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    You are here: Home » Food » Poultry

    Smoked Whole Chicken Recipe

    February 5, 2021 By Mary 19 Comments

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    Jump to Recipe

    Smoked Whole Chicken is absolutely delicious and easy to make. To make the best whole smoked chicken, we will explain how to do it on a pellet grill or charcoal smoker. Follow our instructions for a perfect result of crispy chicken skin and juicy tender meat.

    Want a great variation of this? Try our guide on how to spatchcock chicken. This involves removing the backbone and flattening the chicken. It speeds up the cooking process.

    smoked whole chicken on a cutting board
    Make a few chickens on the weekend and use the meat for easy weekday meals.

    Recipe Highlights

    • Just smoking a whole chicken at low temperature results in rubbery skin and takes hours.
    • This recipe shows how to smoke and then finish over a high temperature for juicy chicken with crispy skin in half the time while maintaining great smoke flavor.
    • If you own a pellet grill then you can also check out our Pellet Grill Roast Chicken.
    Jump to:
    • Recipe Highlights
    • Smoked Whole Chicken
    • Ingredients
    • What Size Chicken is Best?
    • Preparation for Smoked Whole Chicken
    • How to Smoke a Whole Chicken
    • Important Tools
    • Ranges for Smoking Time Based on Chicken Weight at 250
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Wine Pairing with Smoked Chicken
    • Use any Leftover Chicken for these Recipes 
    • Smoked Whole Chicken Recipe

    Smoked Whole Chicken is one of the most common things we cook on our smokers. We typically smoke two on any given Sunday, then use the meat throughout the week for our meals, like chicken tacos or smoked chicken tortilla soup.

    Smoked Whole Chicken

    One of the common downfalls with smoking a whole chicken at a low temperature is that it can result in the outside of the chicken to get rubbery skin. It is difficult at lower temperature to actually render the fat and get that crispy texture on the skin. So a great way to smoke chicken is a modified version of reverse searing.

    1. Smoke the chicken at low temperature to get a smoky flavor.
    2. Increase the heat to let it finish and crisp up the skin.

    We have used this method on our pellet grill as well as our Big Green Egg with the same results. The method works for all types of grills. It ensures a juicy and smoky inside and a crispy outside each time.

    Ingredients

    • Whole Chicken – We buy roaster chickens that generally fall in the 5 to 6 pound range.
    • Seasoning – We use our grilled chicken seasoning with a combination of kosher salt, black pepper, granulated garlic (versus garlic powder) and herbs. It is also sugar free. But if you want a more traditional BBQ seasoning with brown sugar you can also use our ultimate dry rub. Or you can use your favorite spice rub.
    • Aromatics – We like to stuff the cavity for aromatics as the chicken smokes. We use lemon, onion, and garlic.

    What Size Chicken is Best?

    Roaster chickens, or chickens around 5 pounds, are the best option. Some of the whole birds may still have the giblets. Simply discard the giblets for this recipe. The larger the size of your chicken the longer the cooking time.

    If we’re grilling chicken (hot and fast), we typically break the chicken up into smaller pieces, like in our perfect grilled chicken, because each piece cooks at a different length of time (with the breasts taking the longest).

    BUT for low and slow whole chicken we love cooking a whole chicken (without butchering it down), because it comes to temperature much slower and more consistently.

    Preparation for Smoked Whole Chicken

    After purchasing the chicken, the goal is to dry out the chicken (if possible) and add the rub for a few hours before smoking.

    1. Remove any giblets from the chicken and discard (or use for stock or gravy).
    2. Pat dry the bird with paper towels. Coat with olive oil and season with poultry seasoning, both inside the cavity and on the outside, and place in the refrigerator. Try to do this at least four hours prior to smoking. 
    3. The salt in the rub will dry brine the chicken, essentially using osmosis that will add flavor to the skin and help with minimizing rubber skin texture. This will help dehydrate the bird as well, helping with the skin texture get crispy.

    ​Safety Note: Avoid rinsing the chicken with cold water. That just causes cross contamination. Instead be sure the whole bird is dry inside and outside with paper towels. Then add the oil and season.

