The Pitmaster’s Guide to Smoking Chicken: How to Avoid Dry Meat


If you have smoked a chicken and it’s turned out dry, then there are several things you can do to prevent it from happening again. Chicken can be awkward to smoke because it’s hard to cook evenly. The breasts are lean and dry out. There’s a large cavity in the middle of the chicken.The leg and thigh meat contain blood vessels and more fat. 

To avoid dry chicken, use a meat thermometer and cook to an internal temperature of 165° F in the breasts, and 175° F in the thighs and in the legs. Also, brine the chicken prior to smoking, and allow the chicken to rest after cooking to help the meat retain moisture.

Quick Tips

  1. Brine the chicken before smoking: Brining the chicken in a mixture of salt, sugar, and water for several hours before smoking can help keep the meat moist and flavorful.
  2. Smoke at a lower temperature: Smoking at a temperature between 225-250 degrees Fahrenheit for several hours will allow the chicken to cook slowly, which can help prevent it from drying out.
  3. Use a meat thermometer: Use a meat thermometer to monitor the internal temperature of the chicken, and remove it from the smoker when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
  4. Avoid over-smoking: Over-smoking the chicken can cause the meat to become dry and tough. Smoke the chicken for just enough time to achieve the desired level of smoky flavor.
  5. Keep chicken covered: Covering the chicken with foil or a lid while smoking can help to trap moisture inside, which can help to keep the meat tender.

What the Experts Say

  • The key to great smoked chicken is to keep it moist.
  • Use a meat injector to add a flavorful marinade directly into the meat before smoking.
  • Start with a quality bird
  • Brine it in a salt and sugar solution overnight before smoking to keep it moist and flavorful.
  • Use a dry rub of your favorite spices to add extra flavor to the chicken before smoking.
  • Remember, chicken doesn’t have a lot of fat, so it’s important to smoke it at a low temperature to keep it from drying out.
  • Always let it rest before slicing.
  • Always recommend using a digital thermometer when smoking chicken
  • to ensure it’s cooked to a safe temperature
  • Low and slow is the key to great smoked chicken. Cooking it at a low temperature for a longer period of time allows the smoke to penetrate the meat and gives it a delicious smoky flavor.
  • It’s important to use a meat thermometer to monitor the internal temperature of the chicken to ensure that it is cooked to a safe temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Brine the chicken before smoking to keep it moist and flavorful.
  • Use a good quality wood for smoking, different woods have different flavors, fruit woods tend to be milder, nut woods tend to be stronger.
  • Rest the chicken after smoking to allow the juices to redistribute and keep the meat tender.
  • Avoid over-smoking the chicken, as it can cause the meat to become dry and tough.

Dry Smoked Chicken? Here’s Why

CauseSolution
Hard to cook evenlyUse a meat thermometer to monitor internal temperature and cook to an internal temperature of 165° F in the breasts and 175° F in the thighs and legs
Lack of fat in the breastBrine the chicken before smoking, wrap the breast in bacon to add extra fat, or smoke at a lower temperature for a longer period of time to keep it moist
Large cavity in the middle of the chickenAllow the chicken to rest after cooking to help the meat retain moisture
Over-smokingSmoke for just enough time to achieve the desired level of smoky flavor and avoid over-smoking
Not covering the chickenCover the chicken with foil or a lid while smoking to trap moisture and keep the meat tender
Not using a meat thermometerUse a meat thermometer to ensure the chicken is cooked to a safe temperature and prevent under or over-cooking
Cooking too longKeep an eye on the internal temperature and remove the chicken from the smoker when it reaches the desired temperature
Not using salt, brine chickenBrine the chicken in a mixture of salt, sugar, and water for several hours before smoking to keep it moist and flavorful
Cooking environment not enough moistureUse a water pan in the smoker to add moisture to the cooking environment

Use a Good Meat Thermometer

A meat thermometer is a crucial tool for smoking chicken. It allows you to monitor the internal temperature of the meat and ensure that it is cooked to a safe temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. This helps to prevent under or over-cooking, which can lead to dry or tough meat.

