Mastering Smoked Chicken: A Beginner's Guide To Bbq Perfection

Smoking chicken is a great way to cook the meat slowly, infusing it with flavour and keeping it juicy. It's a forgiving method, suitable for beginners and popular at BBQ restaurants across America.

There are a few ways to smoke chicken, including using a brine, wet rub, or dry rub, and you can smoke a whole chicken or individual pieces. You can also use different types of wood to add flavour, such as apple, cherry, hickory, pecan, or maple.

The key to getting delicious, tender, and juicy smoked chicken is to keep the temperature low, around 225°-250°F, and smoke for 35-45 minutes per pound. You'll know your chicken is ready when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.

Choosing the right wood for your smoker

When smoking chicken, you want a wood that tastes great but doesn't overpower the poultry. Apple, maple, cherry, pecan, and oak are the most popular types of wood for smoking chicken. These woods pair well with chicken because they offer a sweeter, fruity, or nutty flavour profile that complements the subtleties of the meat.

Applewood, for example, releases a mild, sweet, and slightly fruity aroma that pairs well with the nuances of chicken. Cherry wood, on the other hand, offers a subtly sweet aroma that marries perfectly with the tender fibres of the chicken, resulting in a comforting and opulent flavour profile. Pecan wood, with its nutty sweetness and earthy undertones, is another excellent choice for smoking chicken, evoking a sense of tradition and shared feasts.

It is best to avoid harsher, stronger woods like hickory and mesquite, as they can overpower the delicate flavours of chicken and leave it tasting bitter. Instead, opt for the lighter, sweeter woods to achieve a perfect balance of smokiness and flavour.

In addition to choosing the right type of wood, it is also important to consider the size of the wood pieces. Wood for smoking comes in various forms, such as pellets, chips, chunks, and logs. The size you choose will depend on the type of grill or smoker you are using and the length of time you plan to smoke the chicken. For smaller grills and smokers, pellets, chips, or chunks are more suitable, while logs are better suited for bigger setups.

Preparing your chicken for the smoker

There are a few steps you can take to prepare your chicken for the smoker and ensure it is as juicy and flavoursome as possible. Firstly, you can brine your chicken. Brining involves soaking your chicken in a brine solution—a mixture of salt and water—for 4 to 8 hours in the refrigerator. This will help to season the chicken and lock in moisture. If you don't have time to brine your chicken, you can still achieve good results without this step.

Next, you should pat your chicken dry with paper towels and place it on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. If you brined your chicken, you should leave it to refrigerate for another 6 hours at this point. If you didn't brine, you can move straight on to coating your chicken in oil and seasoning.

Coat your chicken in olive oil, avocado oil, or melted butter. This will help to keep the skin moist and ensure it crisps up nicely. You can then apply a generous amount of your chosen seasoning or spice rub. You can make your own rub with spices like salt, pepper, paprika, chilli powder, onion powder, garlic powder, brown sugar, espresso beans, cinnamon, cumin, and cayenne pepper, or you can buy a store-bought rub. Sprinkle the seasoning over the chicken, rather than rubbing it in, and make sure to get a good coating over all sides of the chicken.

At this point, you can also loosen the skin of the chicken and rub some of the seasoning between the skin and the meat for extra flavour. If you are using a whole chicken, you can also tuck the wings underneath the front of the chicken and tie up the legs with kitchen twine to prevent burning.

Applying the perfect rub

A good rub is essential to achieving the perfect flavour in your BBQ chicken. The rub is a blend of spices and herbs that you apply to the chicken before smoking it. Here are some tips to help you apply the perfect rub:

Choose the Right Ingredients

The key to a great rub is selecting the right combination of spices and herbs that complement each other and enhance the flavour of the chicken. You can either use a store-bought rub or make your own. Common ingredients in a BBQ rub include salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chilli powder, brown sugar, and cayenne pepper. Feel free to experiment with different ingredients and create your own unique blend.

