These scrumptious smoked chicken breasts are the bomb! They are tender, juicy and smoky. A quick brine ensures they are moist throughout. They are very versatile and go well with numerous side dishes. They will definitely be the star of your meal.
Sometimes I serve them fancy, draped with béarnaise sauce, and other times with smoky baked beans (why not make use of the smoker?) or simply sliced for sandwiches with a slice of pepper jack cheese, lots of Dijon mustard and crunchy iceberg lettuce.
I highly recommend brining the chicken breasts. It only takes a few hours and the brine is quick to prepare. You can also use this recipe with pork tenderloins. They turn out juicy and melt-in-your-mouth tender.
A dry rub seasons the chicken while it’s smoking. It gives the chicken a gorgeous color and ensures the chicken is full of flavor.
During the last phase of smoking, move the chicken to a pan, add butter and cover tightly with foil. This step is crucial to ensure the chicken is juicy and tender without having a dry, tough exterior.
These mouth watering smoked chicken breasts are out of this world.
Smoked Chicken Breasts
6-8
servingsRecipe adapted from Celebration Generation blog
Special Equipment: Pellet Smoker, Digital Thermometer
Optional: Smoke Tube, Digital Remote BBQ Thermometer
Chicken
6 large fresh boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cups water
2 cups ice water
1/4 cup Diamond Crystal kosher salt or 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons Morton’s kosher salt
2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
1 large garlic clove, pressed
1 bay leaf
1 small-medium lemon sliced into wedges
- Dry Rub
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked fine sea salt (or regular salt) or 3 teaspoons smoked flaky salt such as Maldon
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Directions
- Measure 2 cups of water into a medium pot. Add the salt, honey or maple syrup, peppercorns, mustard seeds, pressed garlic clove, bay leaf, and sliced lemon wedges. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Remove pot from heat, transfer brine to a large bowl. Add 2 cups of ice water and stir to combine. Place bowl in the refrigerator to completely cool, about 1 hour. You can speed up the process by placing the bowl in an ice bath.
- Place chicken breasts in the bowl with the cooled brine and cover with plastic wrap, or transfer the brine and chicken to a zip top freezer bag placed in a bowl (just in case of leakage). Let chicken brine for 3 hours in the refrigerator.
- Remove chicken from the brine, pat dry with paper towels. Discard brine. If you have time, place the chicken on a plate and return to the refrigerator uncovered, to air-dry for 30-60 minutes. Otherwise, continue with coating the chicken with the dry rub.
- Preheat smoker to 225 degrees. For additional smoky flavor, use a pellet smoke tube. Place it on one side of the smoker. We use the A-Maze-N Smoke Tube. If you have a remote BBQ thermometer set it to 135 degrees and insert it into the thickest part of one of the chicken breasts. Smoke the chicken for 2 hours or until a thermometer reads 135 degrees. Transfer chicken (probe in place, reset to 157-160 degrees) to a disposable aluminum pan. Place a few cubes (about 1/2 tablespoon each cube) on top of each chicken breast. Cover the pan tightly with foil. Turn smoker temperature up to 265 degrees. Continue to cook chicken for another 20-30 minutes or until it reaches 157-160 degrees.
- Slice smoked chicken into 1/3-1/2 inch slices. Serve with your favorite barbecue sauce, béarnaise sauce, or honey mustard dip. Leftover chicken makes the best smoked chicken sammies.
Notes
- Leftover whole chicken breasts can be vacuum sealed and frozen for a few months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator and slice thinly for a delicious sandwich.