You’ll be amazed at how tender this simple smoked whole chicken recipe is. It all starts with a 24 hour brine and only a 4 hour smoke.
Smoked Whole Chicken Brine
While not necessary, brining really helps create that juicy tender meat. We always recommend brining even if it’s only for a few hours. Here’s our simple brine recipe:
- ~ 1 gallon of water
- 1/2 cup kosher salt
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
Mix salt and brown sugar into the water and drop the chicken into a sealed container with the brine. Let the chicken sit in the brine in the refrigerator for about 24 hours.
Spatchcocked Smoked Whole Chicken
While not necessary, spatchcocking is easier than you think and the results are absolutely worth it. Spatchcocking is basically butterflying the chicken by removing the backbone so the bird can lay flat. This technique allows for more even cooking, balanced flavor, and moisture retention.
The easiest way to spatchcock a chicken is to:
- Make two cuts with a sharp knife down both sides of the backbone. This makes step two very easy as you expose the rib bones for the next cut.
- Use sharp kitchen sheers to cut down both sides of the backbone using the same cut paths from step one. Remove the backbone completely with the sheers.
- Once the backbone is removed, take the opportunity to clean the exposed cavity. Finally, flip the chicken and lay it flat.
Smoked Whole Chicken Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken
- Olive oil to coat the chicken
- Firebox Spice Co Chicken Rub
Cooking Instructions
- Preheat your smoker to about 250 degrees.
- Lightly coat the whole chicken with olive oil.
- Generously dust the chicken with Firebox Spice Co Chicken Rub.
- Quick Tip: I like to let the seasoning sit for 10-15 minutes before placing the chicken into the smoker.
- Smoke for about 4 hours. (165 degrees internal temp)
- Let the chicken rest for about 15-30 minutes.
We hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do! Come back and share your thoughts and pictures.
Inspired by: Hey Grill Hey’s Smoked Whole Chicken