Herb Smoked Chicken | Smoked Chicken Recipe with White BBQ Sauce
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Mark Lambert stopped by this week to show me his Herb Smoked Chicken recipe on his Red Box Smoker.
For this Herb Smoked Chicken recipe Mark starts by removing the backbone of the bird with a pair of kitchen shears. Simply cut down each side of the backbone and flip the bird over; press down on the breast to separate the wishbone and the chicken will lay flat on the board.
The secret to this recipe is getting crispy skin and Mark does this by completely drying the skin with paper towel and then applying a little olive oil cooking spray.
For the seasoning he keeps it simple: Salt, Black Pepper, and Garlic – my Killer Hogs AP Rub works great here.
The chicken actually lies on these herbs while it’s smoking. Build a nest on the cooking grate and place the chicken breast-side up on the herbs.
Mark added approximately 25 briquettes of charcoal to the red box and removed the water pan so the heat was directly below the cooking grate. Also instead of wood, Mark added fresh herbs to the hot coals which produced a wonderful smoke that flavored the chicken even more.
The chicken went on the top position on the red box and cooked for just over an hour. Once the internal temp hit 163 in the breast, it was done. The skin was perfectly browned and crispy.
At this point he rested the bird for about ten minutes and then cut it into individual pieces. For serving it was drizzled with white bbq sauce and garnished with some of the finely chopped herbs from the nest.
Mark says his family requests this recipe at least once a week and I completely see why. This chicken is packed with moisture and falor. You can pick up on the herbs but it’s not overpowering in the least bit and the skin…on my…it was the best part.
Paired with the White BBQ Sauce all I can say is Winner, Winner Chicken Dinner! Believe me you want to try this recipe. Big Shout out to Mark for stopping by and sharing!
Herb Smoked Chicken Ingredients:
– 1 Whole Roasting Chicken about 4lbs
– ¼ cup Killer Hogs AP Rub
– 2 Bunches Fresh Rosemary
– 2 Bunches Fresh Thyme
– 2 Bunches Fresh Sage
– 2 Bunches Fresh Chives
– Olive Oil Cooking Spray
– 1 cup White BBQ Sauce* recipe below
White BBQ Sauce Recipe:
– 2 cups Mayo
– ¼ cup Apple Cider Vinegar
– ½ Tablespoon Black Pepper
– ½ Tablespoon Granulated Garlic
– ½ Tablespoon Table Sugar
– 1 teaspoon Salt
– ¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
– Juice from 1 lemon
Directions:
1. Prepare Red Box smoker or other bbq grill for indirect cooking over dry heat. Smoker temp should be 400⁰. For best results place coals at least 17” below cooking grate.
2. Rinse and clean chicken. Remove the backbone by cutting down each side with a pair of kitchen shears. Place the bird breast side up and press down until the wishbone separates allowing the chicken to lay flat on the cutting board.
3. Pat the skin completely dry with paper towel.
4. Spray the skin with olive oil cooking spray and season both sides with Killer Hogs AP Rub. (salt, black pepper, and garlic can be substituted here).
5. Build a nest out of the fresh herbs on the cooking grate. Reserve a few herbs for placing directly on the hot coals.
6. Set the chicken breast up on the herb nest and place in the smoker. Add a few herbs to the fire and cook until an internal thermometer reads 165 in the breast or 175 in the thigh.
7. Remove the chicken from the smoker and rest for 10 minutes before cutting into individual pieces.
8. Drizzle the herb smoked chicken with White BBQ Sauce and garnish with fresh chopped chives. Serve with additional white bbq sauce for dipping.
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Herb Smoked Chicken Recipe