    How to Smoke a Whole Chicken

    1. Pre-heat grill to 250 degrees. The best wood to use is apple or fruit wood. The lower temperature will allow smoky flavor to get into the chicken. 
    2. Stuff the cavity of the bird: Stuff the cavity to add additional flavor and aromatics. We like to stuff it with lemon, onion, and garlic. You can also add some herbs like thyme or rosemary.
    3. Use butcher twine to tie up the chicken legs. This will bring them close to the body. Doing this will help them avoid drying out or becoming overcooked. You can tie the wings too, or just fold them under the chicken.
    4. Smoke Chicken: Place the whole roaster chicken on the grill grates, breast up. Smoke for one hour at 225 – 250 degrees F.
    5. Increase Temperature of Grill: Then, after one hour, increase temperature of the smoker to 350 – 375 degrees, and leave the chicken in the smoker until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the breast reads 160 degrees (this is going to allow the skin to get crispy). This will take roughly 90 additional minutes, but start checking the temperature at the one hour mark. The high heat will render the fat and get the crispy skin.
    6. Remove, and let the chicken rest for 15 minutes, then slice and serve. 
    smoked whole chicken cooking on a smoker
    Tying up the chicken will help keep the meat cooking evenly in the drums and wings.

    Important Tools

    ​The proper internal temperature of chicken dictates when the whole chicken is done. Having a good digital meat thermometer is important as well as a good leave-in thermometer.

    • Leave-In Thermometer – If you cook low and slow you need a good thermometer you can leave in the meat and read the temperature of the smoker. We recommend the Smoke Unit from Thermoworks.
    • Instant Read Thermometer – We recommend the Thermoworks Thermapen One. You’ll use this to check the internal temperature of the chicken thighs and breast to determine when it’s done.
    Using a leave in digital Thermoworks Dot Unit to watch the temperature while cooking chicken.
    Smoking our chicken on our MAK Two-Star General Pellet Grill

    Ranges for Smoking Time Based on Chicken Weight at 250

    This range is intended to include the high heat grilling. So, 60 minutes at 250 degrees F, then the remaining time at 350-375 degrees F.

    • Under 4 pound roaster chicken – 1 hour 45 minutes
    • 4 – 5 pound roaster chicken – 2 hours 15 minutes
    • Over 5 pound roaster chicken – 2 hours 30 minutes

    Make sure to save that chicken carcass for stock. You can find our favorite way to do chicken stock in our cookbook, Fire + Wine.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What Wood is Best for Chicken

    For chicken we use fruit woods, like apple or cherry, because it burns sweet and adds a nice smoke element without it tasting too much like campfire. Another alternative wood is hickory.

    How long will it take to smoked chicken at 225?

    It will take 4 – 5 hours if smoking a whole chicken at 225 degrees F. We find that it will also results in rubbery skin. We recommend smoking for an hour at 250 degrees and then finishing at higher heat.

    How Long to Smoke a Whole Chicken?

    Plan approximately 2 ½ hours from start to finish to smoke a whole chicken using this recipe. But always go by temperature, not exact time.

    This particular example was a 5 pound bird, and it was on 250 for 1 hour, then about 90 mins at 350 degrees. Your chicken will vary based on various factors (exact size of your bird, exact temperature of smoker, fluctuations, etc.).

    Wine Pairing with Smoked Chicken

    A perfect smoked chicken dinner is pairing this with roasted duck fat potatoes.

    I typically reach for a Chardonnay or full bodied white wine with chicken, even a smoked whole chicken recipe (pending they do not have any BBQ sauce on them). But because of the dry rub we use in this case, which has some bold and smoky flavors, we opt for red. In this case Pinot Noir.

    But you’re going to want a bolder style Pinot Noir for this (nothing too delicate). Côtes du Rhône blends work well too. You want something fruity, but not too intense or tannic (think Cab). Remember, there’s no sauce on this, just the tender meat and dry rub on the crispy skin. Zinfandel works nicely too, as long as it’s not too intense of a Zin.

