BBQ Smoked Chicken

I am from the South, raised in the bible belt, or let’s say the BBQ Belt, which is way more fun! When I moved to California in 2018 I was thoroughly confused when I kept hearing people refer to BBQing when they meant grilling. Every time someone invited me to a BBQ dinner I would get SO excited, thinking of slow smoked ribs, or meat the fell right off the bone. Instead I was disappointed by grilled burgers and hot dogs, by itself these are great, but when you are expecting smoked meats, they just don’t compare. Nobody would ever make such a grave error in the South. BBQ = smoking at a low heat, typically in a smoker that burns wood chips or pellets. Grilling = cooking food at high heat, usually over an open charcoal flame or gas flame. This may be my one qualm with Californians.

Now that we have that straightened out, let’s talk about the best meat in the world: BBQ meat! My love for smoking foods started from the first time I saw a pork shoulder fall off the bone at a Southern BBQ party, and I have been BBQing ever since. One of my go to meal preps is a smoked chicken. It is way moister than a roast chicken, doesn’t dry out, and has the amazing smoky flavor that keeps it interesting even though it is simple.

Smoking a whole chicken is incredibly easy. All you need is either a smoker, or a charcoal grill. I have smoked chickens over charcoal and also over a wood chip smoker. Charcoal grills are trickier, but you just have to keep your coals / vents to where you have the heat around 250*F. The same goes for wood chip smokers! If you have either, I highly recommend giving this a try!