First and foremost, these are BBQ recipes. You can adjust them to however you like, it's just how I like to do mine.
ALRIGHTY!
First off, you'll need a whole roasting hen, SKIN ON! Remove the gizzards, necks, etc and do whatever you want with them. Next up, BRINE PREP!
The Brine:
1/2 cup kosher salt
2/3 cup brown sugar
1-2 Tbsp crushed black pappercorns
1/2 cup worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup honey
2 qts water
2 qts ice water
Mix everything except the 2qts ice water into a large pot. Bring it to a boil, shut of the BTU's. stir until salt, honey, and brown sugar are in solution. Dump in iced water to kill the cooking process.
Time for the soak.
Place chicken(s) into large volume plastic bag (I use white kitchen garbage bags) then place into cooler. Pack ice around chicken(s). Pour brine into bag submerging chicken(s). Remove excess air from brine bag, twist tie closed. Close up cooler and let it sit for 1-2 DAYS (yes, that's correct, you have to wait for this).
Once time has elapsed, remove the chickens from the brine, let them sit out in the open, and come to room temperature (this is important). Then fire up the smoker with some good lump charcoal (not that kingsford processed garbage) and get the coals glowing. Shut off airflow to firebox save but a small gap so that the O2 intake is VERY low. Toss in your smoking wood of choice (I like to use Pecan) up top, and let the smoker come to temperature (200-225F).
Let those puppies bathe for 8 hours or until temp in a leg is at 165F, checking every hour or two to add more wood / charcoal to the smoker.
Smoked Chicken
Re: Smoked Chicken
Nice. Love the brine recipe. Last time I smoked two chickens at 225-250, it o my took 3 hours to get to that internal temp.
- Copperfish
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Re: Smoked Chicken
I love brining my smoked turkeys, I use about the same ingredients except I put them in turkey fryer pots to brine in the fridge. I smoke my poultry half hr per pound at 225-250, usually with mesquite
Re: Smoked Chicken
I pretty much brine everything save beef products. Those get dry rubbed only.