This smoked whole chicken recipe delivers bold flavor and juicy meat with a peppery rub, crispy skin, and a pro resting tip that seals in moisture.
Crispy-Skinned Smoked Whole Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken about 4-5lbs
- 1 tbsp olive oil to coat the chicken before applying the dry rub
- canola oil or melted butter to baste on the chicken to crisp up the skin
For the rub
- 2 tbsp coarse ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp seasoning salt Lawry's or another similar brand
Instructions
- Preheat your smoker to 250°F.
Prep the chicken
- Place the chicken on a paper towel-lined sheet pan. The sheet pan helps keep the work area clean. Pat the entire exterior of the chicken dry with paper towels.
- Rub the chicken all over with olive oil to help the seasoning stick.
- In a small bowl, mix the black pepper and seasoning salt.
- Season the chicken generously with the rub, including all sides and under the wings.
Place on the smoker
- Remove the chicken from the sheet and set it breast side up directly on the smoker grates.
- Insert a meat probe into the thickest part of the breast or probe as it cooks, starting at the 1 hour mark. If you don't use a meat probe, it is highly likely the chicken will overcook and dry out.
Smoke low and slow
- Let the chicken smoke until the internal temperature of the breast reaches 140°F. It is imperative that you pay closer attention to the temperature instead of the cook time.
Crisp the skin
- Once the chicken hits 140°F, baste or spray it with canola oil or melted butter.
- Immediately increase the smoker temperature to 400°F.
- Continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 165°F in the breast.
Rest the chicken
- Remove from the smoker and transfer to a sheet pan.
- Tent loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 20 minutes. This final step locks in moisture—don’t skip it!
Notes
Pellets (preferred): I use BBQR’s Delight Contest Mix pellets for all of my cooks. It is a cherry mixed oak blend. The oak is the star of the show and it is key to getting that heavy smoke flavor that we all know and love about Texas-style barbecue.
Use a meat probe: The ThermoPro TP19H is a very cost effective choice.
Nutrition
Calories: 294kcal | Protein: 24g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 1252mg | Potassium: 240mg | Vitamin A: 178IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg
What do you think of this recipe?Keep scrolling for the full recipe post. Please consider Leaving a Review!As I always say—great cooking isn’t about having the perfect recipe or ingredients. It’s all about technique. We all have access to (mostly) the same tools and ingredients. What separates a good dish from a great one is how well you apply time-tested, repeatable techniques.
I’ve smoked chicken just about every way you can imagine, and the biggest mistake I’ve made is starting hot and finishing slow. I know—it seems like it shouldn’t make a huge difference, but it absolutely does. When you fire up the smoker to 450°F right out of the gate and toss on a cold bird, the pores in the skin tighten up almost instantly. That locks out the smoke, keeping it from penetrating the meat and skin to give you that deep, smoky flavor we all chase.