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Smoked chicken breast glazed with BBQ sauce

Smoke Chicken Breasts (Crispy & Juicy)

Course: dinner, lunch
Cuisine: American
Keyword: smoked chicken breast
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Brining, drying: 6 hours
Total Time: 7 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 4 chicken breasts
Calories: 454kcal
Author: Victor
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Ingredients

  • 4 chicken breasts large, bone-in and skin-on
  • 3 Tbsp butter for searing
  • 1 Tbsp oil for searing
  • 1/2 cup BBQ sauce for glazing; use your favorite BBQ sauce

Dry rub

  • 1 tsp kosher salt or to taste
  • 1 Tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 Tbsp Ancho chile powder
  • 1 tsp black pepper or to taste
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper optional; adjust the amount to taste
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary leaves ground

Brine

  • 1/2 gallon ice cold water
  • 6 Tbsp kosher salt
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar or white sugar
  • 1 large carrot peeled and cut into pieces
  • 1 medium onion peeled and cut into pieces
  • 4 cloves garlic peeled and cut in halves
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/2 Tbsp whole black peppercorns

Instructions

  • To prepare the brine, bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a small pot. Add the salt and sugar, and stir to dissolve. Add the rest of the ingredients, excepr the remaining water, stir and remove from the heat. Cover and let cool, then mix with the rest of the water and chill to below 40F. To chill the brine faster, substitute some of the water for ice.
  • Place the chicken breasts in the brine and keep refrigerated for 4 hours. Remove the breasts from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Refrigerate for a few more hours, uncovered, to dry, if time permits.
  • Preheat smoker to 225F at the grate level.
  • In a large cast iron skillet, heat the cooking oil and butter, over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken breasts, skin side down, about 1-2 minutes or until the skin is golden brown.
  • Rub the chicken with the dry rub. Pat down to make the seasonings stick.
    Applying rub to chicken breasts before smoking.
  • Transfer the chicken breasts to the smoker, skin side up.
    Applying rub to chicken breasts before smoking.
  • Smoke at 225F for about 40-60 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 150F.
  • Brush the breasts with BBQ sauce and continue smoking for another 5-10 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 155F and stays there for a minute.
  • Remove the chicken from the smoker, let rest for 5 minutes and serve with your favorite side dish.

Nutrition

Calories: 454kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 49g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 168mg | Sodium: 1322mg | Potassium: 988mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 1007IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 2mg