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
Electric smokers like the Char-Broil Digital Electric Smoker remove the guesswork by allowing you to set an exact temperature. Look for a model with a thermostat that regulates the heat, as well as a wood chip tray that can impart flavor from smoke. The smoker should reliably hold a steady temperature between 225-275°F to slowly cook the chicken without drying it out.
Select Your Wood Chips
Soak your choice of wood chips in water before adding to the electric smoker. The wood chips create smoke that infuses the chicken with flavor. Hickory, pecan cherry apple, maple and peach are popular wood chip varieties
-
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
When the chicken reaches the right temperature inside, take it out of the smoker and let it rest for 15 minutes. Then cut it up and serve. The juices will move around in the meat, making it tender and juicy. Brush with barbecue sauce during last 5-10 minutes if desired.
Cleanup
Cleaning up is easier because you don’t have to keep an eye on the temperature like you do with a charcoal smoker. 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 reaches 250 to 275 F, it’s time to put the chicken on the 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
To prepare this rub, you’ll need two teaspoons chipotle powder, two teaspoons smoked paprika, one teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon coriander, one teaspoon salt and two teaspoons brown sugar.
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 smoker’s temperature to 350°F and smoke the chicken for 45 minutes to an hour, or until a digital meat thermometer reads 165°F inside.
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 retain moisture and potentially speed up the cooking process, but it can also result in less crispy skin.