Recipes

Recipes · Chicken

Chicken, Brined, Smoked

Chicken · Smoked Foods

Chicken, Brined, Smoked
Prep 15 minutes
Cook 2.5 hours

Ingredients

  • Whole chickens

Mayonnaise

  • 1 gallon of cold water
  • 1 cup of coarse kosher salt
  • 1 cup of brown sugar
  • 1 stick of butter
  • 1 cup of mayonnaise
  • ¼ cup of Jeff’s original rub

Main Prep

  • 1 each Whole chicken
  • 1 Cup Mayonnaise
  • ¼ Cup Jeff’s original rub

Brine

  • 1 Gallon Cold water
  • 1 cup Coarse kosher salt
  • 1 cup brown sugar (dark or light)

Baste

  • 1 stick butter (melted)
  • 2 TBS Jeff’s original rub

Directions

  1. Pour 1 gallon of cold water into large pitcher. Add salt and sugar and stir until dissolved.
  2. Place chicken into non-reactive container and pour brine over chicken to cover. Refrigerate.
  3. After 4 hours, remove the chicken, rinse and pat dry. Discard brine.
  4. Cut along both sides of backbone to remove. Press chicken open and place skin side down on cutting board.
  5. Mix together 1 cup of mayonnaise and 1/4 cup of Jeff’s original rub. Place 1/2 of mixture on meat side of chicken. Spread to coat.
  6. Flip chicken to skin side up and apply other half of mayo/rub mixture to skin side spreading it all over the breast, wings and legs to coat. Push some of it under the skin wherever you can.
  7. Setup smoker for cooking indirect at 275°F using pecan wood for smoke. If your smoker uses a water pan, leave it dry.
  8. Place chicken skin side up on the smoker grate. Cook chicken until internal temperature reaches 165°F in the thickest part of the breast and thigh.
  9. While the chicken is cooking, mix together 1 stick of melted butter and 2 TBS of Jeff’s original rub. Brush this all over the skin side of the chicken 2 to 3 times during the cooking process or anytime it starts to look dry.
  10. Once the chicken is finished cooking, remove it to the counter and let it rest for 15 minutes with foil tented over the top.
  11. Carve the chicken and serve.