Take your weeknight chicken dinners to new heights with succulent, craveworthy smoked chicken breast with just a few pantry ingredients and a few hours.
4boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3 to 4 pounds)
vegetable or other neutral oil
1TbspDiamond kosher salt
Dry Rub (about 1/4 cup)
2tspground black pepper
1tspbrown sugar
1tspsmoked paprika
1tspgarlic powder
1tsponion powder
1tspdried herbs (such as thyme and/or rosemary)
Cayenne pepper or other ground chile (to taste, optional for heat)
Instructions
Season the chicken breasts 1 hour before cooking (or for the juiciest chicken, see note #1 about brining). Drizzle lightly with vegetable oil, then sprinkle with salt and evenly coat with the dry rub (or just salt & pepper). Let sit out while prepping the smoker.
Preheat the smoker to 225°F, using apple, cherry, or preferred smoking wood. Set up for indirect heat. Use "super smoke" mode if your smoker has it.
Place chicken breasts in the smoker, using a probe thermometer inserted into the thickest portion. Smoke until the internal temperature reaches 158°F, about 1 1⁄2 to 2 1⁄2 hours depending on the size of the breasts. (This allows for carryover cooking to a final temp of around 165°F)./
Remove chicken from the smoker and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing against the grain and serving.
Notes
To Brine the Chicken Breasts: Dissolve 1⁄2 cup kosher salt and 1⁄4 cup sugar in 2 quarts water then submerge the chicken. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Remove from the brine, rinse in cold water, and pat dry before proceeding with seasoning and smoking.
The dry rub is optional - You can simply season with salt and pepper. Take into account final use when deciding on rub ingredients. For example, for a creamy pasta dish, stick to garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Be careful not to overcook the chicken. Even with brining, the lean meat of the breasts can dry out when over-cooked.
For glazy smoked chicken: Brush with BBQ sauce during the last 15 minutes of the cook time.