We bought some split chicken breasts at Wal-Mart today to just grill. About 1/2 way through having the charcoal lit, I just decided "What the heck, lets try smoking them!" Well, I didn't have any kinda wood other than some hickory chips we usually just add to the grill for a little extra flavor, so I decided to just keep it brushed with BBQ sauce for flavor. I soaked the chips I had in water to try and get them to go a little farther, and it helped some. The main heed was provided by Kingsford Charcoal briquettes and Royal Oak lump charcoal in the fire box on my Char-Broil offset smoker.
It worked out pretty well, held a temperature of about 250*F at the grate according to the 3 thermometers mounted in the lid. The far end stayed a little cooler, than at the fire box end, but I don't have tuning plates in it yet. Just a deflector and the smoke stack extended down to just above the grates. I used an aluminum pan full of water at the fire box end to help control temperatures down there as well.
This was my very first time using it as a smoker (or indirect heat cooker I guess) and I was probably opening it a little too often, but I turned and brushed the breasts about every 30 min or so. Here is a picture of them I sent to my brother when they were about 70% done.
As for the flavor, it was very good. They were very moist and the skin was delicious. I threw 6 ears of corn in the husks on the far end below the smoke stack and smoked them. The corn came out very sweet, but I probably could have brushed it with butter two or three times during the cooking and kept it a little moister. All-in-all, it was a great supper!
I know most of you don't like BBQ sauce (at least the store bought types), but we used the Bull's Eye Kansas City sauce thinned down with Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar to brush it. We think it is a very good sauce for chicken and goes very well with all the ways we've fixed chicken in the past.
It worked out pretty well, held a temperature of about 250*F at the grate according to the 3 thermometers mounted in the lid. The far end stayed a little cooler, than at the fire box end, but I don't have tuning plates in it yet. Just a deflector and the smoke stack extended down to just above the grates. I used an aluminum pan full of water at the fire box end to help control temperatures down there as well.
This was my very first time using it as a smoker (or indirect heat cooker I guess) and I was probably opening it a little too often, but I turned and brushed the breasts about every 30 min or so. Here is a picture of them I sent to my brother when they were about 70% done.
As for the flavor, it was very good. They were very moist and the skin was delicious. I threw 6 ears of corn in the husks on the far end below the smoke stack and smoked them. The corn came out very sweet, but I probably could have brushed it with butter two or three times during the cooking and kept it a little moister. All-in-all, it was a great supper!
I know most of you don't like BBQ sauce (at least the store bought types), but we used the Bull's Eye Kansas City sauce thinned down with Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar to brush it. We think it is a very good sauce for chicken and goes very well with all the ways we've fixed chicken in the past.
