Smoked Whole Chicken is a delicious and easy way to get juicy, flavorful meat cooked in a smoker for your summer BBQ! A great grilling cookout recipe with dry rub. Gluten free dinner idea.
Preheat your smoker to 225°F with your wood chips or pellets (I like to use hickory, but use any flavor you like).If using a grill, put the chips in a metal pant, covered, with venting holes on the grill.
Mix the rub ingredients together in a small bowl.
¼ cup chili powder, 1 Tablespoon onion powder, 2 Tablespoons salt, 1 Tablespoon cumin, ½ Tablespoon brown sugar, ½ Tablespoon paprika, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon dry mustard, ½ teaspoon cayenne
Remove any packages inside the chicken.Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
1 whole chicken
Tie the legs tightly together with twine.
Rub the spice rub into the chicken, covering all surface areas.If the rub will not stick, use a very small amount of vegetable or canola oil to wet the chicken just enough for the rub to stick.
If desired, let the chicken sit with the rub for at least 30 minutes to help the flavors absorb into the meat (not required).
Put the chicken into the smoker, beast side up, after it has preheated to 225°F.Put a grilling meat thermometer into a leg at the thickest part, not against any bones.
Smoke until the internal temperature is 165°F in the thighs, typically 4-5 hours.You might need to smoke longer just depending on your smoker and if the meat stalls at all.
Let rest 10-15 minutes before serving.
Notes
Want to really crisp up your skin? You have a few options:
Let the chicken sit uncovered in the refrigerator up to 1 hour before smoking
For the last 5 minutes of cooking, amp up your smoker or grill to 400-500F to expose the skin to a high heat.
Using a grill? Insert a foil pouch of the wood chips with holes in it.