Smoked Whole Chicken

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This smoked whole chicken is rubbed with a flavorful dry rub and smoked for 4 hours for a juicy chicken recipe with crispy skin!

A whole smoked chicken with dry rub. .
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The Tastiest Smoked Whole Chicken

Welcome to another delicious smoked chicken recipe. You love our smoked chicken legs and smoked chicken thighs and now we are finally adding a whole smoked chicken recipe. Get excited!

Smoking a whole chicken is finger-licking good and once you prepare your chicken with a delicious dry rub, all you have to do is throw it on the smoker for a few hours and cook it to perfection.

Reasons we love this recipe

  • You get crispy skin AND juicy meat when you smoke a whole chicken.
  • This smoked chicken is rubbed (under the skin and on top) with a flavorful smoked chicken dry rub that adds so much flavor to the recipe.
  • You can make it for a tasty dinner or meal prep smoked chicken salad or shredded chicken for the week.

Smoking a Whole Chicken – What You Need to Know

What size chicken to buy for smoked chicken?

Because you will be smoking a chicken for 3-4 hours you want to get a large chicken so you leave the chicken in the smoker long enough to get juicy and smoky.
We suggest buying a 3-4 pound whole chicken.

How long to smoke a whole chicken?

This smoked chicken calls for about 3-4 hours of smoke time. The time may vary depending on the size of your chicken or what kind of smoker you are using.

Internal temperature smoked chicken

Regardless of how long you smoke your chicken the internal temperature of your chicken should be 165ºF.

What is the best temperature to smoke a whole chicken?

We recommend smoking your chicken at 275ºF for 3-4 hours. It’s the perfect temperature to not dry out your chicken!

Patting chicken skin dry with a paper towel.

What Kind of Smoker Should I Use?

There is a wide range of smokers out on the market now and we suggest using the smoker that you are the most comfortable with. Any smoker should work as long as it can fit a whole chicken!

We used a the Traeger 575 Pellet Grill. A pellet grill uses wood pellets to heat the chamber. We love our Traeger pellet grill because the grill automatically adds pellets to the smoker to keep the heat at the desired temperature.

Other kinds of smokers you can use are below.

Drizzling olive oil over a whole chicken.

How to Make a Smoked Whole Chicken

Looking to make a whole chicken in smoker? Here’s a quick rundown. Scroll down for the full written recipe!

  1. Preheat the smoker. Preheat any smoker that you’re using to 275ºF and maintain that heat throughout the whole cook time.
  2. Prepare the chicken. To prepare the chicken, remove any innards that came with the chicken. Pat the chicken dry from water and then rub the chicken (under the skin and on top) with olive oil.
  3. Add dry rub. Sprinkle the chicken with smoked chicken dry rub. Be sure to get under the skin and in every nook and cranny.
  4. Smoke the chicken. Place the chicken on the smoker and smoke for 2 hours. Spray the chicken halfway with cooking spray and then smoke for another 1-2 hours.
  5. Check temperature. When the internal temperature reaches 165ºF remove the chicken from the smoker. Let the chicken sit for at least 10 minutes before carving.
  6. Enjoy.

here’s a temperature tip!

Get yourself a digital meat thermometer so you can place a probe in you chicken to manage the temperature of your meat for the whole cook time.

The Best Smoked Chicken Dry Rub

We chose to rub this chicken down in a delicious dry rub because we wanted crispy and crunchy chicken skin. We used a delicious chicken dry rub of sweet and savory spices.

Smoked chicken dry rub.

Try it!

Smoked Chicken Dry Rub

Keep a batch of this smoked chicken dry rub on hand at all times for easy access to flavoring your chicken for smoking!

Should I brine my chicken first?

While this recipe doesn’t call for a brining, you’re more than welcome to do so. A chicken brine will infuse your whole chicken with even more flavor and help it stay nice and moist on the smoker.

Do note that it will add about 12 hours of prep-time, but it’s definitely worth it and something you can do the day before.

Check it out: here’s a post on how to brine a chicken for your reading.

