Backyard Smoked Chicken
Backyard smoked chicken is a half chicken seasoned with black pepper and a Texas-style rub, smoked at 375°F until the breast reaches 161°F, then glazed and finished over direct coals on a Weber kettle for char.
| Smoker temp | 375°F (pellet grill) |
| Internal temp | 161°F, thickest part of the breast |
| Finish | Direct coals, Weber kettle |
| Total time | About 1 hour 50 minutes, plus overnight air-dry |
| Yield | 2 half chickens, serves 4 |
This is how I cook a chicken half in the backyard, no brine and no fuss. I dry the skin overnight, smoke it on the pellet grill, then finish it over live coals on the kettle for the char you cannot get any other way. The glaze does the rest.
Watch the full cook on YouTube.
Backyard Smoked Chicken
Equipment
- Pellet grill
- Weber kettle
- Boning knife
- Kitchen shears
- Saucepan
- Instant-read thermometer
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 whole chicken split into halves, backbone, keelbone and breast plate removed
- black pepper to taste
- Damn Yankee Texas Barbecue Italian Pisano rub for salt and herbs
- Damn Yankee Texas Barbecue Bronx Bird Blend for color
Glaze
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1/3 cup apple jelly or peach or strawberry
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 4 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder adjust to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper adjust to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce your favorite, to taste
- 2 tablespoons water to loosen
Instructions
Break Down the Chicken
- Remove the backbone with shears, the same cut as a spatchcock.
- Crack the keelbone and pull it out in one piece.
- Optional: remove the breast plate bones with a sharp boning knife so the chicken is easy to serve.
- Split down the middle into two halves.
- The night before, set the halves uncovered in the refrigerator to dry the skin. No brine.
Season
- Season both sides with black pepper.
- Layer on the Italian Pisano rub for salt and herbs.
- Finish with the Bronx Bird Blend for color. Get under the wing too.
Smoke
- Smoke on a pellet grill at 375°F until the thickest part of the breast reaches 161°F, about 1 to 1.5 hours depending on size.
Make the Glaze
- Combine the glaze ingredients in a saucepan.
- Bring to a simmer, not a boil, until the jelly melts. Adjust the flavor to taste.
Finish and Serve
- Move the chicken to direct coals on a Weber kettle for char and backyard flavor.
- Ladle the glaze over the top, flip, and work quickly so the sugar does not burn.
- Set the sauce over an indirect zone for a couple of minutes.
- Rest about 10 minutes, then portion the leg, thigh and wing and slice the breast.
Video
Notes
Pitmaster Notes
The overnight air-dry is the move. A dry skin takes color and crisps where a wet skin steams. And do not lolly gag on the kettle, that glaze has sugar in it and it goes from gorgeous to burnt fast.
Frequently Asked Questions
What temperature do you smoke chicken at?
375°F on a pellet grill. Pull it when the thickest part of the breast hits 161°F, then finish over direct coals for char. Plan on 1 to 1.5 hours depending on the size of the bird.
Do you brine this backyard chicken?
No. The only prep is drying the skin uncovered in the refrigerator overnight. A dry skin takes color and crisps, where a brined wet skin steams and fights you for it.
Why finish the chicken on a Weber kettle?
For the char and backyard flavor you cannot get on a pellet grill. The live coals add color and a little smoke, and they set the glaze in a couple of minutes. Work fast so the sugar does not burn.
Machete Boys BBQ is run by the 2023 American Royal World Series of Barbecue Reserve Grand Champion, based in Minneapolis. Methods honed in competition, built for your backyard. Read the full story →
This backyard cook uses the same chicken approach we run on the competition trail. See more in our recipes and read how we compete and win.
