This Smoked Whole Chicken recipe is perfect for your next BBQ or gathering. It's cooked low and slow on a pellet grill, making your meat juicy, tender, and flavorful. You will never want to buy a rotisserie chicken again after you try this easy recipe!
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Smoking a whole chicken has become almost a weekly thing in our household. Not only is it incredibly easy to make because the smoker does all the work, but it is also my favorite way to prepare chicken. It's great for meal prep and can be easily stored for a few days in the fridge.
I’ve really enjoyed creating smoker recipes since we got our Traeger grill, as it’s essentially foolproof! All you have to do is brine the chicken (recommended… but not necessary), season it, and then smoke it at a low temperature for approximately 3 hours.
It's perfect for BBQs when you need to feed a crowd. Serve it as a main dish with Smoked Hamburgers, or Smoked Hot Dogs. You can also use the meat in my Gluten-Free Enchiladas, Creamy Lemon Chicken Noodle Soup, or Dutch Oven Chicken Noodle Soup, then save the bones to make Homemade Bone Broth!
If serving it as the main dish, pair it with Truffle Mashed Potatoes, Cast Iron Mac And Cheese, or Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Set It And Forget It: Once you get the chicken on the grill, you can go on with your day. There is no need to constantly monitor it!
- Great For Meal Prep: Make this on the weekend and keep it on hand for quick meals all week long.
- Full Of Flavor: It's juicy, smokey, and packed with flavor.
Ingredients
- Whole Chicken: If able, I highly recommend getting a whole chicken that is organic. You can order one online from somewhere like Butcher's Box, or grab one at your local farmers market.
- Spice Rub: You can use any spice rub that you enjoy. For this recipe, I used some Aw Shit! Seasoning, which adds a little bit of heat! You can also make your own dry rub by combining salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and some cayenne pepper.
- Butter: I like to add some butter under the skin to help add flavor and keep the chicken moist. Something like Kerrygold Butter works great.
- Lemon: You will want one fresh lemon cut into quarters.
- Onion: A white or yellow onion will help flavor this chicken from the inside.
- Garlic: You can leave garlic out if it's not your thing!
- Aromatics: Thyme, Oregano, Rosemary, and Sage are my favorites. You can certainly get creative here and use any combination of the fresh herbs already mentioned; I use whatever is in my garden.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions And Variations
- Chicken: You can use a whole Turkey or small cornish hens instead.
- Butter: You can swap out butter for olive oil or ghee. Both will add moisture and flavor.
- Citrus: If you're not a fan of lemon, try using an orange instead.
- Spice Rub: Get creative with your spice rub! Mix and match flavors to create your perfect combo.
How To Smoke A Whole Chicken
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Step 1. Allow your whole chicken to come to room temperature. Pat the outside of the chicken dry with paper towels.
Step 2. Stuff the cavity with the onion, lemon, garlic, and aromatics.
Step 3. Truss the chicken by tying the legs together with kitchen twine.
Step 4. Slide a pat of butter under the skin of each breast.
Step 5. Thoroughly season the chicken with your dry rub, breast side down, first. Then turn it breast side up and season the other side.
Step 6. Place your whole chicken directly on the grill grates of your pellet smoker, breast side up. Smoke it for 3 hours at 225, then check the internal temperature with a digital thermometer. If the chicken has not reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees, increase the heat to 275 and smoke for another 30-45 minutes or until fully cooked. Your cooking time may vary depending on the size of the bird. Once the thickest part of the breast registers an internal temperature of 160-165 degrees f, remove the chicken and allow it to rest for 15-30 minutes before serving.
Expert Tips And Notes
- Brine: If you have time, brine the chicken, as it will impart a ton of flavor—all while also helping to keep your whole chicken moist, tender, and juicy.
- Spray: Every 30-40 minutes, squirt the chicken skin with a little bit of apple cider vinegar from a conventional spray bottle. This will help keep the skin moist and help prevent the skin from drying out. You can also rub a little olive oil on it to help ensure you are left with crispy skin.
- Season: Don’t skip on the dry rub! You will want to really cover the whole chicken with seasoning; be generous! The dry rub will provide a lot of flavor.
What To Serve With Smoked Chicken
- Dairy-Free Potato Salad
- Potato Salad With Spring Onion
- Smashed Potato Salad
- Diary-Free Coleslaw
- Traeger Baked Beans
- Corn On The Cob
- Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Cast Iron Mac And Cheese
- Green Bean Casserole
Storage and Reheating
- Storage: Once the bird is cool enough to handle, you will want to debone it. Place all the meat in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for 3-4 days. I'd also recommend freezing the bones to make Easy Homemade Bone Broth.
- Reheating: Place leftovers in an oven-safe dish and heat in the oven at 250 degrees for 5-10 minutes.
Recipe FAQs
All you need to do in order to make a brine is heat a gallon of water and combine it with 1 cup of brown sugar and ½ cup Kosher Salt, then stir until the sugar melts. Once the brine cools, pour it over the chicken and store it in the fridge for 12-24 hours.
You will want to smoke it low and slow! The lower temperature allows you to cook the whole bird longer, resulting in a nice smoky flavor. I smoke it at 225 for 3 hours, then cook it at a higher temperature for 30-45 minutes, but cooking time will vary based on the size of your chicken.
It can be very helpful to brine your bird before smoking it, which is the best way to ensure you have a juicy chicken.
Also, adding a little bit of butter under the skin of the breast meat can help keep it moist while smoking. You can also try periodically spraying it with a little apple cider vinegar, which will also help to keep the chicken from drying while it smokes.
You can use a variety of wood chips; hickory, mesquite, or pecan are all good choices for a nice smoke flavor.
Other Related Chicken Recipes
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Smoked Whole Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Whole Chicken 3-4 lbs
- ¼ cup Spice Rub
- 4-6 tablespoon Butter
- 1 Lemon quartered
- 1 Onion quartered
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 8-10 sprigs Aromatics use your favorites
Instructions
- Allow your whole chicken to come to room temperature.
- Pat the outside of the chicken dry with paper towels.
- Stuff the cavity of the chicken with the onion, lemon, garlic and aromatics.
- Truss the chicken by tying the chicken legs together with kitchen twine.
- Slide a pat of butter under the skin of each breast.
- Thoroughly season the chicken with your dry rub, breast side down, first. Then turn the chicken breast side up and season the other side.
- Place your whole chicken directly on the grill grates of your pellet smoker, breast side up.
- Smoke the chicken for 3 hours at 225, then check the internal temperature with a digital thermometer. If the chicken has not reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees, increase the heat to 275 and smoke another 30-45 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked. Your cook time may vary depending on the size of the bird.Once the thickest part of the breast registers an internal temperature of 160-165 degrees f, remove the chicken and allow it to rest for 15-30 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Brine: If you have time, brine the chicken, as it will impart a ton of flavor—all while also helping to keep your whole chicken moist, tender, and juicy.
- Spray: Every 30-40 minutes, squirt the chicken skin with a little bit of apple cider vinegar from a conventional spray bottle. This will help keep the skin moist and help prevent the skin from drying out. You can also rub a little olive oil on the it to help ensure you are left with crispy skin.
- Season: Don’t skip on the dry rub! You will want to really cover the whole chicken with seasoning; be generous! The dry rub will provide a lot of flavor.
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