Smoked Half Chickens

Calls of juicy and smoky chicken that will surely impress your next cookout? Half smoked chickens They are your ticket for the fame of the barbecue in the courtyard. This cut gives you the best of both worlds: tender white meat and succulent dark meat, all immersed in an irresistible smoked flavor.

Higher view of two whole chickens grilled on a circular metal grid with red outdoor.

Smoking chicken may seem discouraging, we understand it. Gummous outside, burnt and not very cooked tips inside.

Well, good news, cheap chicken (comparatively) and our reliable chicken recipe With specific detailed instructions of the smoker simplify the process. This is our point of reference every time we test a new grid, so we got it on block. So much so that this recipe will help you get chicken perfectly smoked with minimal work.

Our infallible recipe breaks how easy it is to get that ambitious crunchy leather and a juicy crazy chicken. The trick? We like to manage our slightly warmer grid than the traditional smokers recipes. Just like when we Smoking a whole chickenIt cooks it quickly, keeping it wet, also giving the skin a consistency worthy of the bite.

Hungry? Well, prepare to become the master of the pit that your neighborhood deserves.

Two raw whole chickens yes on a grill in a pan with dressing bowls and salt on a black surface.

Ingredients for these half of the smoked chicken

2 half of the chicken – If you start with a whole chicken, take a look at our guide How to cut a chicken To easily make two half (and a faster cooking time).
Kosher salt
Your favorite rubbing of chicken (We recommend Girlscangrill Chicken Rub)
Barbecue sauceYellow aji sauce, Cream chipotleOR Alabama white sauceDepending on the aromatic profile that brames.
Chopped coriander for a fresh finish to garnish

How to make half smoked chickens

Excavate your grid game with these simple passages to smoke half a chicken that will all ask for seconds.

Prepare the chicken:

Completely Dry The chicken with paper towels to ensure that the skin goes well.
Season generously with salt And you chose dry rubbing.
Let the chicken sit on a wire rack in Fridge for 2 hours overnightWhich helps the skin dry for greater crunchiness.

Two half of raw chicken covered with sauce are found on a wire rack positioned on a black pan.

Set your smoker:

Clean the grill grid.
Preheat your smoker for indirect heat With a constant temperature of 300 – 325 degrees F. See our notes in the recipe card for a coal grid, a gas grid or a pellet smoker.

Smoking the chicken:

Position the seasoned chicken, Stars downwards on the fresh side of the grillUsing indirect heat and close the lid.
Let the chicken Smoke until you reach the perfect internal temperature about an hour on the grill. If your grill has hot points, it may be necessary to rotate the chicken once or twice, keeping the meat higher, even for cooking.

Two half of the seasoned chicken are smoked on a grille for ceramic barbecue.

Rest and serve:

Let the chicken rest For a few minutes after smoking to keep it juicy.
You can Serve these whole half Or break them in chicken breast, thighs and legs to serve. Do not joke our chicken with sauce during the grill (because we want the best skin), then it rains with your choice of sauce, then sprinkle with fresh coriander for a burst of color and flavor and dig.

Tips for recipes of carnivorous experts as a girl

Controlling Doneness: Use a meat thermometer To ensure that the chicken is perfectly cooked at safe internal temperatures: 165 ° F for chicken breasts and 170-175 ° F for the thighs.

Skin perfection: Turn on the dry chicken and let it sit in the fridge is the key to reaching that desired crunchy skin. We also deceive the chicken skin with oil around the last 15 minutes of smoke only to block the rubbing of the barbecue and add further crunchiness.

Add an extra smoky flavor: Use one in two pieces of wood or a handful of wood in a box of smokers to add a little more flavor. We think Hickory is the Best wood to smoke chicken When you want a classic barbecue.

Two grilled chickens stuffed with vegetables are placed side by side on a black tray, with green leafy plants partially visible in the upper right corner. The surface of the wooden table is visible below.

How to serve this juicy smoked chicken

This smoked chicken is a show alone or can be cut and served on a plate with assorted sauces to immerse yourself. Combine with simple sides such as pickles, grilled vegetables, crunchy chipsOr a garden salad to make the smoky flavors shine.

