Smoked Whole Chicken

Smoked Whole Chicken is a game-changer for any BBQ enthusiast. Even as a beginner, smoking a whole chicken on a pellet grill gives you a tender and juicy chicken with delicious smoky flavor. This Smoked Whole Chicken recipe has the perfect dry seasoning rub and works on an electric smoker, charcoal smoker or gas smoker.

Course dinner, lunch

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 3

Total Time 3 5

Servings servings

Calories 514kcal

Author Aubrey

Cost $7

Equipment

1 smoker Traeger, Pit Boss, Weber,Masterbuilt, Camp Chef, Yoder, Green Mountain Grills, Big Green Egg, KamadoJoe, Dyna-Glo, Char-Broil, Bradley, Louisiana Grills, Char-Griller, OklahomaJoe's, Recteq and Primo.
1 Meat Thermometer

Ingredients

Smoked Whole Chicken

1 whole chicken
4 tablespoons olive oil

Optional Dry Brine

2 tablespoons kosher salt

Smoked Whole Chicken Rub (Seasoning)

2 tablespoon smoked paprika (or sweet paprika)
2 tablespoon onion powder
2 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions

Prepare Whole Chicken

If the chicken is frozen, defrost it in the refrigerator for at least 24hours.
Remove the giblets (if any) from the chicken cavity. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
Use butcher twine to tie the chicken legs together.

Optional Dry Brine

Optional dry brine for crispier skin (you can skip this step if desired).
Sprinkle kosher salt over chicken and rub into the skin. Allow to dry uncovered in fridge for a minimum of 2 hours (or overnight).

Whole Chicken Dry Rub

In a small bowl, mix together whole chicken seasoning dry rub (smoked or sweet paprika, onion powder, brown sugar, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, cumin, black pepper, kosher salt and cayenne pepper).

Season and Smoke Whole Chicken

Preheat your smoker to 225°F.
Drizzle chicken with olive oil and rub evenly. Sprinkle dry rub seasoning mixture evenly over entire chicken.
Place the chicken breast-side up in the smoker or pellet grill, tucking wing tips.
Maintaining a smoker temperature of 225°F, smoke the whole chicken for approximately 2.5-4 hours or until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the chicken breast meat reaches 165°F. The thickest part of the thigh (dark meat) should be 175°F (be sure thermometer is not touching the bone for the most accurate reading).
If you wish to baste with barbeque sauce or want extra crispy skin, you can increase your smoker temperature to approximately 375°F for the last 20-30 minutes of the smoking process. Watch carefully so it does not burn.
Let the chicken rest for 15-20 minutes before carving and serving.

Notes

This recipe works for all brands and types of smokers including Traeger, Pit Boss, Weber, Masterbuilt, Camp Chef, Yoder, Green Mountain Grills, Big Green Egg, Kamado Joe, Dyna-Glo, Char-Broil, Bradley, Louisiana Grills, Char-Griller, Oklahoma Joe's, Recteq and Primo.

Whole Chicken Cooking Temperature: FDA recommendation for cooking chicken is an internal temperature of 165° F (63° C). I recommend using a thermometer that measures the internal temperature of the meat as well as the internal temperature of the smoker

Nutrition