Traeger Smoked Whole Chicken

Smoked Whole Chicken – Do you want juicy and flavorful chicken all Summer long? You have to try this recipe for chicken. Don’t even bother trying all those recipes that say Rotisserie style chicken in the slow cooker or oven because you know what? A slow cooker isn’t a rotisserie!

There is this restaurant by me called Doolittle’s Woodfire Grill and they do rotisserie-style chicken and it is smoked. This method of making a whole smoked chicken reminded me so much of the chicken at that restaurant I was amazed. I brined my whole chicken overnight and cooked it the next morning for 3 hours at 225 to 250 degrees. Used Oak pellets but you can use whatever pellets or wood chips you have on hand. I’m so happy I can produce that same style chicken at home and the leftovers can be used in salads, quesadillas, casseroles, etc. It is SO GOOD.

Ingredients for Whole Smoked Chicken

3 to 6 pound Whole Chicken

1 recipe for Basic Chicken Brine

¼ cup of seasoning of Choice – Trader Joe’s has some pretty good seasonings like their 21 Seasoning Salute or All Purpose Seasoning. Lemon Pepper would also be good even Lawry’s Seasoning Salt. 

Oak Pellets for Smoking

How to Make Whole Smoked Chicken

Make my recipe for a basic chicken brine and follow the instructions for how to make it. Let the chicken brine overnight or for 8 to 10 hours.

Once the chicken is ready to smoke or grill rinse the chicken off and pat it dry with some paper towels or whatever you hand on hand. Season the entire chicken with your favorite seasoning of choice.

If your smoker requires preheating, preheat it.

Set your smoker to 230 to 250 degrees and smoke your whole chicken for 3 hours. The temperature inside your chicken should read 165 when done. Let the chicken rest for 30 minutes before cutting into it or when it is ready to serve.

Grilling Instructions:

Make my recipe for a basic chicken brine and follow the instructions for how to make it. Let the chicken brine overnight or for 8 to 10 hours.

Once the chicken is ready to smoke or grill rinse the chicken off and pat it dry with some paper towels or whatever you hand on hand. Season the entire chicken with your favorite seasoning of choice.

Set your grill for medium heat (375 to 400 degrees)

Place chicken, breast side down, on grill rack coated with cooking spray over direct heat; cover and cook 7 minutes. Turn chicken over; cook 7 minutes. Move chicken over indirect heat; cover and cook 45 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in meaty part of thigh registers 165°.

Tips for Smoking a Whole Chicken

Keep your smoker cleaned. Any pellets inside the smoker will keep on smoking and might start fires if you don’t put them out. I learned that the hard way.

Use a drip tray for easy clean up.

My Traeger requires a pre-smoke before turning it to the temperature that it needs to be at. I forget this EVERY Summer and If I don’t put it on smoke for 5 minutes and just turn it to the temp right away the temperature inside the smoker shoots all the way up to 500. I’m pretty sure that is how my pellets inside caught fire.

Make sure your pellet basket is full to the top with pellets. I went outside one night to check them and the basket was running pretty low and the temperature had dropped to 53 degrees.

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