Recipes

Recipes · Chicken

Chicken, Whole, Brined and Smoked

Chicken · Smoked Foods

Chicken, Whole, Brined and Smoked
Prep 1 hour
Cook 17 hours
Serves Yield: 2

Ingredients

Smoked Chicken Brine Recipe Ingredients

  • 1 whole chicken
  • 1 gallon of water (or enough to completely submerge your chicken)
  • 3/4 cup salt
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon of pepper
  • 1 tablespoon of cayenne

Smoked Chicken Rub Recipe Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons onion powder
  • 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder or 2 crushed garlic cloves
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme

Directions

  1. This recipe takes longer than other smoked chicken recipes because you will need to brine the chicken for about 12 hours before you want to start cooking.
  2. To start the brining process, boil the water in a large pot that can hold the water and chicken. Add your sugar and salt so these ingredients can be dissolved and then let the water cool down or add ice so you do not cook the chicken in the brine mixture. Then add the rest of your brine ingredients and the whole chicken to the pot and set it in your refrigerator for 10 hours.
  3. Remove chicken from brine, rinse and dry thoroughly with paper towels.
  4. Mix all of the smoked chicken rub recipe ingredients together. Then fully coat the chicken inside and outside with the rub seasoning. You can separate the skin and the breast of the chicken by pushing your fingers in between them. Then, you can stuff the seasoning down right on top of the chicken breast meat to add another layer of flavor to your brine smoked chicken.
  5. Put the chicken in the smoker over hickory and mesquite. You can place foil drip pans beneath the chicken during the smoking process to catch the drippings if you want to make gravy.
  6. Smoke at 250 degrees F for about 2 hours or until the internal temp is 165 degrees F.