Overcooking causes pushes the moisture out of the meat until there’s nothing left. That’s why it’s important to cook with good meat thermometers, so you know exactly what’s going on inside your chicken. If you want to cook perfect meat, you need to use a meat thermometer. This is the only way to cook the meat to the perfect temperature.

With traditional forms of cooking, the recipes usually ask us to follow temperatures and times. Pitmasters and barbecue enthusiasts cook to temperature, not time. And we do this by using the correct tools—meat thermometers. 

Check out out Thermometer Guide

Don’t Dry Out the Breast

The breast is the leanest part of the chicken and it dries out faster than the other parts. To prevent this, you can brine the chicken breast before smoking it, or wrap it in bacon to add extra fat. Also, smoking the chicken breast at a lower temperature for a longer period of time can help to keep it moist.

The chicken breast needs to be treated differently. If using a smoker or grill, place the chicken with the breasts facing away from the hottest part of your smoker/cooker. You want to protect the breast from the heat as much as possible.The legs and the thighs contain more fat and blood vessels, so they can handle a little more heat. 

“Smoke Wings How Long? Mastering the Art of Smoking Chicken”

Allow the Chicken to Rest

Resting the chicken after smoking allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, preventing them from running out when the meat is cut. This can help to keep the meat moist and tender. It’s recommended to rest the meat for at least 15 minutes before slicing or serving.

One of the main reasons people end up with dry chicken is that I don’t allow enough resting time. The worst thing you can do is take the chicken straight out of the smoker and shred it. You need to allow time for the muscles to relax and reabsorb some of that moisture.

The Best Temperature for Smoking Chicken

The ideal temperature for smoking chicken is between 225-250 degrees Fahrenheit. This allows the chicken to cook slowly and evenly, which helps to prevent it from drying out. Smoking at this temperature range also allows the smoke to penetrate the meat, giving it a delicious smoky flavor. It’s important to keep a consistent temperature throughout the smoking process to ensure even cooking.

If you smoke chicken at a low temperature, the meat will be tender and juicy but the skin will be soft and rubbery. If you smoke chicken too high, then it will be at risk of drying out. The ideal temperature for cooking chicken is in the 300° F range. Only take chicken to 165° F in the breast and 175°F in the thigh. 

“The Ultimate Guide to Dry Rubs for Smoked Chicken”

Spatchcock the Chicken for an Even Cook

Spatchcocking a chicken, also known as butterflying, is a technique in which the backbone of the chicken is removed, and the bird is flattened out before smoking or grilling. This allows for more even cooking, as all parts of the chicken are exposed to heat. Spatchcocking also allows for a crispy skin and juicy meat. By cutting and flattening the bird, there should be less dry parts. Spatchcocking involves removing the backbone and laying it flat like a butterfly. Not only does a spatchcock chicken look spectacular, it also will be evenly cooked. 

How to Spatchcock a Chicken

  • Place the chicken breasts down onto the cutting board.
  • Cut along the spine of the chicken, making an incision on both sides of the spine.
  • Cut out the backbone, then spin the chicken around so the breasts are down. 
  • Push down on the backbone until you hear the breast crack. 
  • The chicken should be flat like a butterfly and cook more evenly on your smoker.

Brine the Chicken to Retain Moisture

Brining chicken is a great way to add some extra moisture. Salt will help the chicken retain moisture during the cook, and will also add some more flavor.

Brine is a solution made of water, salt, and sometimes sugar, that is used to marinate chicken before cooking. Brining is an effective way to keep the chicken moist and flavorful, as the salt and sugar in the brine help to break down the proteins in the meat and retain moisture.

Brining chicken is easy. Follow this simple recipe: 

  • 1  gallon of water
  • 1 cup of salt
  • 1 cup of brown sugar
  • Leave the chicken soaking overnight in the refrigerator.
  • Rinse the chicken and dry. 
  • Remove as much moisture as possible, otherwise you will have a soft, rubbery skin.

