Smoked Whole Chicken

This smoked whole chicken is everything you want; juicy, tender, and wrapped in crispy, caramelized skin.

It starts with a flavorful brine for extra moisture, then gets coated in our signature smoked chicken rub. Low-and-slow cooking builds that deep smoky flavor, while a quick baste with chicken mop sauce keeps it moist. A final hit of tangy BBQ sauce and a blast of heat at the end give it that perfect sticky, golden finish.

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Skip the grocery store rotisserie chicken and make a smoked whole chicken that is out of this world. It is simple to make and even easier if you have a pellet grill. We used a Traeger, but any pellet grill will work. You can even adapt this recipe to a side smoker or an electric smoker.

Here is Why This Smoked Chicken Recipe Works

Brining locks in moisture. A quick brine ensures the chicken stays juicy and flavorful from the inside out. Heating the brine helps dissolve the salt, and adding ice cools it quickly so the chicken can soak right away.

The rub builds flavor and texture. A bold smoked chicken rub adds rich seasoning, helps the skin form a flavorful crust, and gives the smoke something to cling to.

Low and slow for real smoke flavor. Smoking at a lower temperature gives the chicken time to absorb that deep, wood-fired taste without drying out.

Basting keeps it juicy. A light mop of sauce during the smoke adds moisture and layers in tangy flavor.

High heat finish = crispy, caramelized skin. A final brush of BBQ sauce and a blast of heat at the end create a glossy, flavorful finish with just the right hint of sweetness.

For a completely different take on chicken, our Slow Cooker Chicken Paprikash is a slow-simmered classic with smoky paprika and a creamy sauce.

For more smoker recipes, you will love our Traeger sea bass, smoked prime rib, or our Traeger pork shoulder. And for another way to smoke a whole chicken, try our beer can chicken.

Ingredient Notes

• Kosher salt: The type of salt matters for brining. If using table salt, use about half the amount.
• Sugar in the brine: Balances the salt and adds subtle sweetness that enhances the smoky flavor.
• Herbs and aromatics: Bay leaves, rosemary, thyme, and garlic add light background flavor, but the brine will still work with just salt and water.
• Brown sugar: Helps the rub caramelize and build color on the skin.
• Smoked paprika: Adds smoky depth without overpowering the chicken.
• Apple cider vinegar: The tang in the mop sauce balances the richness of the meat.
• BBQ sauce. Purchase your favorite barbecue sauce or make your own. Try our chipotle bbq sauce or spicy raspberry sauce for something unique.

The brine takes inspiration from pitmaster Myron Mixon.

How Long to Smoke a Whole Chicken? 

The cooking time will vary based on the size of your chicken and temperature fluctuations on your pellet grill. The best way to know when the chicken is done is to use a digital thermometer to monitor the internal temperature. The thigh or leg meat should register 170°F to 175°F, and the breast meat should register 160°F to 165°F.

The following table will give you an estimated time at different temperatures.

More Grilling Recipes

• Traeger Pork Shoulder
• Smoked Beer Can Chicken
• Traeger Chicken Wings
• 35 Grill Master Traeger Recipes

Smoking a whole chicken on the pellet grill is easy, and the results are amazing. Our recipe is easy to adapt depending on what you have on hand. The chicken comes out juicy and tender, with a crispy, caramelized skin.

If you have leftover chicken, use it to make an enchilada casserole or use the carcass to make a chicken broth.

Prep Time: 1 day d

Cook Time: 4 hours hrs

Total Time: 1 day d 4 hours hrs

5 from 2 votes

Smoked Whole Chicken

By Dahn Boquist

Don’t let the ingredient list fool you. This smoked whole chicken comes together in five easy steps. Brine it, rub it, smoke it, baste it, and finish with BBQ sauce. The brine keeps it juicy, the rub builds flavor, and low-and-slow smoking adds rich depth. A final blast of heat caramelizes the sauce and gives you that crisp, golden skin.

If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating and comment.

