Smoked Chicken – tender juicy and delightfully flavorful whole chicken coated in a 4-ingredient homemade rub and slow-smoked to perfection. The easiest yet most flavorful whole chicken you could ever have!
I couldn’t be more proud of how this Smoked Chicken came out. Isn’t she a beauty? Just look at that golden crispy skin – you just can’t help but have the urge to rip it off. Moreover, the inside is as outrageously fantastic as the outside, too. Super delicious, smokey, juicy and tender chicken meat that will make you forget anything else served on the table. Oh yes, this whole chicken here is what backyard barbecue is all about!
What is Smoked Chicken?
Chicken takes about half the time to cook in a smoker compared to its red meat counterpart pork and beef. With this cooking method, the seasoned whole chicken is slow cooked in a closed atmosphere for longer until it reaches an internal temperature of 165F. Unlike grilling, the smoking process is only for the patient ones as it requires longer hours to cook meat and achieve that desired additional smokey flavor while keeping it moist and tender.
What Wood is Best for Smoking Chicken?
While you could use just any type of wood as chicken is very forgiving, however, mildly sweet woods work best. Apple wood chips is a popular choice, by far, followed by cherry, peach and other fruit woods. They give off a smoke that doesn’t overpower the flavor in the chicken, yet it provides that layer of smokey flavor.
Hickory, mesquite or maple woods work perfectly well, too, for that more defined smokiness. As the true grill masters would say, not all wood is created equal.
However, if you don’t have any of those special wood chips mentioned above like I do, you may use regular wood chunks and soak them overnight in an apple liquid or the likes to add some flavor. Aside from that, this will also prevent the wood from burning too fast during the smoking process.
Smoked Chicken Homemade Rub
Our homemade rub for this recipe is the easiest. Actually, you only need 5 ingredients (if you include the chicken) to prepare this whole wonderful dish. My secret to a drop-dead delicious chicken meat is my homemade Creole Seasoning which has been my go-to spice for years. It has the power to transform any dishe from “meh” to “wow” – like this Southern Fried Cabbage to this versatile Shredded Chicken. This creole seasoning, along with salt and pepper makes a simple yet flavorful rub for our chicken inside and out. How fantastic is that?
If you’d rather use a store-bought rub, that would be fine, too.
How Do You Prepare the Chicken?
Before you get too excited, let me share with you some tips on how to prepare your whole chicken before smoking it.
- Rinse the chicken first (carefully) and trim any excess skin or fat especially around the neck area. Clean the cavity of the bird as well. If your chicken comes with giblets and all, make sure to remove those.
- Lay down the chicken on a large baking sheet or chopping board and pat it all dry using a paper towel.
- Then drizzle the chicken with oil all over, followed by the simple homemade rub. Make sure to season the chicken in every nook and cranny, inside and outside.
- Using a kitchen string or butcher’s twine, tie the legs together so it won’t likely burn and for a neater presentation, too. Tuck the chicken wings as well under the back.
- Transfer it to large bowl or baking pan covered with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for 2 hours or preferably overnight for optimal flavor.
How Do You Smoke a Whole Chicken?
Smoking a chicken isn’t that hard as others would think it is. As a matter of fact, it’s more like a hands-off cooking method. Although setting up the smoke box part is a bit of a work, in the end you’ll be rewarded with an appetizing dish perfect for regular weeknights or for entertaining.
The set up involves sealing a cup of wood chunks in an aluminum foil and making tiny holes on one side of it like a premade smoke box. Once you have all the set up in place, place the whole chicken on the grill with digital thermometer set in it on the thickest part of the breast. Then finally close the lid and cook for 4-5 hours, depending on the size of your chicken and the heat.
It is very important that you avoid opening the grill often to trap the smoke and heat within.
How Long to Smoke a Whole Chicken
Take note that this recipe is written for a 3-5 pound whole chicken. For this kind of bird, ideal cooking hours would be around 4-5 hours at 225F to 250 F or until the digital meat thermometer reads 165 F. If you have a 6 pound chicken, it would be smoked for about 5- 6 hours. Again, you also have to take into consideration the grill you’re using and its heating capability.
What to Serve with Smoked Chicken?
