I have smoked beef and pork plenty of times, but until today I had never done a chicken before. I started out by spatchcoking it by cutting out the backbone and then I removed the ribs also. I then took about 3/4 stick of margerine and melted it. To this I added about a teaspoon of Lawry's seasoned salt and about a teaspoon of Weber BBQ rub. I liberally coated the entire chicken with this mixture and made sure to coat the chicken under the skin also. I did not brine the chicken beforehand. I was going to but decided at the last minute to do my first chicken without the brine to see how it would turn out. I put the chicken in the smoker at 240 degrees and left it there until the chicken reached an internal temp of 150. I placed the chicken on a shallow pan and put it in a 400 degree oven until it reached 165. I let it rest for about 30 minutes while I prepared some lima beans, mashed potatoes and gravy.
About halfway through the meal my wife says to me, "this is the best chicken I have ever had in my life". I have to agree. It had a wonderfully mild smoke flavor and was extremely tender and juicy. Smoking a chicken is not nearly as much work as a brisket or a pork shoulder, but the results were just as satisfying.
I can hardly wait to do another. This experience has definitely convinced me that I will be smoking a turkey this year for Thanksgiving!
About halfway through the meal my wife says to me, "this is the best chicken I have ever had in my life". I have to agree. It had a wonderfully mild smoke flavor and was extremely tender and juicy. Smoking a chicken is not nearly as much work as a brisket or a pork shoulder, but the results were just as satisfying.
I can hardly wait to do another. This experience has definitely convinced me that I will be smoking a turkey this year for Thanksgiving!