Dry Brine for Extra Moisture

Dry brine and wet brine are two different methods of brining chicken. Dry brine is when the chicken is seasoned with salt, sugar, and other spices, and then left to sit in the refrigerator for several hours. Wet brine is when the chicken is submerged in a solution of water, salt, and sugar for several hours. Both methods have their own advantages, dry brine is a more convenient way to brine, but wet brine has a more intense flavor.

To dry brine chicken, simply rub kosher salt into the bird 4 to 6 hours prior to cooking—or the night before. The salt will draw moisture out of the chicken and make it nice and tacky, which will make the rub stick easier.

If you want to learn about dry brining, check out this article on amazingribs.com.

Injecting the Chicken with Marinade

If you really want to take your chicken to the next level, consider injecting the chicken. Injecting chicken with marinade is another way to add flavor and moisture to the meat. This is done by using a meat injector to insert marinade into the meat. This method can be especially useful for thicker cuts of meat like chicken breast, which can dry out more easily. Injecting the marinade directly into the meat can help to keep it moist and flavorful.

Using a meat injector, this is the only way to get moisture deep into the center of the chicken, while guaranteeing juicy chicken. You can buy a meat injector from Amazon for about $30, and they are very useful tools. You can inject the chicken with broth, stock, or you can buy a special solution that the competition pitmasters use. One such product is Butcher BBQ Bird Booster, which is produced by World BBQ Champion Dave Boushka.  

How to Get a Crispy Skin on the Chicken

You don’t want your chicken skin to be soft and rubbery, so there are several things you can do to avoid this happening.It’s a balancing act because you don’t want the chicken to end up dry. Although some techniques used to get tender, juicy chicken will cause the skin to go soft.

Another way to ensure you get a dry skin is to cook the chicken at a higher temperature. Keep the temperature of your smoker above 300° F but no higher than about 350° F. Anything below 275°F, will probably soften the skin. If you have an electric smoker, the temperature won’t go above 275° F. So if you want a crispy skin, finish the chicken in the oven at 300°F to 350° F. This will crisp-up the skin at the end of the cook. 

Adding a water pan to your smoker, as this will provide some extra moisture into the cooking environment. Although it will soften the skin a little, it will help retain some moisture. 

“Why Are My Chicken Wings Soft? – 10 Ways To Get Crispy Chicken Skin”

How To Smoke Chicken in a Smoker


Step
Instructions
1Wet brine the chicken the day before.
2Dry the chicken thoroughly.
3Apply BBQ rub to the chicken.
4Set the smoker to 300°F.
5Place the chicken in the smoker and spray with olive oil spray intermittently.
6Use a fruit wood, such as cherry for a dark color, or hickory, oak, or pecan wood for smoking.
7Cook the chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F in the breast and 175°F in the thigh.
8Remove the chicken from the smoker and let it rest for 15 minutes.

Wet Brine

Soaking the chicken in a wet brine is a great way to add some extra moisture, although it will cause the chicken to go soft and rubbery in the skin. If you wet brine the chicken, just make sure that you dry it well afterwards. Once the chicken has soaked for 24 hours in the brine, rinse the salt from the meat. You can either pat the chicken dry with a paper towel, or you can leave it in the fridge uncovered for several hours until it’s dry. 

Buy Legs and Thighs

If you want guaranteed tender, juicy chicken, buy thighs and legs. The thighs and legs contain more fat and blood vessels, which will make it easier to manage. Leg meat and thigh meat are the darker meat of the chicken and have a stronger flavor than breast meat. They also have more fat, which helps to keep them moist and tender during cooking. This makes them better suited to low and slow cooking methods such as smoking, while breast meat is better suited to grilling or roasting.

Reverse-Sear the Breast

I like to do a reverse sear on my chicken breasts. I’ll let them sit in the smoker for a few hours and then reverse see them on a high heat until they reach that 165° temperature. Reverse searing is a technique where the chicken breast is first cooked at a low temperature in the oven, and then finished off with a quick sear on the grill or stovetop.

