Smoked Pulled Chicken
Tender and flavorful smoked pulled chicken, seasoned with a delightful blend of spices, perfect for sandwiches, tacos, or salads. A crowd-pleasing, protein-packed dish that will satisfy your barbecue cravings.
Servings: 6 people
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ cup dry rub
Instructions
Prepare the chicken:
- If needed remove the giblets from the chicken cavity and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Run the entire outside of the chicken with olive oil. This will help crisp the skin while cooking and also act as a binder for the dry rub to stick to.
- Using you favorite spice rub, home made or store bought apply liberally over all sides of the chicken.
- Gently pull the skin away from the chicken breast and apply dry rub under the skin too.
Prepare the smoker:
- Prepare your smoker order grill for indirect cooking at 325° F using a light fruit wood such as apple or pecan for flavor.
Smoke the chicken:
- Place the chicken on the cooking rack and smoke until internal temperature reaches 165 in the breast. It should take about 2-2.5 hours depending on the size of the chicken.
Pull the chicken:
- Once done, remove and let rest covered lightly with aluminum foil for 20 minutes.
- Shred/pull the chicken into bite size chunks and discard the bones.
Notes
- Use a light fruit wood for the smoky flavor. I recommend apple or pecan.
- Keeping the cooking temps between 300° F and 325° F helps to get a nice crispy skin. You can cook at a lower temp such as 250° F which may extend the cooking time but still makes a tender flavorfull pulled chicken. The skin will not get as crispy so I recommend removing the skin before pulling.
- Use the pulled chicken for Pulled Chicken Sandwiches, Tacos, Nachos, Salads, and more!