My spouse wanted to fire up the pellet smoker recently and asked for a whole chicken, so I pulled some inspiration from this recipe. They call it a “dry brine,” which is basically just a fancy way to describe dry spice mix rubbed onto the meat instead of a marinade or liquid brining solution. And since I’m not feeling fancy, I’m simplifying the steps here for future reference.

Because I do want to repeat this sometime in the future! It turned out delicious, full of flavor, and surprisingly juicy, too. For the barbecue sauce, I used some bourbon barbecue sauce gifted to me by a friend, though this would probably work with any kind of barbecue sauce you have on hand. You can also adjust the amount of spices in this, as it has a little kick but nothing too strong.

Timing: Depending on the size of the chicken, cooking time can vary. Plan for 45-60 minutes per pound. The original recipe also calls for leaving the chicken in the spice rub (“dry brine”) for at least four hours, though I skipped this step and it still turned out flavorful. If you do allow for this marination time, be sure to also allow 30-60 minutes between refrigeration and smoking so the chicken warms up to room temperature.

Barbecue chicken salad: If you have leftovers, you can make a fantastic barbecue chicken salad. Chop the chicken finely and add chopped apple, celery, red onion, maybe some cilantro and/or peanuts. Mix in some mayonnaise, a splash of lime juice, barbecue sauce, and maybe some added seasoning (take your pick from the list below). Add a little at a time since it’s going to hit differently depending on how much leftover chicken you have. It’s easier to add more of something than subtract it if you have too much.

1 whole chicken (~4-5 pounds, innards removed)
1 tbsp. salt
1/2 lime 
2 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. packed brown sugar
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. black pepper
½ tsp. smoked paprika
½ tsp. onion powder
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
½ tsp. cumin
¼ tsp. mustard powder
1-2 tbsp. olive oil
barbecue sauce

Mix the dry ingredients together in a small mixing bowl.

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, then rub the dry ingredients into the skin. Gently lift the skin and rub some spices directly onto the meat as well. Stuff the chicken cavity with the lime.

If you have the time/foresight, place the chicken in the refrigerator uncovered for at least four hours or overnight (I didn’t do this and still had a delicious result, so it’s okay if you skip this step). Do not wipe off the spice rub before smoking.

Prepare the smoker according to the manufacturer’s directions and set the temperature to 225F.

When the smoker hits 225F, place the chicken inside, breast-side-up and thighs closest to the heat source. If possible, try to tuck in the wing tips. If you have a leave-in thermometer, insert it into the thickest part of the breast meat without touching a bone, which can skew the reading. Close the smoker and smoke. Replenish the wood if necessary while cooking.

When the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 130-140 degrees, brush the skin with olive oil and BBQ sauce and crank up the heat to 350 degrees to finish cooking. The chicken is done when it reaches 165 degrees in the thickest part of the breast meat and 175 degrees in the thickest part of the thigh meat.

Let the chicken rest for 10-15 minutes to allow the juices to settle and then carve with a sharp knife. If desired, serve with additional BBQ sauce. Enjoy!