Basic Smoked BBQ Chicken

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Here's an easy barbecued chicken that requires no attention to the cooker temperature. It's a good choice for your first cook in a new Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker.

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  • 6

Ingredients

  • 10 Pounds Kingsford Charcoal Briquettes
  • 3 Small Chunks Smoke Wood
  • 2 Chickens, 3.5 to 4 pounds each
  • Your, favorite barbecue sauce
  • All-purpose, Dry Rub
  • 1/4 Cup Paprika
  • 4 Teaspoons Table Salt
  • 4 Teaspoons Ground Black Pepper
  • 4 Teaspoons Granulated Sugar
  • 2 Teaspoons Chili Powder
  • 2 Teaspoons Garlic Powder
  • 2 Teaspoons Onion Powder
  • 1 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
  • 1 Teaspoon Dried Oregano

Preparation

Step 1

Choose The Smoke Wood

Each smoke wood chunk should be small, for example 3" x 2" x 2" or similar.

Use three chunks of oak, apple, cherry, or other mild fruit wood. As an alternative, you can use two chunks of any of these and one chunk of hickory.

If fruit wood is not available, use only two chunks of hickory, but be aware that some people find it overpowering when used alone.

Do not use mesquite for this recipe.

Prepare The Chicken

Remove the backbone from each chicken and split into two halves:
Place the chicken breast-side down with the tail facing you. Using kitchen shears, cut along one side of the backbone, then repeat on the other side of the backbone.
Turn the chicken breast-side up and spread it out on the cutting board. Press down on the breastbone with the palm of your hand to flatten the chicken.
Use a chef's knife to split the chicken into two halves.
Trim any large pockets of fat.

Sprinkle a moderate amount of rub on both sides of the chicken halves.

Fire The Cooker

Light a full Weber chimney starter of Kingsford charcoal briquettes:
.
Spread the hot coals evenly over the charcoal grate.

Measure another 1/2 chimney of unlit briquettes and spread them evenly over the hot coals.

When all the briquettes are covered with gray ash, place the smoke wood chunks on top of the coals.

Barbecue The Chicken

Arrange the chicken skin-side up on the grate and put the lid in place.

Set the lid vent and the three bottom vents 100% open and leave them that way throughout the entire cooking process.

Cook the chicken for 45 minutes. No peeking allowed!

After 45 minutes, lift the lid and quickly brush the skin with a thin coat of your favorite barbecue sauce and replace the lid.

Cook for another 15 minutes and then check the internal meat temperature using an instant-read thermometer. The chicken is done when the breast meat registers about 160°F and the thigh registers about 170°F.

Crisp The Skin

As a final step, crisp the chicken skin directly over the hot coals:
Remove the lid and set it aside.
Carefully lift the middle cooking section off the charcoal bowl and set it aside.
Place the cooking grate directly over the hot coals.
Turn the chicken skin-side down and grill for several minutes. Watch carefully and remove when you have crisp skin and nice grill marks.

Serve the chicken with extra barbecue sauce on the side.

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