Whole Smoked Chicken
By Dennis Prescott
This hardwood-smoked recipe was created by the awe-inspiring Dennis the Prescott. His beautiful and delicious smoked chicken is perfect for a feast. Make a turkey thankful and get stuffed on chicken instead.
Prep Time
15 Min
Cook Time
4 Hr
Pellets
Mesquite
Ingredients
This recipe serves:
4
Activating this element will cause content on the page to be updated.Units of Measurement:
Brine
| 3/4 Cup | kosher salt |
| 2 Tablespoon | brown sugar |
| 2 | garlic cloves |
| 2 Sprig | fresh thyme |
| 2 Sprig | fresh rosemary |
| 12 Cup | water, divided |
Chicken
| 1 | (5-6 lb) free-range chicken |
| 1 | lemon, halved |
| 1 | head of garlic, halved crosswise |
| 2 Tablespoon | Olive oil |
| 1 Tablespoon | lemon zest |
Seasoning
| 4 Teaspoon | kosher salt |
| 4 Teaspoon | dehydrated garlic flakes |
| 3 Teaspoon | onion flakes |
| 1 Teaspoon | dried thyme |
| 1 Teaspoon | smoked paprika |
| 2 Teaspoon | dried parsley |
| 2 Teaspoon | cracked black pepper |
| 1 Teaspoon | crushed coriander seeds |
Steps
1
Prepare the brine. In a large pot, combine 4 cups of water, salt, sugar, garlic, thyme, and rosemary and bring to a boil. Stir until the salt dissolves, then remove from the heat.
2
Pour in the remaining 8 cups of water. Submerge the chicken in the brine and place in the refrigerator overnight.
3
Make the seasoning mix: In a small bowl, stir together the salt, garlic flakes, onion flakes, thyme, paprika, parsley, black pepper, and coriander.
4
When ready to cook, set the Traeger temperature to 225°F and preheat with the lid closed for 15 minutes.
225 ˚F / 107 ˚C
Super Smoke
5
Remove the chicken from the brine, rinse very well, and pat dry with paper towels.
6
Drizzle the olive oil over the bird and rub to coat evenly. Rub 1 1/2 tablespoons of the seasoning mix and the lemon zest all over the chicken. Stuff the garlic and lemon in the cavity.
7
Insert the probe into the thickest part of the chicken leg. Place the chicken directly on the grill grates. Close the lid and cook until the internal temperature reaches 160°F, 3 1/2-4 hours.
225 ˚F / 107 ˚C
160 ˚F / 71 ˚C
8
Remove the chicken from the grill and let rest for 10 minutes (the internal temperature will rise to 165°F) before carving. Tip: Use the carcass/remains for stock. That sweet smoked grill flavor is to die for. Follow Dennis the Prescott's awesome Instagram for more delicious dishes.
165 ˚F / 74 ˚C
Tips From the Pros: How to Smoke a Whole Chicken
Follow this step-by-step guide for smoking whole chicken with tips on buying, prepping, brines, injections, rubs, smoking woods, and a time and temp guide.
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