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Prep Time15 minutes
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Cook Time3 hours
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Serving2
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Hickory Smoked Chicken Recipe Overview
If you want to smoke a chicken, you should definitely give hickory chips a try! Hickory offers a bold flavor for your chicken, turkey, or other poultry.
For this hickory smoked chicken recipe, I used a 4.2 pound chicken from Fresh Market, French’s Ball Park mustard, Brazilian Steakhouse McCormick seasoning, and 2 heads of roasted garlic. A two and a half hour smoke with a handful of hickory chips resulted in a perfectly cooked chicken with excellent smoked flavor. The breast meat was moist and infused with the scent of roasted garlic.
Why I Call it “Old Hickory” Smoked Chicken
The process brought to mind “Old Hickory,” the nickname of our 7th President of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Jackson earned his nickname because of his steadfast courage during the War of 1812. He has been quoted as saying, “Take time to deliberate; but when the time for action arrives, stop thinking and go in.” He was probably talking about war, but the advice applies to cooking, too. It’s always a good idea to have a plan, assemble your ingredients, know your recipe…THEN JUMP IN WITH BOTH FEET AND COOK.
How to Smoke a Hickory Chicken
To smoke a hickory chicken, you:
- Start the Smoker/Big Green Egg: First I made this fire in my Big Green Egg with the kind of expensive hardwood charcoal that you get at pool supply stores (in the red bag). Light the fire and let it burn about 15 minutes.
- Add the Hickory Chips: Next, throw in a big handful of dry hickory chips. When the fire isn’t billowing BLACK smoke, close the lid and start fiddling with the vents.
- Get a Fire Going: Now, get a steady 290-300 degrees fire going. It’s a beautiful thing.
See the full smoked hickory chicken recipe below.
Notes on Chicken Salad Recipe
Here’s a good chicken salad recipe from the Silver Palette cookbook to use with your leftover hickory smoked chicken:
Ingredients
SMOKED CHICKEN
Directions
How to Make a Hickory Smoked Chicken Recipe
For this hickory smoked chicken recipe, you first prepare the Big Green Egg by making a good fire, then tossing in a handful of hickory chips. Next, put the convector stone legs up over the fire. Then, put a shallow pan beneath the grill for the chicken drippings.
Close the grill and maintain a steady 290 to 300 degrees throughout. Plan for 30 to 40 minutes per pound and check the bird after 2 hours.
Let the smoked chicken come to room temp. You want the skin as dry as possible. If you have time let the chicken sit on a pan in the refrigerator overnight (so the skin dries). When you are ready to prepare the chicken, pat it dry.
Rub the hickory smoked chicken with mustard, and then sprinkle with seasoning.
Next, stuff the bird with two roasted heads of garlic.
Tie the bird's legs or truss it with the twine. Place it on a platter or flat aluminum pan. Be ready to put the chicken on the grill grate with a big pair of tongs.
Now you can cook the bird at a steady 290 to 300 degrees for about 2 hours and 30 minutes. The interior temp of the chicken breast should be around 165 degrees.
Let the hickory smoked chicken rest for approximately 20 minutes.
Conclusion
Hickory Smoked Chicken Recipe FAQs
If you're new to smoking a hickory chicken, here are some of the most frequently asked questions. Of course, you can always contact me with questions too!
Does hickory go well with chicken?
Yes! Hickory is one of the classic wood flavors for smoking chicken. The smokey and slightly sweet flavor of hickory complements the natural taste of smoked chicken, chicken sandwiches, or chicken salad, creating a delicious and well-balanced flavor.
What does hickory taste like?
Hickory tastes savory and hearty. With an almost "bacon-like" flavor, it is a great option since it pairs well with a number of smoked meats such as poultry, ribs, pork shoulders, etc. One thing to note: since hickory is quite strong, it's best to not use this flavor in excess. More about choosing the right wood for smoking here.
Is smoked chicken healthy?
So long as the chicken is lean and low in fat and carbs, a smoked hickory chicken is a healthy option for your lunch or dinner, backyard party, etc.. Smoked chicken meat is packed with great lean protein, flavor, and juicy tenderness.
What side dish goes well with hickory smoked chicken?
There are quite a few delicious side dishes that will complement hickory smoked chicken. Some choices we recommend include coleslaw, cornbread, roasted vegetables, baked beans, potato salad, or a fresh green salad.
Besides hickory, what flavor wood is best to smoke chicken?
Besides hickory, some other wood options to consider for your chicken dinner include applewood, cherry wood, and maple wood. However, we think that hickory is a fantastic flavor wood for smoking chicken, since it adds a bold, rich, and slightly sweet flavor that pairs well with chicken.
Smoked Hickory Chicken for Chicken Salad!
Your leftover hickory smoked whole chicken can also make a fantastic chicken salad! Put about two cups of white breast meat in the food processor with a couple stalks of chopped up celery. PULSE. Just be careful not to grind it too finely.
Then, in a mixing bowl, combine the processed chicken with mayonnaise and chopped dill pickle relish. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve on a buttery croissant with lettuce and tomato.
Final Notes on the Hickory Smoked Chicken Recipe
This hickory smoked chicken was delicious sliced and eaten as is. Cooking it at 300 degrees (a little hot for smoking) gave it a crispy skin. This was one of the best chickens I have ever eaten and one of the easiest to prepare. The bird I bought from Fresh Market was 4.2 pounds and it registered 170 degrees after 2 hours and 45 minutes.
For more delicious dishes like my hickory smoked chicken recipe, take a look at my dinner recipes here. Or, you can see all recipes here at makeadish.net.
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