Prepare the Chicken

Before applying the rub, make sure the chicken is properly prepared. Remove any giblets or neck from the cavity, and pat the chicken dry with paper towels. You can also choose to cut the chicken into halves or individual pieces to expose more meat to the smoke and make it easier to season.

Loosen the Skin

Loosening the skin of the chicken will allow you to apply the rub directly to the meat underneath, ensuring that the flavour penetrates deeper into the chicken. Gently slide your fingers between the skin and meat to create a pocket, being careful not to tear the skin.

Apply the Rub Liberally

Coat the chicken generously with the rub, making sure to cover all sides and crevices. Use your hands to sprinkle the rub evenly over the chicken, but don't try to rub it in. The olive oil that you applied earlier will help the rub stick to the chicken.

Let it Sit

After applying the rub, let the chicken sit for a while, preferably in the refrigerator, to allow the flavours to penetrate the meat. This step is crucial in ensuring that your chicken absorbs the maximum amount of flavour from the rub. Aim for at least 30 minutes, but if you can, leave it for a few hours or even overnight for more intense flavours.

Don't Overdo It

While it's important to apply the rub liberally, be careful not to cake it on too thickly. A thick layer of rub can prevent the smoke from penetrating the meat effectively and may result in an uneven cook. A light coating is all you need to achieve that perfect balance of flavours.

Smoking your chicken

Preparation

Firstly, decide on your wood chips—apple, cherry, hickory, pecan, mesquite, and maple are all good options. You'll also need to prepare your smoker, ensuring it's clean and preheated to between 225°F and 300°F.

Now, it's time to prepare the chicken. You can use a whole chicken or individual pieces. Brining your chicken for 24 hours will ensure it's juicy and well-seasoned, but if you're short on time, you can skip this step. Remove any giblets and pat the chicken dry. You can also split the chicken into halves to expose more of the meat to the smoke and make it easier to season. Tuck the wings underneath and tie up the legs with kitchen twine to prevent burning.

Smoking

Place your chicken in a disposable aluminum pan, or directly on the smoker rack/grill. If using a pan, spray it with cooking spray to prevent sticking.

Coat the chicken liberally with olive oil, then apply your chosen dry rub seasoning. Make sure to get the seasoning under the skin and all over the meat. You can make your own rub with spices like brown sugar, garlic powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper, or use a store-bought option.

Cooking

Place the chicken in the smoker and maintain a temperature between 200°F and 225°F. Smoke the chicken for approximately 35-45 minutes per pound, or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F. Use a meat thermometer to check the temperature in the thickest part of the thigh/breast.

Finishing

Once the chicken reaches the desired temperature, remove it from the smoker and let it rest for about 10 minutes. The internal temperature will continue to rise to 165°F during this time.

For extra crispy skin, you can briefly roast the chicken in an oven at 450°F, or finish it over direct heat on your grill.

Your smoked chicken is now ready to be served! Enjoy the juicy, flavourful meat with your favourite BBQ sauce.

Saucing your chicken

When it comes to saucing your chicken, there are a few different approaches you can take. Some recipes suggest using a mop sauce or a basting liquid to keep the chicken moist and flavourful during the cooking process. This can be made by mixing together ingredients like Italian dressing, BBQ sauce, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and water. Simply baste the chicken with this mixture every 30 minutes or so while it cooks.

Other recipes suggest brushing on a BBQ sauce towards the end of the cooking process. For instance, one recipe recommends brushing on a mixture of BBQ sauce and honey when the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 145°F, and then increasing the smoker temperature to 300°F for 15-20 minutes to finish cooking the chicken and caramelise the glaze. Similarly, another recipe recommends saucing the chicken with your favourite sauce when it reaches an internal temperature of 150°F-155°F, and then continuing to smoke until it reaches 165°F.

You can also add extra ingredients to your sauce to enhance the flavour. For example, you could add unsalted butter to your BBQ sauce, or mix in some honey for a sweeter, stickier glaze.

Frequently asked questions