Smoking Chicken

Lesson

Smoking chicken adds wonderful flavor and a moistness and tenderness hard to duplicate in plain old grilled chicken. You can use a barbecue smoker or convert your kettle or gas grill to a smoker for this method. (More on how to do that later.)

The ideal temperature we’ve found for smoking is around 225°F to about 240°F. Above that the chicken tends to cook too quickly and can be dry. Most newer grills have a temperature gauge built in so you can tell what temperature it is. If your grill doesn’t have one built-in, use an oven thermometer.

Preparing the chicken for smoking

To prepare your chicken or parts for smoking, first brine or marinate them. Then remove from the liquid, and rinse and pat dry (only if you brined them). If you marinated the chicken, pour the marinade in a saucepan and boil for 10 minutes so you can use it to baste, or spray, the chicken in the smoker.

Next, spray the chicken with grillin’ or cooking spray, or lightly brush all over with olive oil. Using a favorite rub, work the spices into the skin, inside cavity, and even under the skin where you can, with your fingers. (See our lesson on Rub.)

Cooking with a smoker

Cook the chicken according to the directions on the smoker, over a fragrant fruit or hardwood (cherry, apple, peach, oak, hickory, or alder) until a thermometer inserted into the breast registers 155°F, and the juices from where you pierced the skin run clear. Remove the chicken, cover it with foil, and let it rest for 10 minutes, so it reaches 165°F, our optimum safe temperature.

Converting a grill into a smoker

If you have a gas or kettle grill that doesn’t have a smoke box, you can temporarily convert it into a smoker.
Soak your favorite wood chips in water for up to two hours.
Prepare a smoke packet by placing one large handful of soaked wood chips in the center of a large square of foil (about 12 by 12 inches).
Fold the sides over the chips to form a sealed packet.
Poke 3 to 4 holes in the top of the foil with a pencil. Do not pierce through the bottom of the foil.
Place the packet directly on the coals or a gas flame during cooking. The chips will begin to smoke almost immediately.

Follow the same directions for cooking with a smoker.

Smoked chicken can be pink: How to know when it’s done

When you cut into smoked chicken the meat will be quite pink. If the temperature is 155°F to 165°F, the chicken is done. The nitrites in the smoke cause the flesh to turn that color. This type of pink is okay. Remember, “outside in” pink is great. But if it’s pink from “inside out,” meaning from the bone outward, the chicken isn’t cooked properly. Following these directions and the temperature guideline should produce perfect results.

Got your tastebuds twittering? Check out our chicken recipes!