Smoked Half Chickens Recipe

Top view of two whole chickens being grilled on a circular metal grill with a red exterior.

5 from 1 vote

Smoked Half Chickens Recipe

Make smoked half chickens with insanely juicy meat and actually crispy skin, perfect for when you need a simple chicken dinner. This recipe covers just how simple this meal can be with tips for a variety of grills.

Prep Time5

Cook Time1

Resting Time5

Total Time1 10

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, barbeque

Servings:

Calories: 80kcal

Author: Kita Roberts

Ingredients

For the chicken

2 chicken halves
1 tbsp salt
3 tbsp your favorite chicken rub we used GirlsCanGrill Chicken Rub

For garnish: 

BBQ sauce, aji amarillo sauce, chipotle crema, or Alabama white sauce depending on the flavor profile you want.
Cilantro minced

Instructions

Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. Make sure to dry all sides and below the fold of the chicken wings.
Season the chicken on both sides with the salt and chicken rub.
Place the chicken on a wire rack over a baking sheet, skin side up, and let sit in the fridge for 2 hours to overnight.
Clean and oil the grill grates and preheat the smoker to 300 - 325 degrees F.
When the grill has preheated, place the chicken on the grill grates and close the lid.  
Allow the chicken to smoke until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F in the breast and 170 - 175 in the legs and thighs with a digital meat thermometer, about 1 hour.
Carefully transfer the chicken havles to a baking sheet and let them rest for 7 to 10 minutes before serving.
Serve the chicken halves whole or cut them in half, separating the leg and thigh from the chicken breast.

Notes

Cutting whole chickens: You can easily make chicken halves by spatchcocking a chicken with kitchen shears and then cutting once more through the center of the breastbone to separate the two sides into halves. See our guide for how to cut up a chicken for step by step instructions.

Checking Doneness: Use a meat thermometer to ensure the chicken is perfectly cooked to the safe internal temperatures—165°F for chicken breasts and 170-175°F for thighs.

Skin Perfection: Patting the chicken dry and letting it sit in the fridge are key for achieving that desired crispy skin. We also brush the chicken skin with oil around the last 15 minutes of smoking just to lock in BBQ rub and add extra crispiness.

Add extra smoky flavor: To add a little extra flavor, use one to two wood chunks or a handful of wood chips in a smoker box. We love hickory for its classic barbecue taste.

For a Charcoal Grill:   

For a traditional charcoal grill, set up your coals for a 2-zone fire by pouring lit charcoal on one side of the grill. Clean the grill grates. Adjust the air vents and cover the grill to allow the grill to preheat.
When the grill is ready, place the chicken halves on the cooler side of the grill. Cover with the lid and allow the chicken to cook as directed.
For a ceramic grill, like shown above, use the diffuser plates to create a smoking environment for the chicken.
We recommend Cowboy Lump charcoal and hickory wood chunks.

For a drum smoker:    

Light the coals and add them to the bottom of the drum when ready. Preheat your drum smoker by adjusting the air vents. Clean and oil the grates.
With a drum smoker, you have two options for the chicken. You can arrange the chicken on the grill grate (set to it's highest position) or hang the chicken halves. We love this method for crazy good barbecue flavor.

For a traditional Pellet Grill (Traeger)

For a pellet smoker, preheat the grill to 300 - 325 degrees F. Clean and oil the grill grates.
When the grill is preheated, add the chicken to the grill, close the lid and cook until it reaches 165-175 degrees F.
Because most pellet smokers don't have a cooler or hot side of the grill, you may want to rotate the chicken halves for even cooking.
We recommend Jack Daniel's Charcoal Pellets

For a gas grill:

Set up your gas grill for indirect heat by first preheating the grill with all the burners on high. Clean and oil the grill grates. Then turn off 1 of the burners, this will be your cool side. Adjust the other burners to medium heat and maintain a temp of 300-325 degrees F. Don't be shy with flavor and consider smoking on a gas grill by adding wood chips in a smoker box or foil packet to really amp up the taste.
When the grill is preheated, cook the chicken halves as instructed over the cooler side of the grill.

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Nutrition