Whole Smoked Chicken Recipe

Smoked whole chicken on cutting board with lemons. Potatoes and brussel sprouts in background.

Whole Smoked Chicken Recipe

It's time to cook up a smoky and juicy whole chicken for your next BBQ. After smoking a whole chicken, it will become the ONLY way you will cook a yard bird from now on.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Type Smoked Meat

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 1 45

Total Time 2 15

Servings Servings

Calories 412kcal

Author Will

Cost 10

Equipment

Ingredients

5 lb roaster chicken giblets removed

Brine

3 gallons water
3 cups kosher salt
4 cups apple juice
2 cups dark brown sugar

Seasoning Rub #1

2 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon sea salt
2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoon parsley

Seasoning Rub #2

½ stick salted butter softened
2 cloves garlic minced
2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tsp sea salt
2 teaspoon parsley

Instructions

Pre-heat smoker to 225°F.
Remove giblets from inside of roaster chicken and rinse bird with fresh water.
Brine chicken for 4-24 hours in a wet brine or simply rinse with fresh water. Add brine ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil to dissolve salt & sugar. Remove from heat.
Allow brine to cool COMPLETELY before adding & submerging chicken into liquid. Once finished, rinse with cool fresh water.
Dry chicken with paper towels and tie the legs together with butcher twine. Coat with olive oil or butter. Make sure to get both sides of the bird and in between the skin and breast meat.
Season bird with rub seasoning everywhere you put olive oil or butter.
Lay chicken directly on grill rack breast side up and smoke for 45 minutes. Turn up temperature to 375-400°F and cook until the internal temperature is 165°F when checked with an instant read thermometer, about another 45 minutes.
Let rest 10-15 minutes and serve.

Notes

Tie chickens legs together to prevent the breast meat from cooking faster than the legs and thighs.
Use a fruit wood when smoking for best flavor.
If using meat for sandwiches, tear the meat off the bones when the chicken is still warm. The meat comes off better when it's warm.

Nutrition