Leftovers

For easy leftovers, we choose the meat from the bones before keeping it wrapped in a sheet or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a maximum of 3 days. We like to use leftovers easy Chicken saladlike chicken tacos, piled up on Nachos, grilled sandwichor as a simple pavilion.

A grilled chicken half kitchen with a round grille for barbecue.

This smoked half -chicken chicken recipe offers an easy meal to lick your fingers for when you have a big appetite but you don’t want to work too much. Turn on your smoker and prepare for your courtyard to be the new favorite neighborhood restaurant!

Have you tried this recipe? Make us a favor e Evaluate the recipe card With ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Create half smoked chickens with madly juicy meat and actually a crunchy skin, perfect for when you need a simple chicken dinner. This recipe covers how simple this meal can be with suggestions for a variety of grills.

Cooking methodsPrevent the screen from going to sleep

The chicken with a paper napkin was granted. Make sure to dry all the sides and under the fold of chicken wings.
Season the chicken on both sides with salt and chicken rubbing.
Place the chicken on a grill on a pan, the skin on the side and leave to rest in the refrigerator for 2 hours for one day during the night.
Clean and oil the grills and preheat the smoker at 300 – 325 degrees F.
When the grill has preheated, place the chicken on the grill and close the lid.
Leave the chicken smoke until you reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F in the breast and 170 – 175 in the legs and thighs with a digital meat thermometerabout 1 hour.
Carefully transfer the chicken paradises to a pan and let them rest for 7-10 minutes before serving.
Serve half of the whole chicken or cut them in half, separating the leg and thigh from the chicken breast.

Cut whole chickens: You can easily do half of chicken Spatching a chicken with Cesoie da kitchen And then cutting once again through the center of the sternum to separate the two sides in half. See our guide for How to cut a chicken For step by step instructions. Controlling Doneness: Use a meat thermometer To ensure that the chicken is perfectly cooked at safe internal temperatures: 165 ° F for chicken breasts and 170-175 ° F for the thighs. Skin perfection: Turn on the dry chicken and let it sit in the fridge is the key to reaching that desired crunchy skin. We also deceive the chicken skin with oil around the last 15 minutes of smoke only to block the rubbing of the barbecue and add further crunchiness. Add an extra smoky flavor: To add a little more flavor, use one with two pieces of wood or a handful of wooden chips in a box of smokers. We love Hickory for his classic barbecue taste. For a coal grid:

For a traditional coal grid, it creates coal for a 2 -zone fire by pouring coal on one side of the grill. Clean the grids. Adjust the air intakes and cover the grill to allow preheating of the grill.
When the grill is ready, it positions half of the chicken on the cooler side of the grill. Cover with the lid and let the chicken cook as indicated.
For Ceramic grillAs shown above, use the diffuser plates to create a smoke environment for chicken.
We recommend cowboy lump coal and hickory wood pieces.

For a battery smoker:

Turn on the coals and add them to the bottom of the drum when they are ready. Preheat your battery smoker by adjusting the air intakes. Clean and hear the grids.
With a battery smoker, you have two chicken options. You can organize the chicken on the grill grid (set in its highest position) or hang half of the chicken. We love this method for mad good barbecue flavor.

For a traditional pellet grill (Traeger)

For a pellet smoker, preheated the grill at 300 – 325 degrees F. Clean and oil the grilled grill.
When the grill is preheated, add the grilled chicken, close the lid and cook until you reach 165-175 degrees F.
Since most pellet smokers do not have a cooler or hotter side of the grill, you may want to rotate half of the chicken even to cook.
We recommend you Jack Daniel coal pellets

For a gas grid:

Set your gas grid for indirect heat preheating first the grill with all the burners at the top. Clean the grill grid. So turn off 1 of the burners, this will be your fresh side. Regulate the other burners over medium heat and maintain a temperature of 300-325 degrees F. Do not be shy of flavor and consider smoking on a gas grill adding wooden chips in a box of smokers or a packet of lamina to really amplify the taste.
When the grill is preheated, cook half of the chicken as instructed on the cooler side of the grill.

Useful items:

Course: Main plan

Kitchen: American, barbeque

Faq

How long does it take to smoke half of chicken?

Since we manage our hottest smoker, around 300-325 ° F, our kitchen chicken havles in about an hour. It does not have as much taste of smoke as a lower temperature, but helps the skin to maintain good consistency and juicy meat.