It's a bold claim to say that this is going to be the best smoked chicken recipe that you will ever make. I know that. But this smoked chicken recipe is the best smoked chicken I've ever eaten. And I've eaten a lot of smoked chicken. Before you send me a bunch of messages telling me how yours is better, try this one. I'm willing to bet that you won't have much to say afterwards except maybe thank you.
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Prepping the Chicken
The first step in making smoked chicken is prepping the chicken. Cut away any extra fat and skin from the tail end of the chicken and discard it. Take the backbone out by cutting just inside the back legs, then down through the ribs. I did a whole post about this not too long ago -- you can check that post out here. Once you have the backbone out of the chicken, cut it straight down through the breast bone so that you have two even chicken halves. Save the spine and everything to make stock.
Making the Seasoning Blend
Once the chicken is cut and ready to go, make the all-purpose seasoning blend. You can find the full recipe below, but the blend is essentially equal parts kosher salt, black pepper, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. Add to that a half part each cayenne and cumin. Mix all the ingredients, and you are good to go.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Brown Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1 teaspoon Paprika
- ½ teaspoon Cayenne Powder
- ½ teaspoon Cumin Powder
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a small mixing bowl and mix well.
- Use to season chicken, pork, lamb, turkey, rabbit, or just about anything else.
Seasoning the Chicken
Season the chicken generously with the spice blend. Make sure to season under the wings and legs and in any other hard-to-reach places. You want to make sure that the entire chicken gets coated in the spice blend. Put the chicken in a bowl or dish, cover with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge for two hours.
Prepping the Smoker
The chicken has been in the fridge for about an hour and a half -- start getting your smoker hot. I have a cheap barrel-style smoker that works by lighting a charcoal fire in the bottom and adding wood chips. You know your smoker better than I do, and there are so many varieties out there that I'm not going to try to explain your smoker to you. All you want to do is get the smoker hot (275°F) and smoking before you put the chicken in.
For the wood chips, use mesquite and soak them in water for about half an hour before adding them to the fire. Add a bowl of water to the smoker too, to help prevent the chicken from drying out. If you are new to grilling and smoking, my post on how to grill chicken breast covers some of the fundamentals that will help you here.
Smoking the Chicken
Put the chicken in the smoker, set a four-hour timer, and do everything you can to maintain the temperature at 275°F. I find that my smoker doesn't keep the heat very well -- it could use another vent or two -- so I have to adjust the fire every thirty minutes or so. Again, you know your smoker better than I do. Keep the heat up and the smoke flowing.
Finishing the Chicken
At the three-hour mark, start brushing the chicken with barbecue sauce every ten to twelve minutes until it is cooked through. Check to see the chicken is cooked by sticking a probe thermometer in through the thickest part of the thigh. The chicken should reach a temperature of 170°F before you eat it.
When you cook a chicken in an oven on a higher temperature, it's okay to cook it to 167°F because the heat in the chicken will push the temperature past 170°F as it rests. But because you are smoking the chicken at such a low temperature, there isn't going to be enough residual heat for the temperature to keep rising. So, cook it all the way to 170°F.
At the three-hour mark, my coals had completely died down, and I decided that rather than light another fire, I would finish the chicken on the barbecue. I turned one side of the grill on to medium, and I left the other side off. I put the chicken on the grill over the elements that were not lit. This indirect cook meant that there would be no flareups or scorch marks on the chicken. I did finish the chicken for the last few minutes on medium-high direct heat to get a little extra caramelization. When I do it again, I will finish the chicken on the smoker.
Serving the Chicken
To serve the chicken, I made garlic mashed potatoes, white gravy, and grilled smoked paprika green beans. For the gravy, I made a simple bechamel with poultry seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and a pinch of cayenne pepper. I think the smoked chicken would go really well with just about anything, but this combination was perfection. It also made fantastic leftovers, which I used to make a sandwich, and my wife had in a salad.
This smoked chicken is honestly one of the best things I've made on the barbecue, and the spice blend doubles as a fantastic rub for pork chops or ribs. I'd love to hear how you smoke your chicken -- let me know in the comments below.
Brion Bell says
It’s all good!
However…. (There’s always a ‘however,’ right?)
I do this a tiny bit differently… I prepare and season/rub the chicken as instructed, but at about the two-hour mark, while it is in the fridge, I take it out of the fridge and introduce it to a steamer, seasonings, and all. (Some will suggest to ‘par-boil’ it, but that completely removes the seasonings!) I steam it for about 15 minutes while finishing the smoker prep; timing it so that the chicken goes directly from the steamer to the smoker. It takes less time to smoke the chicken, and the finished product is even more moist, tender, and flavorful. Be sure to follow the temperature guidelines in the above article! Note: If the steaming process knocks too much of the seasonings off, just add more before smoking.
Chef Ben Kelly says
Great tips Brion, thank you!
Andrea says
hey chef we are preparing smoked chicken breast for commercial use . so can you please tell us the proportion of nitrate and phosphate we can use in brine solution.
Chef Ben Kelly says
Hello Andrea, I'd need more details to give you a clear answer. If you send me an email (chefbenkelly@gmail.com) I'll be happy to help you out.