Since this smoked chicken screams nothing but a barbecue gathering, below are some of my favorite sides to this mouth-watering dinner:
- Southern Baked Beans
- Mac and Cheese
- Jalapeno Corn Casserole
- Coleslaw
- Hasselback Potatoes
- Cucumber Tomato Salad
- Honey Glazed Carrots
- Broccoli Salad
How To Make Smoked Chicken
Preparing the Chicken and Wood
Place about 4 to 5 cups of wood chunks in a small aluminum pan; pour in apple juice or water to cover the wood chips. Let the wood sit in the liquid overnight, this will prevent the wood from burning fast during the smoking process and will also add some flavor.
Rinse the chicken, trim any excess skin or fat around the neck area and clean the giblets if any. Place chicken in chopping board and pat dry. Drizzle chicken with oil and spread all over the bird. Season inside and outside of chicken generously with salt, pepper and creole seasoning.
Tie the legs together using kitchen string or butcher’s twine. Transfer chicken to a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for about 2 hours or overnight to marinate.
How to Smoke Whole Chicken
While the chicken marinates, prepare the gas grill for smoking by placing about a cup of the wet wood chunks in an aluminum foil, tightly seal the foil and use a knife to make tiny holes on one side of the foil (this will work as a smoke box if you do not have one). Light only one grill burner (preferably an extreme burner) to medium heat, place the premade smoke box on the lit burner. Close the grill to preheat to about 225F to 250F.
Place the whole chicken in the preheated grill breast side up. If desired, place a small bowl of water at the side of the chicken, this helps to add some moisture during smoking. Close the grill and cook for about 4-5 hours depending on the size of the chicken and the amount of heat. Avoid opening the grill often but check smoke box and replace them when necessary.
Once the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165°F, remove from the smoker and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes to allow the juice to redistribute. Carve the smoked whole chicken into desired servings and serve.
Smoked Chicken
Ingredients
- 3-5 pound of whole chicken
- ¼ cup cooking oil
- ½ tablespoon salt
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons Creole Cajun seasoning (Homemade is best )
Instructions
- Place about 4 to 5 cups of wood chunks in a small aluminum pan; pour in apple juice or water to cover the wood chips. Let the wood sit in the liquid overnight, this will prevent the wood from burning fast during the smoking process and will also add some flavor.
- Rinse the chicken, trim any excess skin or fat around the neck area and clean the giblets if any. Place chicken in chopping board and pat dry. Drizzle chicken with oil and spread all over the bird.
- Season inside and outside of chicken generously with salt, pepper and creole seasoning. Tie the legs together using kitchen string or butcher's twine. Transfer chicken to a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for about 2 hours or overnight to marinate.
- While the chicken marinates, prepare the gas grill for smoking by placing about a cup of the wet wood chunks in an aluminum foil, tightly seal the foil and use a knife to make tiny holes on one side of the foil (this will work as a smoke box if you do not have one). Light only one grill burner (preferably an extreme burner) to medium heat, place the premade smoke box on the lit burner. Close the grill to preheat to about 225F to 250F.
- Place the whole chicken in the preheated grill breast side up. If desired, place a small bowl of water at the side of the chicken, this helps to add some moisture during smoking. Close the grill and cook for about 4-5 hours depending on the size of the chicken and the amount of heat. Avoid opening the grill often but check smoke box and replace them when necessary.
- Once the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165°F, remove from the smoker and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes to allow the juice to redistribute.
- Carve the smoked whole chicken into desired servings and serve.
Tips & Notes:
- I prefer using wood chunks when smoking because they produce more smoke and last longer.
- It is advisable to soak the wood chunks in apple juice as it provides more
flavor. - The time for the chicken to cook through will depend on how many pounds of
chicken you have. Insert a thermometer in the thickest part of the chicken and make sure it reads 165F. - Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.
Nutrition Information:
EDITH SANTIAGO says
Thanks it looks great ….Can i do the same in the oven …..
Jeanette Angeh says
Looks delicious! Can this be made in an oven instead if there’s no grill?
ImmaculateBites says
Sorry , I haven’t tried it yet. But here is a good guide https://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/1084384/how-to-cook-ribs-in-the-oven/
Len says
Keep in mnd you will NOT be able to eat the skin when done smoking. It will be rubbery. You’ll either have to just cut it off and toss it OR put it back (the whole bird or cut pieces skin side down) on the grill and sear it at high heat to crisp up. If you do, watch it carefully as it will burn on you in the blink of an eye.