    Use any Leftover Chicken for these Recipes 

    • Smoked Buffalo Chicken Jalapeno Poppers
    • Smoked Buffalo Chicken Dip
    • Smoked Chicken Verde Soup
    • Chipotle Honey Grilled Chicken Tacos
    • Smoked Chicken Chili
    • Chicken Tortilla Soup

    Mary (a certified sommelier and recipe developer) and Sean (backyard pitmaster) are co-authors of the critically acclaimed cookbook, Fire + Wine, and have been creating content for the IACP nominated website Vindulge since 2009. They live in Oregon on a farm just outside Portland.

    Fire and Wine Cookbook

    Tried this recipe? Give us a star rating and we would love to see! Mention @vindulge or use the hashtag #vindulge on all the social media handles. And consider subscribing to our newsletter where we drop all our favorite ideas and inspirations every week.

    This recipe was first published in July 2018 and updated in February of 2021 with more details on the recipe and a video.

    This post may contain affiliate links. This means if you click on the link, we may receive a small commission if you purchase through the link. We partner with brands we know and love and use and it helps keep the blog going!

    Whole Smoked Chicken on a sheet pan

    Smoked Whole Chicken Recipe

    Step by step guide for smoked whole chicken- including times, temps, dry rub recipes and pro tips.  
    3.96 from 46 votes
    Print Pin Rate Save Saved!
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes
    Resting Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 2 hours hours 55 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 25kcal
    Author: Mary Cressler | Vindulge
    Cost: $15.00

    Equipment

    • Instant Read Thermometer
    • Leave-In Thermometer

    Ingredients

    • 5 pound whole roaster chicken
    • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    • ¼ cup poultry rub (the exact amount will vary based on size of your bird)
    • 4 cloves garlic, lightly smashed
    • ½ red onion, cut into 4 peices
    • ½ lemon, sliced in half to fit inside the chicken cavity
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Prepare Chicken: Pat dry the bird with a paper towel. Place it on a baking sheet, coat with olive oil and then season with poultry seasoning both inside the cavity and on the outside, and then place in the refrigerator. Try to do this at least four hours prior to smoking. The salt in the rub will go through a dry brining process, essentially using osmosis that will add flavor to the skin and help with minimizing rubber skin texture.
    • Preheat Smoker to 250 degrees Fahrenheit (we use apple wood or other fruit wood). Remove the chicken from the refrigerator, and then stuff the cavity of the bird with garlic cloves, onion, and lemon pieces.
    • Tie up the wings and legs using kitchen twine to get them closer the body of the chicken so they don’t dry out.
    • Smoke Chicken: Place the whole roaster chicken on the smoker, breast up. Smoke for one hour at 225 – 250 degrees.
    • Increase Temperature of the Grill: After one hour, increase temperature of the smoker to 350 – 375 degrees F, and continue cooking until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the bird reads between 160 – 165 degrees. This will take at least another hour depending on the size of your bird. Most likely 90 minutes 
    • Remove, and let sit for about 15 minutes, then slice and serve. 

    Video

    Notes

    *This can be adapted to whatever smoker you have. But it’s quite easy for a pellet smoker as you can control the temperatures quite easily on them.
    Use the carcass to make smoked chicken stock, recipe available in our cookbook.
    Also consider making this on Sunday and then having chicken for the week for sandwiches and salads. We often cook two; one for our meal that night and the other to incorporate into tacos, enchiladas, and other great dishes.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 25kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 62mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 115IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe? We would love to see!Mention @vindulge or use the hashtag #vindulge

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jean says

      August 04, 2022 at 6:30 pm

      I plan on cooking two whole chickens — do I need to cook them separately or can they be cooked at the same time?

      Reply
      • Sean Martin says

        August 05, 2022 at 12:58 am

        You can definitely cook them at the same time. If your smoker is smaller add some extra time to the cook but if you have a decent amount of space in between the chickens it should be around the same time.

        Reply
    2. Kathy says

      May 02, 2022 at 7:18 pm

      Hi! Has anyone wet brined their chicken over night before smoking? Is it worth the effort?

      Reply
      • Sean Martin says

        May 02, 2022 at 8:39 pm

        Kathy it does add moisture and some salt flavor to the bird. It’s definitely worth it.

