Smoked Chicken Breast

Laura Lynch

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This recipe is for easy Smoked Chicken Breast that is coated in a delicious dry rub and slow cooked on the smoker for about 2 hours, until some delicious smoky aromas and flavor is imparted.

» You might also like these The Best Smoked Mac and Cheese and Simple & Delicious Traeger Baked Potatoes.

Smoked Chicken Breast is one of the things we make the most on our grill. Not only is it super easy to put a few pieces of chicken on the smoker and let it slowly cook while you’re doing other things, it’s very versatile and can be used in so many dishes, as well as by itself.

You can make this chicken for an outdoor get together with friends or just as an every day meal. Everyone will be impressed with the delicious smokiness of the meat. If you have any left over, use it for salads and soups.

Ingredients You Need

• Chicken breasts – I use boneless, skinless chicken breast, which tends to smoke better than skin on. A really big, thick breast will need to smoke longer, while a smaller one will smoke faster.
• Olive oil – This is to help the rub adhere to the chicken and make sure the outside doesn’t dry out while it’s smoking.
• Dry rub or seasoning of choice – I always use my homemade dry rub, which is great on any type of protein you’re smoking or grilling.
• BBQ Sauce – It’s not necessary to put on BBQ sauce, but if that’s the way you like it, you can baste the chicken when it’s almost done for added flavor.

Equipment Needed

• Smoker – I use a Z Grills 700 series smoker for most of my smoking, though I also have a Traeger grill. You can use whatever smoker you have – they all work the same.
• Wood pellets – There are many types of pellets available. If you’ve already got pellets in your smoker, use whatever you have. I really like Hickory pellets for chicken.
• Meat thermometer – Many smokers have a thermometer built in, but if you don’t have one you’ll want to get an instant-read thermometer like the Thermopen.

What Smoker to Use

Z Grills 7002C2E Pellet Grill & Smoker

The 7002C2E is a new model featuring a digital PID control board and advanced technology for even temperatures and consistent results. With the built-in dual temperature probes, a huge pellet hopper, pellet cleanout system, and pellet view window, your grilling experience will be enhanced like never before. See this grill and more on the Z Grills site.

Traeger Grills Pro Series 22 Pellet Grill & Smoker

Traeger created the original wood-pellet grill as the ultimate way to achieve wood-fired taste. The Pro Series 22 is the one most people choose because it’s compact, yet has plenty of space for cooking.

You can use any type of wood pellets you like. I prefer Hickory, which is great for naturally enhancing beef, chicken, pork, and veggies with full-bodied, bold flavor.

How to Smoke Chicken Breast

Preheat your smoker on the Smoke setting. I like to start with 15 minute on the smoke setting before I move it to a higher temperature, to be sure the maximum amount of smoke flavor gets into the meat.

To prepare the chicken, pat it dry with a paper towel, then rub on the olive oil and dry rub seasoning so each piece is well coated. For this, I use about a tablespoon of oil and about a tablespoon of rub per piece.

When the smoker is ready, place the chicken directly on the grill. Smoke for 30 minutes on the smoke setting, then turn it up to 225°F. You might want to flip over the chicken at the point, but it’s not necessary. I just find that it makes the pieces more uniform.

Cook for another 1.5 hours, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160°F. Remove it from the grill and rest under foil for 5-10 minutes before serving. This will bring the temperature up to the perfect 165°F serving temp, and lock in the juices.

If you want to baste the chicken with BBQ sauce, you can do that in the last 10 degrees of cooking. Once it reaches 150, baste the chicken and do so another 1-2 times until the temperature is reached.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to smoke chicken breasts at 225°F?

Chicken breast takes about 1 hour to cook to an internal temperature of 160°F when you have the heat on 225°F. However, this timing is dependent on how thick and big the chicken breast is. Larger pieces will take longer to cook.

The chicken is ready to eat when it reaches 165°F, but if you rest the chicken under foil for 5 minutes after pulling it off the grill, it will rise to the correct temperature.

How do you smoke chicken breast without drying it out?

When smoking chicken breast, coat it with a layer of olive oil, which will keep the chicken from drying out while smoking. It also helps to keep the temperature at 225 and don’t go any higher.

Some people soak it in a seasoned brine for 3 to 4 hours before you are ready to cook it. This brine helps to impart flavor and keeps the meat from drying out too easily while it’s smoking. I haven’t found that it’s necessary to brine it, though. If you cook it to the proper temperature and don’t overcook, it will be super juicy and not dry.

Do you flip chicken breast when smoking?

You don’t need to flip your food while smoking. The heat and smoke circulates easily around the chicken as it cooks, giving each side an equal amount of smoking. I do like to flip it over after the smoking phase however, so that the shape stays uniform.

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Smoked Chicken Breast

This recipe is for easy Smoked Chicken Breast that is coated in a delicious dry rub and slow cooked on the smoker for about 2 hours, until some delicious smoky aromas and flavor is imparted.

5 from 20 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours hours

Total Time: 3 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 Servings

Calories: 289kcal

Author: Laura Lynch

Ingredients

• 4 Chicken breasts
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons dry rub or seasoning of choice

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Instructions

• Preheat your smoker.
• To prepare the chicken, pat it dry, then rub on the olive oil and dry rub seasoning so each piece is well coated.
• When the smoker is ready, place the chicken directly on the grill. Smoke for 30 minutes on the smoke setting, then turn it up to 225°F. Cook for another 1.5 hours, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160°F. Remove from the grill and rest under foil for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Equipment Needed

• Pellet Smoker Grill

Notes

• You can brush on BBQ sauce, if desired, once the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 140°F.

Nutrition

Calories: 289kcal | Protein: 48g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 145mg | Sodium: 262mg | Potassium: 836mg | Vitamin A: 68IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg

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Laura Lynch

Laura is a home cook, with 25 years experience behind the stove, who spends an extraordinary amount of time in the kitchen cooking. She loves making new recipes and finding wonderful new things to eat, both at home or abroad. She spends a lot of time researching, crafting, and perfecting her recipes and currently has a cookbook in development.