Smoked Whole Chicken Recipe

Smoked whole chicken on a sheet pan with herbs.

5 from 5 votes

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!

Prep Time15

Cook Time3 30

Total Time3 45

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: BBQ

Servings:

Calories: 247kcal

Author: Nadia

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

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 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.

Nutrition