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5 from 1 vote

Smoking Whole Chickens

Whole chickens on smoker.
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time4 hrs
Total Time4 hrs 15 mins
Course: Main Course
Servings: 4
Calories: 426kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 chicken young whole chicken
  • 2 tablespoons Kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon thyme
  • 1 teaspoon sage
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Instructions

  • I then washed and rinsed the whole chickens, made sure I removed everything from the cavity (I have forgotten before) and then rubbed them down with the rub.  At this point, 2 more chickens joined the party, bringing the grand total to 6 chickens.  Yeah, I was pretty much planning to throw that last one on the grill at this point.
  • I was pleasantly surprised when I realized I DID have enough room for 6 whole chickens.  As you can see, without an inch to spare, she actually was able to handle all of the fowl.
  • Once I had all of the chickens arranged, I placed the lid on the smoker and opened the hole in the top.  To smoke a whole chicken, you want to be at around 250 degrees for about 4 hours.  The main thing to remember is that the internal temperature of the breast meat should reach around 170 degrees.  Check the temps after 3 hours using a meat thermometer.  You'll know you are getting close to smoked chicken deliciousness when the skin gets nice and dark.  My chicken turned out awesome and was done at pretty close to the 4 hour mark.
  • I had a little trouble maintaining a constant temperature while smoking the chickens.  I wasn't off by much, but the temps were fluctuating from about 250 up to 300 degrees.  I may have been over compensating and closing down the top air hole too much when the temperature got too high.  I need to get this right or smoking a brisket all day is going to be a little more of an interactive process than I would like...

Nutrition

Calories: 426kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 143mg | Sodium: 3624mg | Potassium: 401mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 406IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 2mg