Smoked turkey on a platter.

Try it!

Smoked Turkey

This smoked turkey recipe is exceptionally juicy. It is brined overnight and seasoned with a delicious turkey seasoning. It may take a bit of time, but it is so worth it.

A whole chicken rubbed with smoked chicken dry rub.

What to Serve with Smoked Chicken

Serve this whole smoked chicken with any of the delicious sides below for a complete meal!

Grilled Brussel Sprouts- This Grilled Brussel Sprouts Recipe is perfect for a quick and easy weeknight dinner side or meal-prep for the week!

Baked Potatoes in Foil- One of our favorite dinner sides is a baked potato in foil. Whether you’re hoping to make a grilled baked potato in foil or oven baked potatoes in foil, we’ll teach you how to make a perfect baked potato every time!

Greek Salad Recipe- This Greek salad is made with sweet cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, feta, and homemade Greek salad dressing! It is perfect for meal prep, a summer picnic, or just a healthy summer meal!

Broccoli Salad- This recipe for a broccoli salad gets its sweetness from dried fruit and a sugar/vinegar dressing. Plus, it’s a good way to trick children into eating their veggies.

A whole chicken on the smoker.

Got leftovers?

If you have leftovers (I’m sure you do!), try our smoked chicken salad recipe. It is one of our favorite things to make for lunches because the smoked chicken is so flavorful. Here are some other ways to use your leftovers:

Storage Recommendations

We suggest storing this chicken (carved, cubed, or shredded) in an air-tight container the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

A whole smoked chicken in a pan.
5 from 1 vote

Smoked Whole Chicken

This smoked whole chicken recipe is made with a flavorful smoked chicken dry rub and will leave you with crispy skin and tender, delicious meat!
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 4 hours
Total: 4 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 8
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Ingredients 

  • 3-4 whole chicken
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 tablespoons smoked chicken dry rub, from below

Smoked Chicken Dry Rub

Instructions 

  • Preheat the smoker to 275ºF and make sure you have enough pellets. We used Traeger's signature blend, but any kind will work.
  • Prepare your whole chicken. Remove any innards inside of the chicken and pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. 
    patting chicken dry.
  • Next drizzle olive oil all over the chicken. Rub the olive oil into the chicken, be sure to rub underneath the skin and every nook and cranny. 
    drizzle chicken with olive oil.
  • Generously sprinkle the chicken with the dry rub by starting by separating the chicken skin from the chicken meat. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of dry rub underneath the skin and massage the dry rub into the breast meat.
  • Carefully sprinkle the rest of the dry rub over the chicken. Massage the dry rub into the skin. Be sure the whole chicken is covered. 
    seasoned chicken.
  • Place the chicken on the smoker and spray it with non-stick cooking spray. Then cover the smoker and cook for 2 hours.
    smoking chicken on smoker.
  • After 2 hours, spray the chicken again with non-stick cooking spray and smoke for an additional 2 hours or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165ºF.
  • Remove the chicken from the smoker and let the chicken rest for 15 minutes. 
  • Carve the chicken and enjoy.

Tips & Notes

  • We used Traeger’s signature blend pellets for this recipe, but any kind will work. Just make sure you have enough in your smoker! 
  • Leftover smoked chicken will last 5-7 days in the fridge. 

Nutrition

Calories: 375 kcal, Carbohydrates: 3 g, Protein: 46 g, Fat: 19 g, Fiber: 0 g, Sugar: 2 g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Photography: photos taken in this post are by Erin from The Wooden Skillet.

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About Linley Hanson

Linley has played an important role in the success of Fit Foodie Finds over the last 10 years. She is an incredible home cook and has an amazing palate. She is the brain behind our recipes and has spent thousands of hours developing, testing, and perfecting the delicious meals you see here at Fit Foodie Finds.

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sonia santos
May 31, 2021 7:53 pm

Can I use liquid smoke instead together with olive oil? then bake..Smoker iss not usual here in my country Philippines and we lived in a condo.Thanks