For beginners, smoking a chicken in an electric smoker might seem hard, but it’s actually pretty simple if you know what to do. An electric smoker makes it easy to smoke chicken without sacrificing how tender and tasty it turns out. If you follow these steps, you’ll have perfectly smoked chicken ready to wow your family and friends in no time.
Choose an Electric Smoker with Precise Temperature Control
With an electric smoker like the Char-Broil Digital Electric Smoker, you can set the temperature exactly, so you don’t have to guess. Look for one that has a thermostat that can control the heat and a wood chip tray that can add smoke flavor. The smoker should be able to keep the temperature steady between 225°F and 275°F so the chicken cooks slowly without getting dry.
Select Your Wood Chips
Before putting the wood chips in the electric smoker, soak them in water. The smoke from the wood chips adds flavor to the chicken. Wood chips that people like include hickory, pecan, cherry apple, maple, and peach.
-
Hickory has a robust, smoky flavor. It’s strong, so use in moderation with poultry.
-
Apple wood lends a sweeter, fruity smoke flavor that complements chicken beautifully.
-
Cherry wood also imparts a hint of sweetness and pairs well with hickory.
-
Maple is on the milder side and adds a touch of sweetness.
Spatchcock the Chicken
Remove the backbone and flatten the chicken before smoking. This increases the surface area for perfectly smoked meat. Use kitchen shears or sharp knife to cut along both sides of backbone to remove. Clip the breastbone to flatten.
Brine the Chicken
Soak the spatchcocked chicken in a saltwater brine before smoking. Dissolve 1 cup kosher salt in 1 gallon of water, then submerge the chicken for 1-2 hours. This tenderizes the meat and helps it retain moisture. Add aromatics like citrus, herbs or soy sauce to the brine for extra flavor.
Pat Chicken Dry
Clean the chicken that has been brined and pat it dry with paper towels. Let it dry in the fridge for about an hour without covering it before smoking it. The drier surface helps the smoke adhere better.
Apply a Dry Rub
For an extra layer of flavor, evenly coat the chicken with a dry spice rub. Use 1-2 teaspoons of rub per pound of meat. Try mixes with brown sugar, chili powder, garlic powder, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper. Gently massage the rub into the meat.
Smoke at 225-250°F
Place seasoned chicken skin-side up on the smoker racks. Insert a meat thermometer probe into thickest part of breast, being careful not to touch bone. Set smoker to 225-250°F and smoke until the thermometer reads 165°F internally. This will take 2-3 hours depending on size.
Rest and Serve
Once chicken reaches ideal internal temp, remove it from smoker and let rest 15 minutes before slicing and serving. The juices will redistribute through meat for a tender, juicy texture. Brush with barbecue sauce during last 5-10 minutes if desired.
Cleanup
Since you don’t have to constantly tend to temperature like a charcoal smoker, cleanup is simpler. Remove grease from drip tray. Brush grates and wash with soap and water. Empty ash from bowl and wood chip tray.
With an electric smoker, you can set the temperature and relax while the chicken slowly cooks to smoky perfection. Follow these tips and you’ll be serving up irresistibly juicy and flavorful smoked chicken in no time! Adjust wood chips, seasoning and cook times to customize the flavor profile to your liking.
Choose Your Favorite Wood and Start Up the Smoker
Start up the Bradley using wood bisquettes of choice. Although almost any wood bisquettes will work great, my favourites for chicken include hickory, pecan, maple and whiskey oak.
A great temperature for smoking chicken is around 250 F. The aiming in the range of 250-275 F is best, since adding one or more whole chickens into the smoker will cause the temperature to dip a little bit at first.
When the smoker is in the 250-275 F range, it is time to place the chicken(s) on the smoker racks and into the Bradley.
Be Generous with Seasoning
A generous rub of seasoning prior to to smoking is a must. As a result, seasoning will infuse into the meat of the bird along with the smoke. On the top of that, it will give it a wonderful distinct flavour.
Below you will find a few different seasoning recipes and each are good for a 3-pound chicken. You can rub it right on the skin of the chicken and also spread a little oil or melted butter on the skin, just before rubbing on the seasoning.
Herb and Garlic Rub
All you have to do is to mix in a bowl two teaspoons garlic powder, two teaspoons dry oregano, one teaspoon dry thyme, one teaspoon dry parsley, one teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper.
Sweet and Spicy Chipotle Rub
Two teaspoons of chipotle powder, two teaspoons of smoked paprika, one teaspoon of garlic powder, half a teaspoon of cumin, half a teaspoon of coriander, one teaspoon of salt, and two teaspoons of brown sugar are needed to make this rub.
Moroccan Spice Rub
For the Moroccan Spice Rub, just mix one teaspoon paprika and one teaspoon salt. Then, add 1/2 teaspoon of each one of these seasonings: cayenne, cumin, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom and ground cloves.
Chickens seasoned, place them back in the fridge until the Bradley Smoker is up to temperature.
How to Smoke Chicken in Masterbuilt Electric Smoker
FAQ
How long does it take to smoke chicken in an electric smoker?
Low temperature and a longer cook time are essential for smoked chicken. By cooking at 250-275°F for 1-2 hours, the chicken has plenty of time to absorb that amazing smoky flavor while staying incredibly tender and juicy. Jun 2, 2024.
How do you smoke a whole chicken in a Masterbuilt electric smoker?
InstructionsSmoke the chicken for 1-1/2 hours, replenishing the water and wood chips as needed. Raise the temperature of the smoker to 350°F and continue to smoke for approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F when checked with a digital meat thermometer.
How do you keep chicken moist when smoking?
Brining a chicken will make it moist, tender, and full of flavor even hours after bathing in smoke. However, you’ll need 4-24 hours beforehand to budget for it.
Do you wrap a whole chicken in foil to smoke?
Yes, wrapping a whole chicken in foil during smoking is a common technique, but it’s not always necessary. Wrapping can help keep the meat moist and might even speed up the cooking process, but it can make the skin less crispy.