The next time you want a flavorful roast dinner that’s much better than the baked grocery store offerings, try this recipe for whole smoked chicken. This smoked chicken recipe comes with a two-step wet brine and dry rub flavor combo that guarantees a well-seasoned bird with tender and ultra-moist pieces of meat.
Why smoke a whole chicken?
Smoking a whole chicken adds another layer of flavor to roasted poultry and takes about the same amount of time to bake. While we like smoking other parts of chicken on the grill, like smoked chicken wings, smoked drumsticks, and smoked chicken thighs, we also enjoy smoking a whole chicken because it can feed more people and costs much less per pound than individual chicken parts. Smoking a whole chicken can also be great to use for meal prep for the week.
Type of chicken we use
For all chicken recipes, we prefer pasture-raised, organic chicken from stores like Sprouts, Mother’s Market, or online meat delivery farms. We choose this type of chicken for health and sustainability reasons but feel free to use chicken that is available to you.
Note that pasture-raised chicken can sometimes differ in size and meat texture. For example, the chicken we’ve used for this recipe ranges from 3-5 lbs and is leaner than traditional, commercial chicken, like Foster’s Farms.
Wet brine ingredients
To get a tender and moist chicken in the smoker, we recommend wet brining the chicken for at least 12 hours and no more than 16 hours in the fridge. For this recipe, we used a version of our original chicken brine that we adapted slightly. We prefer wet brining because we can get a bunch of different flavor profiles into the salty brine, like:
- Soy sauce and kosher salt help season the chicken and tenderize the meat, giving it a soft and moist texture. The wet brine prevents the chicken from drying out during smoking.
- Dark brown sugar gives the brine a nice caramelized sweetness. You can also use honey if you prefer.
- Fresh lemon wedges add acidity and help tenderize the chicken, too. You can also use other forms of citrus, like limes or oranges.
- Aromatics like green onions and garlic offer a good savory flavor to the brine.
- Combining fresh and dried herbs and spices like rosemary, oregano, thyme, bay leaf, and whole black pepper adds complexity and earthiness to the brine. Feel free to use your favorite fresh and dried herbs at home like sage, marjoram, or basil.
Dry rub ingredients
After brining, we like to add a dry rub for even more flavor. Here are our dry rub ingredients:
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper are good bases for adding more salinity to the chicken.
- Dried aromatics and spices like garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, ground mustard seeds, and ginger powder give a layered and complex savory flavor.
- Dark or light brown sugar adds caramelized sweetness to the rub. I wouldn’t recommend using white cane sugar because it can burn more quickly.
- Dried herbs, such as Italian seasoning, give a fresh, earthy flavor, but you can use any dried herbs you prefer, such as basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary.
- Optional spices like chipotle powder or chili pepper flakes are good to add if you like a bit of heat with your chicken.
This recipe makes a ½ cup of dry rub that’s more than enough for one 5 lb chicken, but you can make a bigger batch for any smoked poultry recipe. You can keep it in an airtight container on a dark shelf for several months.
Type of smoker and wood pellets for chicken
For reference, we use a Recteq Deck Boss 590 pellet smoker for whole smoked chicken. This smoker easily fits one 5 lb spatchcocked chicken on the grill and monitors the internal temperature of the meat with thermometer probes.
When smoking poultry, use wood pellets designated for chicken, turkey, duck, or other types of poultry. For example, fruitwood like pecan or lighter woods like maple gives a nice smoky flavor without overpowering the meat. Avoid varieties with a stronger aroma of smoke, like hickory or mesquite. Read more about the best wood varieties to use for smoking meat.
Smoke temperature & cooking time
The number one tip when roasting or grilling any whole chicken–spatchcock the chicken. No, it doesn’t look as pretty, but it significantly reduces the cooking time and allows all pieces of the chicken to cook at an even pace. A 3-5 lb whole chicken takes about 1-1 ½ hours to smoke. Note that if you choose not to spatchcock a chicken, it may take longer.
Smoke the spatchcocked chicken at 275°F for about 25 minutes or when the internal temperature of the drumstick reaches 100°F. Turn the entire bird 180° in the smoker to ensure it cooks evenly. At this point, I also like to brush neutral oil all over the chicken to begin crisping the skin.
