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Backyard Smoked Chicken

A backyard chicken half, smoked on a pellet grill then finished over live coals on a Weber kettle. No brine, just a dry skin, a Texas-style rub and a sweet heat glaze.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American BBQ
Keyword backyard smoked chicken, bbq chicken, smoked chicken half
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings 4 Servings

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

Season by feel and adjust as you go. The glaze spice amounts are a starting point, not a rule.