Want juicy, tender chicken every time? Smoke your bird! For a perfectly moist flavorful chicken, this is the best way to cook a whole chicken for easy meal prep or dinner.
Remove the chicken from the packaging and dry it off very well with a paper towel. Remove the neck and any other items from the cavity and be sure to dry the cavity out well as well.
If needed, place a paper towel in the cavity for a few minutes to absorb and liquid.
Carefully lift up the skin on the breast from the bottom, using your fingers and loosen it. Place the butter under the skin as far as you can manage to get it.
Season the chicken liberally with the chicken rub and salt.
Place the chicken on a wire rack on top of a rimmed baking sheet.
Preheat the smoker
When ready to smoke, preheat the Traeger to 325 degrees F. Add wood chips in a smoker box or wood chunks in the hottest corner of your grill to add more smoke flavor.
Smoke the chicken
Place the bird, still on the wire rack and baking sheet, directly on the grill grates. Close the lid and smoke for 1 to 1 ½ hours.
At the 30 minute mark, baste the chicken with the oil, by gently dabbing it over the skin. Continue to baste every 15 to 20 minutes until the chicken breast reaches 160F and the thighs reach 170 degrees F with a digital meat thermometer.
Rest & serve
Carefully remove the baking sheet from the grill.
Allow the chicken to rest for 15 minutes. As it rests, it will rise another 5 degrees internaly due to carryover cooking.
Carve the chicken by slicing the legs and wings from the bird. Then remove the thighs and slice the breasts from the breast bone.
Serve with barbecue sauce if desired.
Notes
We use Jack Daniel’s Charcoal pellets for this cook and hickory wood chunks.This recipe works great on a barrel smoker or traditional offset smoker as well. Simply prep the grill to maintain an even heat of 325 degrees F and cook as instructed above.