Smoke whole chicken the easy way with this electric smoker recipe. Prepared with a wet brine and dry herb barbecue marinade and smoked over applewood, this smoky chicken is bursting with barbecue flavor.
Just hear it, the quality of the finished product is far superior to any other form of cooked chicken, whether it’s fried chicken or store bought. A whole smoked chicken is what you must have in your life today. It’s wet. It’s juicy and, ha, it’s smoked.
Cooking in an electric smoker still captures the smoky flavors of traditional roast chicken. This preserves the moisture needed for the flavor and aromas of the food in a round plate of smoked chicken.
Meat preparation
Before you can put your chicken in the smoker, you must first prepare it.
The first step in preparing a chicken is trimming. Although most supermarket chicken comes ready to cook, you should remove some leftover parts. First, check the chicken for giblets(internal organs) and discard them.
Next, prepare a brine or saltwater solution to stir the chicken. Brine is not necessary, but will make the chicken more tender and juicy. Make your brine by filling a container large enough to hold the chicken with water and adding 4 to 5 percent salt by volume. If you like, you can add other herbs and flavors like lemon wedges. Leave the chicken in the brine for at least 24 hours.
Then season the chicken with a dry marinade of your choice. Before rubbing the seasoning on the chicken, brush it with olive oil to help the seasoning stick and keep the skin soft and tender.
Finally, prepare the chicken by tying the legs together and tucking the wing tips underneath. This prevents the thinner parts of the chicken from burning and is attractive.
How to keep smoked chicken moist
Smoking chicken is a great way to pack flavor into the bird, but smoking sometimes dries out the meat, especially lean meats like poultry. To keep the chicken moist, you should soak it in brine beforehand. Pat is dry before adding seasoning and grilling. When the chicken goes into the smoker with wet skin, it dries out the inside and the skin becomes moist and rubbery.
Pay close attention to the temperature of the chicken to avoid overcooking. Opt for low and slow smoking instead of high heat, which dries out the meat.
The best wood for grilling chickens
The best wood for smoking chicken or poultry is a soft, sweet wood. You want the wood to enhance your chicken’s flavor rather than overpower it. Fruit woods like apple or cherry, or wood from nut trees like pecans are good choices. A more neutral hardwood like oak is also a good option for smoking chicken.
Avoid strong, hearty woods like hickory or mesquite, as they will overpower the flavor of the chicken.
Times and temperatures
Smoking a whole chicken requires 107°C(225°F) and takes about 45 minutes per pound of meat. This can take 2-4 hours in total, but ultimately depends on when the internal temperature of the meat reaches 75°C.
Carving
Slicing up a smoked chicken is similar to slicing up another whole roast chicken for serving. After removing the chicken from the smoker, let it sit for about 15 minutes to redistribute the juices. Remove excess juice and use for the sauce.
Next, start cutting off the legs from the body. The next step is to separate the leg at the thigh and thigh. Use a cutting fork to stabilize the breast meat, then separate the breast from the body, cut off the sternum and slice. Finally, remove the wings.
The key to successfully carving a chicken is cutting between the joints. Before making any incisions, make a small cut in the skin so you can see the joint clearly.
Writer & content creator. BBQ fanatic!
