A Beginner’s Guide to Smoking Essentials: Your First Chicken

A smoked chicken such as this one, which has been Spatchcocked and seasoned, can be a delicious first cook for you and whoever you wish to share it with.

Everyone wants to smoke the brisket; however, it’s an undertaking likely not suited for your first smoke. So where do you begin? I think smoking your first chicken is a brilliant first cook. It's forgiving, flavorful, and a fantastic way to apply the skills you've been building. In this guide, we'll walk you through the process step-by-step, ensuring your first smoked chicken is a delicious success.

Why Start with Chicken?

So we’ve touched on this above, but Chicken is an ideal starting point for beginners. The primary reasons being:

• Quick Cook Time: Compared to larger cuts, chicken smokes relatively quickly.

• Forgiving Nature: It's more tolerant of temperature fluctuations.

• Flavorful Results: Absorbs smoke well, offering a rich taste.

Choosing Your Chicken

When it comes to selecting your bird, I recommend opting for a whole chicken weighing between 4 to 5 pounds. Ensure it's fresh and, if possible, air-chilled. Avoid pre-brined or enhanced chickens, as they can affect the flavor and texture. A good choice if they are near you and you have a membership is Costco. They sell young chickens in a two-pack, and if you are going to cook one, why not two?

Preparation Steps

Brining (Optional but Recommended): You can opt for a wet or dry brine, depending on your preference. I tend to do a wet brine most times, but have done both. Remember - once you are done with your brining, wash the chicken off to remove any remaining salt or you will be in for a salty-tasting bird!

• Wet Brine: Soak the chicken in a solution of water, salt, and sugar for 4-6 hours. I like to use our BBQ sauce along with 1 Cup of Kosher salt per gallon of water. Pro Tip: Put a heavy plot on top of your chicken to ensure it stays submerged under water.

• Dry Brine: Rub salt over the chicken and let it rest in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours.

• Brining enhances moisture retention and flavor.

Spatchcocking: If you want to speed up your cook without diminishing your results, consider giving the Spatchcock method a try. It’s fairly easy. You’ll just want a good set of kitchen shears to make light work of it. Using this method not only helps with time, but it creates a more uniform cook, promoting even cooks with crispier skin.

• Remove the backbone using kitchen shears.

• Flatten the chicken by pressing down on the breastbone.

Seasoning: This is a must. Some folks apply either oil or mustard, known as a binder, to help keep the seasonings you sprinkle onto the bird from falling off. You make that decision based on your desires. There are MASSIVE debates as to the value of adding a binder. At the end of the day - you do you. It’s your meal and your wallet.

• Pat the chicken dry.

• OPTIONAL: Apply a light coat of oil or mustard to help the seasoning adhere. This is called applying a binder.

• Use your favorite BBQ rub, ensuring even coverage. Pro Tip: Consider starting with pepper as your base, and then adding the salt, if you are not using a pre-made rube. If you do choose to use a pre-made rub or spice mix, be careful adding any additional salt as it may make your bird overwhelmingly salty.

Consider seasoning each chicken differently, maybe only using a binder on one and not the other, etc., so you can get different levels of feedback from each chicken over a single cook! You can peel up the skin and get that seasoning directly on the bird as well.

Smoking Process

Preheat Your Smoker: You can do this before you season. That will allow the smoker to cook off any dark smoke that may affect the taste of your chicken. You’ll want to get that temp sitting between 225°F and 250°F. See our article on Wood Selection if you want to consider what may be best for you.

Place the Chicken: Position the chicken skin-side up on the smoker grate. If you have a leave-in probe, go ahead and insert that into the thickest part of the breast.

Monitor and Maintain: Your goal is to keep that temperature as steady as possible. slight fluctuations are fine, but look to avoid large swings. Sometimes this is easier said than done, so spend some time mastering your flame just as much as you spend mastering your recipes. Maybe more! Try to open the lid as infrequently as possible to maintain consistent heat.

Cooking Time: This is a trick section - cooking time is whatever amount of time it takes to get that bird to the right temperature. You want to smoke that chicken until the internal temperature reaches 165°F in the breast and 175°F in the thighs. The size of the bird and Spatchcock decision will weigh heavily on the time, as will things like weather. While no one can give a specific time, budget 3-5 hours for the cook, and you should be fine. Pro Tip: While you do not need to do this, you can consider spraying the chicken with a mist of chicken broth during the cook.

Resting: Once that bird reaches proper temp, go ahead and remove the chicken from the smoker and let it rest for 10-15 minutes to allow those juices to redistribute. This will optimize flavor.

Serving Suggestions

• Carving: Use a sharp knife to separate the legs, thighs, wings, and breasts. Alternatively, consider pulling the chicken entirely and having a pulled chicken sandwich! Top with some coleslaw and some of your favorite BBQ Sauce, and you’ll be in for a treat!

• Pairings: Serve with classic sides like coleslaw, baked beans, mac & cheese, and/or cornbread.

• Sauces: Offer a variety of BBQ sauces to cater to different tastes. It lets you and your guests enjoy each bite in a new light. But don’t forget to try it without sauce first!

Tips for Success

• Thermometer Use: Always rely on a meat thermometer rather than time to determine doneness. We’ve went into some great detail on this in a previous article, A Beginner’s Guide to Smoking Essentials: Know Your Temps.

• Crispier Skin: For crispier skin, increase the smoker temperature to 300°F during the last 30 minutes of cooking.

• Experiment: Don't hesitate to try different rubs, brines, and woods to find your preferred flavor profile.

Smoking your first chicken is more than just a cooking endeavor; it's a journey into the art of BBQ. With patience and practice, you'll not only master the process but also develop your unique smoking style. While this wraps up our Beginner’s Guide to Smoking Essentials series, we can’t wait to keep the conversation going.

Keep experimenting. Keep the fire steady, and happy smoking!