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–+ servings
Whole chicken, nicely browned, sitting on rack inside a smoker.

Smoked Whole Chicken

Course: dinner, lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: smoked chicken
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Brining: 1 day
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 415kcal
Author: Victor
Print Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 whole chickens

For the Chicken Brine

  • 1 gallon water ice cold
  • ¾ cup kosher salt
  • 1/3 cup sugar brown or white
  • 2 large carrots peeled and cut into pieces
  • 2 medium onions peeled and cut into pieces
  • 6 garlic cloves peeled and cut in half
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 Tbsp black peppercorns

Instructions

  • To prepare the brine, bring 1 quart of the water to a boil, add the salt and the sugar and stir to dissolve. Add the chopped vegetables and spices and remove from heat. Cover and let cool. Mix with the rest of the ice cold water. The resulting bring must be below 40F when adding chickens.
  • Add the chicken(s) to the brine and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to a day.
  • Preheat your smoker to 225F - 250F. Try keeping the temperature closer to 225F. Smoke the chicken(s) until the internal temperature reaches 160F, about 2.5 - 3 hours.
  • Remove the birds from the smoker and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 415kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 164mg | Sodium: 1319mg | Potassium: 400mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1615IU | Vitamin C: 5.3mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 2.8mg