Smoked Whole Chicken

This smoked whole chicken is seasoned with a homemade BBQ dry rub, then smoked low and slow for a moist, juicy chicken that's full of flavor.

Jump to:

• Why this Recipe Works
• Smoked Chicken Rub
• How to Spatchcock a Whole Chicken
• What Temperature to Smoke a Chicken
• How to Cook Chicken on a Smoker
• Smoked Chicken Internal Temperature
• How Long to Smoke Chicken
• How to Make Smoked Chicken with Crispy Skin
• Recipe Tips and FAQs
• What to Serve with Smoked Chicken
• 📖 Recipe
• More Recipes for your Smoker

Why this Recipe Works

Cooking whole chicken on a smoker can be tricky. Just like roasted chicken in your oven, the white meat can easily dry out when overcooked.

But in this whole smoked chicken recipe we will "spatchcock" the bird, or remove the backbone and flatten the chicken.

Smoking spatchcock chicken helps to reduce the cooking time and make the chicken cook more evenly to avoid drying out the white meat. It's the best way to smoke a whole chicken!

Smoked Chicken Rub

This quick and simple bbq rub for smoked chicken is sweet from the brown sugar with a mild spice level from the paprika and black pepper.

If you like more spice in your smoked BBQ chicken you can add a teaspoon or two of cayenne pepper to the mix. For a deeper smoke flavor you can substitute smoked paprika.

To prepare the rub, simply add all of the ingredients to a small bowl and stir to combine. If time allows I highly recommend applying the rub the night before you cook to allow the seasoning time to penetrate the meat.

How to Spatchcock a Whole Chicken

1. Lay the chicken on a cutting board with the breast meat facing down.
2. Locate the backbone, then begin trimming the bones along the backbone with kitchen shears, to separate the thigh. Continue up toward the wings until you've cut through one side.
3. Repeat on the other side of the backbone and remove the backbone. I recommend freezing the backbone to use later for stock.
4. Flip the chicken over so the breast is facing up. Then press down firmly with both hands on the breast bone to flatten the breast. Arrange the thighs so the meat and skin is facing up and tuck the wing tips under the breast.

What Temperature to Smoke a Chicken

I recommend smoking chicken at 275°F. The higher temp will cook the chicken faster, making it less likely to dry out, but is still low enough to allow plenty of time for the smoke to flavor the meat.

Many smoked meats, like pulled pork barbecue and smoked beef chuck, are best when cooked at 225°F. This low temperature allows the fat and connective tissue to slowly render and flavor the meat as it cooks to become ultra tender.

But chicken has much less fat, and the delicate white meat of the chicken breast can easily dry out during a long cook.

How to Cook Chicken on a Smoker

1. Lightly coat the chicken skin with olive oil. Season the chicken on all sides with the rub and work some in under the skin with your hands, being careful not to tear the skin.
2. Preheat your smoker to 275°F, then place the chicken on the rack with the skin facing up and add a few wood chunks to produce the smoke.
3. Cook the chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 160°F in the deepest part of the breast.
4. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and tent with foil. Allow the chicken to rest for 15 minutes before carving. The temperature will continue to rise as it rests and should reach the USDA recommended 165°F.

Smoked Chicken Internal Temperature

When smoking a whole chicken, I recommend removing the chicken from the smoker when the internal temperature in the thickest part of the breast reaches 160°F and the thighs are around 165-170°F.

Then transfer the chicken to a cutting board and tent with foil. Let the chicken rest for 15 minutes. This resting time will allow the juices to redistribute and results in a moister, juicer chicken.

Pulling the chicken at this temperature will help to avoid drying out the white meat. As the chicken rests, the internal temperature will continue to rise to the USDA recommended temperature of 165°F.

If you leave the chicken on your smoker until it reaches 165°F, it will continue to rise closer to 170°F or more as it rests and the white meat is more likely to dry out.

I recommend using a high-quality digital thermometer with a leave-in probe inserted in the deepest part of the breast to monitor the temperature throughout the cook.

It's also best to check the meat with an instant-read thermometer in several places when finished to ensure the chicken is properly cooked throughout.

How Long to Smoke Chicken

When smoking a whole chicken at 275°F plan on around 30 minutes per pound, or 2 to 2 1⁄2 hours for a 4 pound chicken. If you smoke at a lower temperature of 225-250°F plan on closer to 3 to 3 1⁄2 hours for a 4 pound bird.

Remember though, there are many factors that can impact cook time. So it's important to smoke chicken to temperature and not time.

How to Make Smoked Chicken with Crispy Skin

Smoked chicken skin can be tough and leathery. Giving the skin a light coat of oil and smoking your chicken at 275°F help to reduce this and make it softer, but it will still not be crispy.

If you want really crispy chicken skin, you will need to use high heat at the end of the cooking process. This can be done in a 425°F oven or on a hot grill. This is the same technique I use in my crispy smoked chicken wings recipe.

To make smoked chicken with crispy skin I recommend removing the chicken from the smoker at 150-155°F. Then transfer it to the oven or grill and cook for around 10 minutes, until the skin is nice and crisp. Be careful to avoid burning the skin if using a grill.

Smoking chicken on a pellet grill, such as a Traeger, makes this process easy. You can simply leave the chicken on the grill and raise the cooking temperature at the end using the controller on your smoker. Plan on raising the temperature around 20-30 minutes before the end of the cook to allow time to come up to the higher temp.

What to Serve with Smoked Chicken

This whole smoked chicken is juicy and flavorful and can be served with or without barbecue sauce. It can also be shredded and served as pulled BBQ chicken.

For sauce options, check out my North Carolina Style barbecue sauce or my Alabama White Sauce. Both are great with smoked chicken.

The chicken pairs well with all of your traditional barbecue cookout side dishes. Here are a few of my favorites:

• Instant Pot Baked Beans
• Creamy Bacon Mac and Cheese
• Instant Pot Southern Style Green Beans
• Hawaiian Mac Salad
• Greek Orzo Pasta Salad

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