the ingredients list). Brine the chicken for 24 hours.
2. If you’re short on time, you can skip brining the chicken and still have a good result.
3. Preheat the smoker to 250 degrees F. Load the smoker with apple wood chips or wood chips of your choice.
4. Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry. Tuck the wings underneath the chicken and tie up the legs with kitchen twine.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. Remove the chicken from the smoker and let it rest for 10 minutes.
8. Place the chicken on a platter. Garnish with parsley if desired. Carve the chicken, then serve.

Applewood Smoked Chicken

Smoking a chicken is EASY! Wow your tastebuds with this melt-in-your-mouth Applewood Smoked Chicken! Prepped with a brown sugar, smoky paprika and garlic based rub, this smoked chicken tastes amazing!

Prep: 15min

Total: 315min

Yield: 6

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 362 kcal, Carbohydrate 8 g, Protein 28.9 g, Fat 23 g, Cholesterol 115 mg, Sodium 110 mg, Sugar 6 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup cup dark brown sugar, (packed)
• 2 Tablespoons chili powder
• 1 Tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 Tablespoon onion powder
• 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 Tablespoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 whole chicken, (4 to 5 pounds)

Instruction:

1. Take the chicken and remove all the inside parts that need to be tossed out, like the liver, neck, etc.
2. Place the whole chicken on a cutting board. Cut the chicken with a meat cleaver down the middle of the breast (butterfly) or spatchcock the chicken. Expert Tip: I like to do this so I can open up the chicken and get the rub everywhere.Place in a 9×13 glass pyrex dish.
3. In a small bowl, mix together all the dry rub ingredients. Generously rub the chicken that is still in the Pyrex dish with the mixture until rub is gone.
4. Place plastic wrap over the chicken in the dish and refrigerate overnight. I like to marinate my chicken for at least 8 to 12 hours.
5. After the chicken has marinated, turn on your smoker (or light it) and let it preheat until the smoker hits 225°F.
6. Fill the entire wood pan with wood chunks or chips. If you use chunks, they will last the entire smoke time without you having to refill the pan. If you use wood chips, they will burn out by the end of the smoke time so check them every 2-3 hours and add more if they have burned out. I wrap my wood chunks in aluminum foil and poke holes in the aluminum foil with a knife. To me, the smoke pouch helps smoke release better which provides more flavor.
7. Once the smoker is preheated and the wood pan and water pan are prepped, place the whole chicken on the rack breast side up and close your smoker. You should expect to see a lot of smoke in the first 2 hours and then it will die down a bit. It will smell wonderful outside!
8. Smoke the chicken at about 225°F for about 4 to 5 hours. Sometimes the smoker temperature will get up to 250°F, but I never let it go over that. You will need to manage your temperature to ensure the smoker doesn’t get too hot.
9. At the 3rd hour, insert a digital thermometer to see how much longer it has before reaching 165°F. You can also do this when you place the chicken in the smoker.When the chicken is done, turn the smoker off and remove the chicken.
10. The internal temperature of the chicken is considered done when it reaches 165°F. This holds true for legs and thighs, as well. Remove the chicken from the smoker when done.
11. Let the chicken rest for about 10 minutes before slicing and eating.

How to Smoke Chicken

FAQ

How long does it take to smoke a chicken at 225 degrees?

How do you keep chicken moist when smoking?

How long should you smoke a chicken?

What is the proper way to smoke a chicken?

1. Buy a fresh chicken, and avoid blood spots or injected meat.
2. Wash the bird.
3. Season the chicken with a dry rub.
4. Set your grill to 225 °F.
5. Smoke at 225 °F for 1 hour.
6. Then increase the temperature to 350 °F to crisp up the skin.
7. Cook to 165 °F internal temperature.