How long smoke whole chicken

I mean, weren't those beer butt chickens you grilled last summer tender, juicy and full of flavor? A one-gallon food storage bag or freezer bag is the perfect size for most chickens. And by using one, you don't have to make a lot of brine as you would if brining in a bowl or other hard container.

Usually, one quart to one and one-half quarts of brine is enough when bag-brining a chicken. With a little more time and effort you can make a more effective, more flavorful brine.

All that's required is mixing some of the ingredients in water and bringing them to a simmer. Let the chicken drain for a few minutes after removing from the brine. Use one of your favorite rubs to season the outside of the chicken and inside the body cavity. I used a simple mix of cracked black pepper, onion powder and a little chili powder.

No salt was added to the rub because brining took care of that. Coat the bird evenly, pressing it in to help hold it in place. First, make a cut on the underside of one leg, between the bone and the tendon. This skin will also be soft, and not crispy. If you want crispy skin on your chicken, increase the heat in your smoker to degrees F for the final degree climb. I absolutely love a whole smoked chicken with a good sweet rub.

My Best Sweet Rub is a favorite on this site, and super easy to make at home. If you want to buy some pre-made Signature Sweet Rub available in both small and large bottles! It contains smoked paprika a seasoning game-changer , fresh herbs, and lemon zest for a refreshing final flavor. We also sell an award-winning Chicken Seasoning if you want something with a ton of flavor and just a touch of heat. Smoking a whole chicken is not as intimidating as it sounds.

Nothing fancy here, just a simple smoked chicken that will come out juicy and tasting great. It takes approximately 2. The final internal temperature of the breast should be between degrees F, and the thighs should be between degrees F. Instructions Brine Instructions Mix the water, peppercorns, salt, syrup, and mustard seeds in a sauce pan.

Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry, inside and out. Let's finish the rest! Mix the ingredients for the rub. Wrap the chicken tightly with plastic wrap and keep refrigerated for at least 4 hours. Pin It Click here to cancel reply. Recipe Rating Recipe Rating. Alan Wednesday 2nd of October Graham Saturday 10th of August Kasey Mceuen Saturday 22nd of June SW Friday 7th of December The three essential steps are:.

Spatchcocking a chicken is removing the backbone of the bird so that it can lay flat in a pan or grill. A spatchcocked chicken will usually cook more evenly, and in a shorter period of time. Our Traeger experts recommend spatchcocking as the best way to smoke a whole chicken. This expert tutorial has all the information you need to spatchcock at home. The basic process simply involves using a large knife to cut on either side of the backbone, through the ribs, then discarding it.

Once the backbone is gone, you split the breastbone, allowing you to spread the bird flat. This recipe for Spatchcock Chile-Lime Chicken is an example of how spatchcocking can save you time — it cooks in just 40 minutes! The beer can chicken method of smoking a whole chicken is something every grillmaster should try once. It makes for a very tender bird, as the evaporation from the beer helps keep the meat from drying out. We like the beer can method so much, we built a special Chicken Throne to make it easier.

This sturdy ceramic stand will keep your chicken from tipping over, and protect the meat from any toxins that the can could release. Follow our beer can chicken recipe to get tender meat and smoke flavor like you've never had before.

A dry rub can boost your smoked chicken's flavor and appearance. Most chicken rubs include salt, which enhances flavor, and a colorful element like paprika, chile powder, or cumin to help pale chicken skin look more appetizing when it crisps up.

At Traeger, we offer a selection of premade rubs that top grillmasters swear by. Here are three they recommend for whole chicken. Traeger Chicken Rub : Citrus and black pepper flavor profile. Pairs well with cherry hardwood pellets. Pairs well with apple hardwood pellets. Traeger Rub : Oregano and basil flavor profile.

Pairs well with hickory hardwood pellets. In order to ensure your meat is flavorful to the bone, try out a good brine. Brining your bird is the best way to infuse flavor deep into the meat.

No matter how much salt you use, a dry rub will only penetrate so far into the meat, but submerging your bird in brine pulls salt and flavor into the muscles -- and keeps it there throughout the cooking process.

Many people — like Matt — use sugar to balance the salty flavor, and this also helps caramelize the skin, giving it an appetizing brown color. It's a lot of fun to experiment with broths, juices, beers, and more to change up the flavor. You can also add all sorts of herbs, vegetables, and spices to your brine to infuse even more flavor into your meat.

Check out our poultry brining kit. Brining for too long results in oversalted meat. You can also inject the brine into your chicken.

Traeger Pro Doug Scheiding says: "I used to be a chicken briner but now am an injector. Injecting brine is "easier and adds much more flavor deeper into the meat," he says. Injection is a mixture of phosphates salt on steroids and flavor from dissolved seasonings.