How to Smoke a Whole Chicken

Smoking a whole chicken is a classic and popular way of preparing a delicious, juicy, and flavorful meal. Smoking not only imparts an amazing smoky flavor to the chicken but also seals in juices and moisture, leaving you with a moist and succulent bird that is sure to impress. Smoking a chicken is not a difficult task, and there are a few simple steps to achieving the perfect, smoky flavor. With the right equipment, some simple preparation work, and a little patience, smoking a whole chicken can be a delicious and hassle-free experience. Let's take a look at the steps to smoking a whole chicken.

For this guide, we are focusing on a regular whole chicken, we have guides on the Spatchcock and Beer Can methods at the links below to check out as well.

How to Spatchcock Chicken

How to Make Beer Can Chicken

How to choose a whole chicken to smoke

Choosing the right bird can make all the difference between a good meal and a GREAT meal. Ideally, a fresh hen straight from the farm would be the best choice, but for those without that option, here's a couple things to look for at your local megamart.

• Get a blank canvas - Look for a fresh, raw bird that's not pre-seasoned or pre-brined in any way. This gives you all the control in flavor and salt/sugar content.
• Inspect before choosing - Look for chickens that have as few cuts or tears in the skin as possible. If you see blood spots on the outside skin, this can be a sign that the chicken experienced extra stress during the "farm to market" process and can lead to tough meat even if cooked to the correct temperature.

How to prepare a whole chicken for smoking

Once you've picked out the right bird, we need to do some minimal prep work before it hits the smoker. This can be as simple as cleaning the bird up and seasoning it, or, if you have the time, brining the bird to add moisture and flavor to your final product. Let's look at these steps a little more in depth.

• Keep it clean - Remove any of the giblets or internal pieces that come with the bird, and pat dry inside and out. After this step you'll be ready to either season or brine.
• To brine or not to brine? - Even an hour in brine can enhance the flavor and moisture of a chicken, but if you have the ability to brine overnight, it can really make a huge difference. Both our Signature and Sweet Tea brines work really well with chicken. They also take seconds to prepare, eliminating the need to boil and cool your brine before use.
• Find your flavor - Chicken is the ideal canvas for a wide range of flavors. Seriously, depending on what you want to do with your finished product and even leftovers, you can go in so many different directions. If you struggle to make a choice, we do have a perfect four pack of rubs for chicken, and it's a really great place to start for beginners or those new to smoking in general.
• Season generously - A whole chicken can take a good bit of seasoning without becoming too salty. In most cases, you'll also be able to pull up the skin, separating it from the meat allowing you to add butter and seasonings underneath the skin as well as on top. This is a great way to get flavor all the way through the bird. Once your bird is seasoned to your liking, you're ready for the grill.

The smoke

Now it's time to get the chicken cooked and ready to eat. Smoking with wood chunks, chips, or pellets is key to getting that great smoky flavor. The wood choices we like best for chicken are cherry, pecan, hickory, and oak. Not everyone has the same grill or smoker, so let's look at the most common ones and how to smoke a chicken on each one.

Smoking a whole chicken on a pellet grill

This one is super easy and as close to a "set it and forget it" job as you're going to get. Preheat your pellet grill to 325°F, place the chicken breast side up, and let it smoke for 45 minutes to an hour. Once the bird has reached 165°F in the breast and 175-195°F in the thigh, remove the chicken and let it rest for 10-20 minutes before slicing and serving.

Smoking a whole chicken on a charcoal grill

This one requires a little more effort to get the heat source setup properly. Whether you are using lump charcoal or charcoal briquettes, you'll want to set up for indirect heat. To avoid burning or excessive charring, bank your coals to one side and place the chicken over the other. Adjust the airflow until the cook temperature is between 300°F and 350°F. Keep and eye on the temp and add coals as your temp drops below that range. Dry wood chunks or soaked chips are best for your smoke. The same times and temperatures as above apply here.

Smoking a whole chicken on a gas grill

Most gas grills have 2-4 controllable burners; for this, you'll want to setup for indirect cooking by turning on the burners on one side of the grill only, while cooking the chicken on the other side. Adjust your flame to keep a temp between 300°F-350°F and cook to the same 165°F in the breast and 175-195°F in the thigh. The trick here is adding smoke. The easiest way is to place some soaked wood chips in a pouch made from aluminum foil and poke a few small holes in the pouch. Place that pouch on the hot side of your grill, and you're good to go. Replace or refill the pouch if your smoke runs out before the bird is done.

Summary

Smoking a chicken can seem like a daunting task, but it is really simple and straightforward following this guide. We hope you try this out and create wonderful meals for you and your family and friends. Just remember to choose the right bird, season it, and smoke it at the proper temperatures, and you'll be eating some of the most flavorful chicken you've ever had!