Cooking a whole chicken in the smoker is probably the easiest thing you can master. I say that a whole hog (see page 53) isn’t for beginners, but a whole chicken sure is. Whenever you cook anything in a smoker, you risk drying it out. My chickens are never dry because the pan of apple juice underneath keeps the meat tender and circulates moisture and sweetness throughout the smoker. So the chicken is smoky in flavor and melt-in-your-mouth in texture. If you are a real “skin person,” meaning the skin is your favorite part of the bird, you should know that the skin on this chicken becomes soft enough to bite through and is delicious (that said, if you prefer crunchy skin, see my fried chicken recipe on page 45). If you like to make pulled chicken sandwiches, this is the recipe you need to start with. Simply cook this chicken and then, wearing food-handling gloves, pull the chicken meat from the bones and place it on a platter. Let your guests assemble their own sandwiches with buns and your favorite garnishes, such as Basic Hickory Sauce (page 22), Mama’s Slaw (page 119), and pickles.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4 (or 8 for pulled chicken sandwiches)
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Rinse the chicken inside and out, and pat it dry thoroughly. Place the chicken in a deep pan, add the broth and soup mix, and marinate, covered, in the refrigerator overnight.
Step 2
When you are ready to cook the chicken, preheat a smoker to 250˚F.
Step 3
Remove the pan from the refrigerator and discard the marinade. Apply the rub liberally to the chicken. Place the chicken, breast side up, on a meat rack with the handles down so the bird will be raised above the surface of the pans. Set the rack inside a deep aluminum pan. Pour the apple juice into the pan underneath the meat rack. Place the pan in the smoker and cook for 3 hours or until the breast meat reaches 165˚F. Remove the chicken from the smoker and allow it to rest on the rack in its pan for 15 minutes. To serve, carve the chicken into individual pieces.
