Help a newbie out !

[melfoster7]

Got some nice bone in chicken breasts from the store today. This will be my first time smoking chicken in our meat smoker (masterbuilt electric) and only my second time smoking meat in general. After doing some research on these forums, I have noticed a lot of people talking about brines and rubs.

So....here are my questions...

- what brine do you use?

- what is the purpose of a brine?

- how should I season the chicken breasts?

- how long and at what temp should I smoke these for?

Lots of questions, I know, any help would be much appreciated!

Melissa

 

[sandlapper]

In my opinion brining is very much a personal preference. It is said to enhance flavor- I am not convinced of the accuracy of that. I sometimes brine whole turkeys when I smoke them for special occasions, and use a standard brine recipe I found on the internet. I have tried adding such things as cranberry but even brining for more than 24 hrs does'nt seem to impart any more flavor. The one brine I do use freuently is a pure Maple syrup brine when smoking slamon. I have not brined chickens so no first hand experience there. I find that the thin meats such as chicken do better for me when grilled with frequent application of sauce. My one experience smoking chicken breast didn't turn out any better than grilling. Good luck as you find your way through the smoke! Let us know how it works out!