Tres Redneck Simplified Smoked Chicken Recipes

TRE'S REDNECK SIMPLIFIED SMOKED CHICKEN

Steps:

• At least an hour prior to starting your charcoal fire, soak your wood chips/chunks in water. Use any type of wood you would like, hickory, mesquite, apple, peach, pecan, etc --
• Once you have established a bed of hot coals, set your water bowl in place and carefully fill it with water (carefully because you don't want your water to splash up over the side of the bowl and put out your fire underneath).
• Leave the skin on the chicken. The combination of the steam from underneath the meat and the fat trapped between the skin and meat will make your meat very tender.
• Set grates in place and place meat on grates. If you are using a smoker similar to the one I described above, set, load and season one grate at a time.
• Sprinkle the meat with all three seasonings, according to your tastes. *One word of caution* If you like salt, as I do, too much salt will make your skin impossible to cut and chew.
• Set the lid on your smoker. There should be no need to remove it until your are ready to serve your chicken.
• Once your meat in set on the grates and the lid is on your smoker, add a handful of soaked wood chips or a couple of wood chunks to your bed of coals.
• Check your smoker periodically, making sure that there is smoke coming out. When there is no smoke, stir your coals and add some more of your soaked wood. Repeat this as often as needed. This is the one time it is good to smoke like a chimney.

SMOKED WHOLE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat a smoker to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).
• Combine paprika, chili powder, cayenne, black pepper, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl and mix completely with a fork until well combined.
• Spatchcock the chicken by placing chicken, breast side down, on a work surface. Starting at the tail end, cut along both sides of backbone with kitchen shears. Remove backbone. Grabbing hold of both sides of the chicken, open it like a book. Turn breast side up. Push down on each side of breast with your hands until you hear it crack. Flatten. Rub with the seasoning blend.
• Smoke until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone, reads 140 degrees F (60 degrees C), about 3 1/2 hours. Turn up the heat to 350 to 400 degrees F (175 to 200 degrees C) and get direct heat on the skin to finish out with an internal temperature of 160 degrees F (71 degrees C).
• Remove from heat, cover in foil, and allow to rest until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F (74 degrees C), about 10 minutes. Cut and serve.