Smoke a Whole Chicken: Guide to Juicy, Smoky Flavored Chicken

Perfectly Smoked Chicken

Have you considered using your smoker for more than pork or beef? Smoking chicken gives you the best whole smoked chicken and it’s easy to follow and bursting with flavorful chicken.

Smoking chicken gives juicy meat with a lot of flavor. The lower heat and the smoke infuse flavor from the wood that is something you can’t get in the oven.

We usually smoke ribs and all the barbecue things. But a whole chicken smoked? It is something that we need to do more often, especially during gatherings. It was inexpensive and the left overs made so many great dishes.

Things You Need

• Whole Chicken

• Olive/neutral oil

• Chicken Seasoning (we used Willie Pete by Grill your AS$ Off) salt, pepper, garlic powder and chili powder are also favorites along with smoked paprika

What is the Secret to Smoking Chicken?

Simplicity is my secret to smoking chicken. A great seasoning that you like and also having a thermometer that can tell you that the chicken is done, so you don’t over cook it. As soon as it reaches temp, pull it and let it rest and serve.

Keeping the wood chips wet, helps allow the chicken to get a smoke flavor and the chicken gets a crispy skin. And it’s tastier than a rotisserie chicken.

What Are the Best Tips to Ensure Your Whole Chicken Smoked and Stays Juicy and Flavorful?

To have a good smoked chicken that is not dried out and still has all the juices, you need to monitor your temperature. The temperature inside the smoker should not get above 250. You need to make sure your wood chips are well watered, so that they are smoked to infuse flavor into your whole chicken.

Monitoring the chicken with a meat thermometer is also a good idea. The meat thermometer can allow you to monitor the internal temperature of the chicken so it is not over cooked.

Can I Make Chicken Stock?

You can use the picked bones to make amazing chicken broth or chicken stock. Make sure the bones have not been ate from for safe processing.

Why a Smoked Whole Chicken?

By smoking a whole chicken, you are going to allow the bones to give a lot of moisture to your chicken. White meat can tend to dry out easily and you would need to tend it. Buying an entire chicken, is less expensive and gives great left over chicken recipes for soups, salad, sandwiches. It’s also cheaper than a rotisserie chicken (especially when chicken is on sale)

Smoked Chicken Recipe

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A Simple Guide to Juicy, Smoked Whole Chicken

Smoking a whole chicken is the perfect way to achieve juicy, tender meat with that irresistible smoky flavor. Cooked low and slow, it's a mouthwatering BBQ favorite that’s sure to impress.

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time3 hours hrs

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Author: Regina Sober

Equipment

• Smoker
• Thermpro Meat Thermometer
• Squeeze bottles
• Quarter Baking Sheet
• Cutting board
• Magnetic towel holder
• Butcher paper
• Knife
• knife sharpener

Ingredients

• Whole Chicken
• Olive/neutral oil
• Chicken Seasoning

Instructions

• Make sure your chicken is thawed.
• Prepare smoker with wood chips and water to reach 225-250F.
• Remove the spine from the chicken so you can lay it flat.
• Pat the chicken dry and apply the oil all over the chicken.
• In a small bowl place the seasoning and apply all over the chicken.
• Place thermometer into chicken to monitor reaching 165F.
• Place the chicken into the smoker.
• Check every hour to make sure there is water in the wood chips still, add if needed.
• After about 3 hours, chicken should be done (thermometer should reach 165F)
• Remove chicken from smoker and let rest 10-20 minutes.
• Serve as you like. We serve over potatoes with a little BBQ.

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