        Reply
        • Kathy says

          May 03, 2022 at 4:22 pm

          Thank you! It’s in the brine as I type

          Reply
    3. Kendall says

      December 21, 2021 at 12:02 pm

      5 stars
      I made this for the first time 3 weeks ago and it was a hit. I’m making 2 today and I use the Meat Church Holy Gospel rub on my chickens a day in advance to really let the flavors meld into the skin and meat. I have a few soup recipes for these chickens this and next week. I made homemade stock with the carcass of the chicken from 3w ago and the chicken noodle soup really had a delicious Smokey flavor that was easily detected and was better than a typical restaurant soup. Thanks for a recipe outside the “beer can” chicken recipe.

      Reply
      • Sean Martin says

        December 22, 2021 at 2:20 pm

        Awesome Nathan! Thanks for sharing and oh that soup sounds amazing!

        Reply
    4. Beck & Bulow says

      November 07, 2021 at 2:12 am

      5 stars
      Excellent! I’m not a fan of chicken breasts because they are too fat.,this recipe was very little work and tastes awesome. My dad loves it and he is very critical. Will be making this from now on. Thank you for sharing. We are also offering online meat delivery Services. please visit: https://www.beckandbulow.com

      Reply
    5. Martha Woods says

      December 12, 2020 at 10:49 pm

      5 stars
      I used a pellet grill and the chicken was excellent.

      Reply
      • Sean Martin says

        December 13, 2020 at 11:12 am

        Thank you Martha!

        Reply
    6. Bruce Bjorkman says

      July 12, 2018 at 3:03 pm

      Pellet grills are fabulous for cooking/smoking chicken. My wife and I will typically, oil and then season a whole chicken. We then place it on a vertical roaster and then smoke it for 3 hours. At the end of the smoke session , we raise the grill temp to 425F to crisp up the skln. This usually takes 20 minutes.

      Reply
    7. Hillary Harper says

      July 11, 2018 at 12:42 am

      What a beautiful meal! I love a good dry rub on roasted chicken. Such a crowd pleaser!

      Reply
    8. Maritha says

      July 10, 2018 at 3:40 pm

      we have never done this — such a great idea. and it looks so impressive. We have people over quite a bit and this looks perfect for that.

      Reply
    9. Jenni LeBaron says

      July 10, 2018 at 11:12 am

      This chicken looks perfect! I love when the skin gets nice and crispy on the outside. It looks incredibly flavorful.

      Reply
    10. Summer Sorensen says

      July 09, 2018 at 8:17 pm

      That looks delicious! I’ve never thought of smoking a whole chicken on the grill before. I might have to try it!

      Reply
    11. Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says

      July 09, 2018 at 6:20 pm

      5 stars
      This is the prettiest smoked whole chicken I have ever seen! As always, I just love all of the tips and grilling nuggets of wisdom you include. I’ve never smoked a whole chicken before but this makes me want to try it right now!

      Reply
    12. Jade Helm / Tasting Pour says

      July 09, 2018 at 6:04 pm

      There is something about the title of this post that reminds me of the book “How to Eat an Elephant.” I love making stock when Mark smokes a turkey but find the smoked stock is super pungent and I temper it with non smokey stock. It is really good for making a big pot of peas – like black eye or field (Southern Girl) Your chicken looks delicious I hope it did not have a name. 😉

      Reply
      • Mary says

        July 09, 2018 at 6:21 pm

        Haha nope. This one did not have a name (that I know of!). I’ll have to try the stock with black eyed peas next time! Great idea!

        Reply
    13. Catherine @ To & Fro Fam says

      July 09, 2018 at 5:53 pm

      I can just imagine serving this at Thanksgiving or another big family gathering. It’d be so impressive at the center of a big table with all your friends and family around!

      Reply

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    Mary-Cressler-Sept-2015-smI'm Mary, a wine/food/travel writer, Certified Sommelier, mom of twins, former vegetarian turned BBQ fanatic, runner, and founder of Vindulge and author of Fire + Wine cookbook.  Thanks for stopping by!

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