Servings: 1 chicken

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Ingredients 

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Chicken Brine for Smoking

• ▢ 8 cups water, cold; divided
• ▢ ⅓ cup kosher salt, not table salt
• ▢ ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• ▢ ¼ cup whole peppercorns
• ▢ 3 to 5 garlic cloves, crushed
• ▢ 3 bay leaves
• ▢ 2 to 3 sprigs Fresh thyme
• ▢ 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• ▢ 1 to 2 sprigs fresh sage
• ▢ 3 green onions, chopped
• ▢ 2 lemons, quartered
• ▢ 2 cups ice
• ▢ 4 to 6 pound whole chicken

Smoked Chicken Rub (or use your favorite rub)

• ▢ ¼ cup brown sugar
• ▢ 2 tablespoons salt
• ▢ 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
• ▢ 1 tablespoon chili powder
• ▢ 1½ teaspoons ground black pepper
• ▢ 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon dried marjoram
• ▢ 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil

Chicken Mop Sauce

• ▢ 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• ▢ 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• ▢ 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon rub reserved from above
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce, more if you like it hot

Finish the Smoked Chicken

• ▢ 1 cup BBQ sauce

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Instructions 

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Brine the Chicken

• Pour 4 cups of water into a large stock pot. Add the rest of the brine ingredients, except for the ice cubes. Heat the mixture over hight heat until it comes to a boil. Stir until the salt dissolves then remove it from the heat. 
• Add the ice cubes and 4 cups of cold water. Stir until the ice melts and the mixture cools completely. If it is still warm after the ice melts, let it sit in the fridge until it it gets cold. 
• Once the brine gets cold, submerge the chicken, breast side down, into the brine. Cover and refrigerate for 8 to 24 hours. 
  

Smoke the Chicken

• Preheat the smoker to 225°F (pellet grill, electric smoker, or offset smoker all work).  
• Remove the chicken from the brine solution and pat it dry with paper towels. 
• Combine the smoked chicken rub ingredients and reserve 1 tablespoon for the mop sauce. 
• Loosen the skin and work some of the dry rub under the skin. Rub olive oil all over the outside chicken then coat it with the rub. Get inside the cavity of the chicken as well. 

  Tie the legs together with butcher's twine, then tuck the wing tips behind the shoulders. 
  
• Place the chicken directly on the grill grates. Stick a meat probe into the thickest part of the breast or thigh (push it in until you hit bone, then back it out a tad). Close the pellet grill and let her smoke. 
  

Make the Mop Sauce

• While the chicken is smoking, mix the ingredients for the chicken mop sauce. After it smokes for 1 hour, use the mop sauce to baste the chicken every 30 to 60 minutes. Smoke for 3½ to 4½ hours (see below).
  

Finish with BBQ sauce

• When the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 150°F, baste it with BBQ sauce and increase the temperature on the smoker to 450°F to caramelize the sauce and crisp the skin (If you are using an electric smoker, you will have to do this final step in your oven). The chicken is done when the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
  
• TIP: For the juiciest chicken meat, remove the bird when the breast meat reaches 157°F. The carry-over heat will continue to cook the bird while you let it rest.
• Transfer the chicken to a cutting board, cover it with aluminum foil, and let it rest for 20 minutes. 

Video

Notes

Salt swap: If you don’t have kosher salt for the brine, use 3½ to 4 tablespoons of regular table salt. Don’t substitute equal amounts. Table salt is finer and measures differently.

Cool the brine first: Make sure the brine is fully chilled before adding the chicken. Warm brine will start cooking the meat and affect texture.

Simplify the brine if needed: Don’t stress about missing ingredients, salt and water do the heavy lifting (a little sugar helps, too). The aromatics just add subtle flavor.

Smoker setup: You can place the chicken breast side up, down, or even upright on a beer-can holder. Breast side down lets juices from the dark meat baste the breast, keeping it extra moist.

Rub details: Our smoked chicken rub was adapted from BBQ Revolution by Mitch Benjamin. We scaled it for one chicken and added garlic powder. Double or quadruple it if you want leftovers. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 weeks.

Smoking time: The cook time depends on the size of your chicken and temperature fluctuations in your smoker. Always go by internal temperature, not time. Use a meat thermometer for accuracy.

How long to smoke a whole chicken (approximate times)

• 225°F for 3-1/2 to 4-1/2 hours
• 250°F for 3 to 4 hours
• 275°F for 2-1/2 to 3-1/2 hours

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 410kcal, Carbohydrates: 28g, Protein: 29g, Fat: 21g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g, Cholesterol: 88mg, Sodium: 5584mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 20g

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

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