After one hour of smoking (or when the drumstick reaches 195°F or the breast reaches 145°F), raise the heat to 350°F. Finally, smoke the chicken for another 10 minutes on high heat to create a nice golden crust on the outside–and stop cooking when the breast reaches 155°F or drumsticks reach 205°F.
What to serve with smoked chicken
Whole smoked chicken is best served with:
- Carbs like seasoned, buttery rice or crispy smashed potatoes
- Healthy sides like veggie kabobs, Asian salad dressing with fresh greens, and cold broccolini salad
- Sweet and briny pickles to balance out the smoky meat, like Vietnamese pickled carrots & daikon radish recipe (đồ chua) or sunomono salad recipe (Japanese cucumber salad)
See my other smoker recipes
- smoked salmon
- smoked chicken thighs
- best wood for smoking
- smoked turkey breast
- smoked beef ribs
- smoked turkey legs
- smoked whole chicken
Smoked Whole Chicken
Ingredients
Wet brine
- 3-5 lb whole chicken
- 2 c water
- 8 c water
- ½ c kosher salt Diamond Crystal brand preferred
- 4 tbsp dark brown sugar
- 2 tbsp regular soy sauce
- 1 medium lemon sliced into wedges
- 6 green onions cut roots off and cut into thirds
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 3 sprigs fresh oregano
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp whole black pepper
- 10 cloves garlic smashed
Dry rub (makes ½ cup)
- 1 tbsp kosher salt Diamond Crystal brand preferred
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp dark brown sugar
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp ground mustard seeds
- ½ tsp ginger powder
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
Other
Equipment Used
- measuring cups and spoons
- knife and cutting board
- Small saucepot
- Spoon
- Brining container that fits chicken with a lid (or plastic wrap)
- Sheet pans and cooling racks
- paper towels
- small mixing bowl
- Poultry scissors or sharp kitchen scissors
- Probe thermometers
- oven mitts
- tongs
- brush
- Smoker grill
- Wood pellets, we used pecan wood pellets
Instructions
Wet brine chicken
- Make wet brine by adding in a pot: 2 c water, ½ c kosher salt, 4 tbsp dark brown sugar, 2 tbsp regular soy sauce, 1 medium lemon, 6 green onions, 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, 3 sprigs fresh oregano, 3 sprigs fresh thyme, 1 bay leaf, 1 tbsp whole black pepper, and 10 cloves garlic. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat.
- Add brine into a heat-safe bowl with the 8 c water and stir. Let cool on the counter.
- Once cool, add the 3-5 lb whole chicken, making sure it’s fully submerged. Brine in the fridge, covered, for at least 12 hours and no more than 16 hours.
- Remove from fridge and rest on a rack-lined sheet pan. Bring to room temperature for about 1 hour.
Spatchcock and dry rub chicken
- Place the breast face-side down, so the backbone is facing up.
- Remove the backbone: You will need very sharp and strong scissors because you will be cutting off bone. Start from the tail and cut along the edge of the backbone until you reach the neck. Then, repeat on the other side of the backbone until you completely remove the backbone.
- Flatten the chicken: Now that you have an opening, gently open the chicken like a book. Flip the chicken over so that the breast plate is now facing upwards. Place two palms on the breast plate and push down until you hear a crack.
- Combine all dry rub ingredients: 1 tbsp kosher salt, 1 tbsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp onion powder, 1 tbsp dark brown sugar, 1 tbsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, 1 tsp ground mustard seeds, ½ tsp ginger powder, and ½ tsp ground black pepper.
- Coat the chicken thoroughly and in between the skin and meat.
Smoking chicken
- Preheat the smoker to 275 °F using wood pellets for poultry, like pecan wood.
- Place the entire rack with the spatchcock chicken on the grill. I recommend using probe thermometers to keep track of the internal temperatures for both the breast and drumstick during smoking.
- After smoking the chicken for 25 minutes, or when the breast reaches 100°F, brush neutral oil onto the chicken. Turn the entire rack 180° to help the chicken cook evenly.
- Continue to grill for about one hour or until the internal temperature of the breast reaches 145°F (whichever is first).
- Raise the heat to 350°F. Smoke for another 10 minutes until the chicken is golden brown and the breast reaches 155°F internally.
- Remove the chicken rack from the smoker and let it rest on the counter for at least 15 minutes, then serve.
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