Smoked Chicken Breast Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Season some chicken breasts, throw them in the smoker on your grill, and coat them with your favorite BBQ sauce to finish!

Prep Time10

Cook Time45

Soak Time30

Total Time1 25

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Difficulty: Medium

Servings:

Soak the wood chips in water for at least 30 minutes prior to cooking.
Preheat the grill to medium heat (350-375°F).
Fill the smoker box with wood chips. Place the smoker box on the grill.
Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels.
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Combine the salt, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, and smoked paprika in a small dish. Rub the oil and spices over the chicken pieces coating them completely.
1½ teaspoons kosher salt, 1½ teaspoons smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 2 tablespoons olive oil
Turn the heat down to low between 225-250°F.
Smoke the chicken over indirect heat by turning off half of the burners on the grill and placing the chicken over the unlit burners.
Smoke for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F.
Brush the BBQ sauce over the chicken if desired.
1 cup BBQ sauce

If you scale this recipe up or down, keep in mind that on average, at 225°F, it takes about 1½-2 hours per pound. At 250°F, it takes about 30-45 minutes per pound.
Hickory, oak, cherry, or applewood are all good choices for your wood chips.
Do not wrap the chicken in foil while smoking; this will prevent the smoke from penetrating the meat.
Remove the chicken from the smoker as soon as it reaches 165°F internally.
Let the chicken rest for at least 5-10 minutes before slicing to lock in the juices.

Storage: Store smoked chicken breasts in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.