Smoked Whole Chicken
- Preparation Time: 15 min
- Cooking Time: 1 h 30 min
- Total Time: 1 h 45 min
- 1 chicken
It was a beautiful summer evening and I had invited a few friends over for a backyard barbecue. As I prepared the grill, I couldn’t help but think about what kind of main dish I wanted to serve. That’s when I remembered that I had a whole chicken in the fridge, just begging to be smoked.
I decided to give this recipe a try, and I have to say, it was a total success. The process of smoking a whole chicken using this technique was so easy, and the end result was a juicy, flavorful bird that was the star of the show.
To begin, I set my pellet grill to 250°F and added a blend of hickory and cherry wood pellets for extra flavor. Then, I trussed the chicken legs with butcher twine and tucked the wing tips under the drumettes. Next, I mixed together a simple poultry seasoning using ingredients like kosher salt, ground black pepper, granulated garlic, hot paprika, and a few other herbs and spices. I seasoned the chicken all over with this seasoning, then placed it on the grill and inserted a meat probe into the deepest section of the breast.
As the chicken cooked, I increased the grill temperature to 325°F and brushed the bird with melted butter every 10 to 15 minutes. This helped to keep the skin moist and crispy, and added even more flavor to the meat. Once the chicken reached its target internal temperature, I removed it from the grill and let it rest at room temperature for a few minutes before carving it into servings.
In the end, my friends and I devoured every last bite of that delicious smoked chicken, and I knew I had found a new go-to smoked whole chicken recipe.
Ingredients
Chicken
- Whole chicken, 3 to 5 lbs
- ½ cup - (1 stick) unsalted butter
Poultry Seasoning
- 3 tbsp - Kosher or coarse sea salt
- 2 tbsp - Ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp - Granulated garlic
- 2 tsp - Hot paprika
- ¼ tsp - Ground sage
- ¼ tsp - Ground rosemary
- ¼ tsp - Ground thyme
- ¼ tsp - Ground marjoram
Preparation
- Set your Memphis Grill to 250°F in indirect flame with the indirect insert. We recommend using a blend of hickory and cherry wood pellets.
- Truss chicken legs with butcher twine and tuck the wing tips under the drumettes.
- Mix all Poultry Seasoning ingredients in a bowl. Season chicken on all sides with the poultry seasoning.
- Place chicken on the grill and insert a meat probe in the deepest section of the breast. Set probe alarm to 165°F.
- About two-thirds through cooking, increase grill temperature to 325°F. Melt ½ cup butter in a skillet and brush the chicken with melted butter every 10 to 15 minutes.
- Once chicken has reached its target internal temperature, remove from the grill and let rest at room temperature for 10 minutes before carving into desired servings.