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Per serving
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- 1
Dry the bird
Pull the chicken out of the package, remove the giblets, and pat it bone dry inside and out with paper towels. If you have the time, set it on a rack uncovered in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight. Wet skin steams. Dry skin crisps. This is the single biggest thing standing between you and skin worth eating. Let it sit out 30 minutes before it goes on.
- 2
Mix the rub
Combine the brown sugar, garlic powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, chili powder, salt, and black pepper in a bowl. The brown sugar is there for color and bark, not sweetness — at 250 degrees it will not burn.
- 3
Oil and season
Brush the whole bird with olive oil. Coat it evenly with the rub, including the underside and up under the wings. Work your fingers under the breast skin and get rub directly on the meat — that is where the seasoning actually does something.
- 4
Stuff and truss
Slice the lemons. Put the whole garlic cloves and a few lemon slices in the cavity. Tie the legs together with butcher twine and tuck the wing tips behind the shoulders so nothing hangs loose and burns.
- 5
Fire the smoker to 250
Get the smoker steady at 250 degrees F before the chicken goes on. Apple or cherry is my pick here — chicken is mild and takes on smoke fast, so hickory or mesquite will bully it. Pecan is a good middle ground if you want more punch.
- 6
Smoke it
Set the chicken breast side up directly on the grate. Probe the thickest part of the breast, staying off the bone. Close the lid and leave it closed. Figure roughly an hour per pound at 250 — about 3 hours for a 4-pound bird. Do not spritz. Every spray of liquid undoes what you did in step one.
- 7
Crank it at the end
When the breast hits about 150 degrees F, bring the smoker up to 375-400 degrees F. That last blast renders the fat under the skin and tightens it. Pull the bird when the breast reads 165 degrees F and the thigh reads 175 degrees F. Thighs want the extra heat — that connective tissue needs it.
- 8
Rest before you cut
Tent it loosely with foil and let it sit 15 minutes. Do not wrap it tight or you will trap steam and soften the skin you just worked for. Carve and serve.
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Smoked Whole Chicken with Crispy Skin
Created by: SmokeRingSteve
Ingredients
- 4 lb whole chicken
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 lemons
Instructions
- Dry the birdPull the chicken out of the package, remove the giblets, and pat it bone dry inside and out with paper towels. If you have the time, set it on a rack uncovered in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight. Wet skin steams. Dry skin crisps. This is the single biggest thing standing between you and skin worth eating. Let it sit out 30 minutes before it goes on.
- Mix the rubCombine the brown sugar, garlic powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, chili powder, salt, and black pepper in a bowl. The brown sugar is there for color and bark, not sweetness — at 250 degrees it will not burn.
- Oil and seasonBrush the whole bird with olive oil. Coat it evenly with the rub, including the underside and up under the wings. Work your fingers under the breast skin and get rub directly on the meat — that is where the seasoning actually does something.
- Stuff and trussSlice the lemons. Put the whole garlic cloves and a few lemon slices in the cavity. Tie the legs together with butcher twine and tuck the wing tips behind the shoulders so nothing hangs loose and burns.
- Fire the smoker to 250Get the smoker steady at 250 degrees F before the chicken goes on. Apple or cherry is my pick here — chicken is mild and takes on smoke fast, so hickory or mesquite will bully it. Pecan is a good middle ground if you want more punch.
- Smoke itSet the chicken breast side up directly on the grate. Probe the thickest part of the breast, staying off the bone. Close the lid and leave it closed. Figure roughly an hour per pound at 250 — about 3 hours for a 4-pound bird. Do not spritz. Every spray of liquid undoes what you did in step one.
- Crank it at the endWhen the breast hits about 150 degrees F, bring the smoker up to 375-400 degrees F. That last blast renders the fat under the skin and tightens it. Pull the bird when the breast reads 165 degrees F and the thigh reads 175 degrees F. Thighs want the extra heat — that connective tissue needs it.
- Rest before you cutTent it loosely with foil and let it sit 15 minutes. Do not wrap it tight or you will trap steam and soften the skin you just worked for. Carve and serve.