This method helps to keep the meat moist and tender while also achieving a crispy skin. The low and slow cooking in the oven allows the inside of the breast to cook through without drying out and then the final sear on the outside creates a nice crust.

Tender, Juicy Beer Can Chicken

Beer can chicken is a fun way to smoke a bird. Not only does it look spectacular in your smoker, it will also provide a little of extra moisture to prevent it from drying out.

The beer can is inserted into the chicken’s cavity before it’s placed on the smoker. The beer in the can steams from the inside, which helps to keep the meat moist and flavorful. The beer also imparts a unique flavor to the meat, making it a popular method for smoking chicken. The beer can also acts as a mini steamer, keeping the bird moist and tender.

The liquid in the can will provide some more moisture into the cavity and create steam. This will help keep the chicken moist and juicy. It is a bit of a balancing act, but you need to make it look like your chicken is actually sitting on the car by placing the chicken legs onto the grill so it’s nicely balanced. 

“Beer Can Chicken On A Weber Kettle – An In-Depth Guide”

Standard Barbecue Rub

Standard Barbecue Rub

I found this great rub recipe through How To BBQ Right. I use this recipe and alter it slightly depending on what I'm cooking. Made by the guys at Townsend Spice & Supply: https://townsendspice.com/

Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • - ½ Cup Paprika
  • - ½ Cup Salt
  • - ½ Cup Sugar
  • - ½ Cup Granulated Garlic
  • - ¼ Cup Granulated Onion
  • - ¼ Cup Chili
  • - ¼ Cup Cumin
  • - 2 Tablespoons Black Pepper
  • - 2 Tablespoons Dry Mustard
  • - 1 Tablespoon Cayenne Pepper

Instructions

  1. Combine all the spices together in a large mixing bowl
  2. Store rub in rub shakers

Have you seen the most advanced thermometer on the market? FireBoard can be controlled via your phone, holds meat 6 probes, and records your cook data on a cloud.

My Favorite Meat Smoking Tools

Thanks for checking out this article. I hope you learned a few things. Here are some of my favorite tools I use when smoking brisket that may be useful to you. These are affiliate links, so if you decide to purchase any of these products, I’ll earn a commission. But in all honesty, these are the tools I recommend to my family and friends who are just starting out.

Meat Thermometer: There are dozens of fancy thermometers on the market, but I still use my trusty TP20. For around $50, I have a high-quality meat thermometer with two probes, and can track the temperature of my smoker with one probe, and my meat with the other probe. The ThermoPro TP20 is an Amazon Best Seller because it’s the easiest thermometer to operate, is durable, highly accurate, and comes with pre-programmed meat settings.

Instant Read Thermometer: Arguably, the second most important tool you need is a fast and accurate instant-read thermometer. These tools play an important role in the latter stages of the cook when the meat needs regular checking in multiple areas. I use the ThermoPro TP19 because it can do everything a ThermaPen can do, but for a fraction of the cost. You can check out the TP19 on Amazon here.

Wireless Thermometer: The latest thermometers on the market have no wires and can be controlled by wi-fi via your phone. Airprobe 3 is the best of this technology.

Butcher Paper: Wrapping brisket in butcher paper has become a huge trend in barbeque thanks to Aaron Franklin. Wrapping your brisket in paper will give you a nice brisket bark. However, you can’t just use any old paper, it has to be unwaxed, food grade paper. You can find it on Amazon here.

Advanced Thermometer and Automatic Temperature Controller: Once you’re ready to take things seriously, the FireBoard 2 Drive is a six-channel Bluetooth/Wi-Fi thermometer that can monitor up to 6 pieces of meat, control and graph your cook sessions on your smartphone, and attaches to an an automatic blower that will convert your charcoal smoker to a set-and-forget. This is one of the most advanced meat thermometers on the market. You can check it out on the FireBoard website here.

Damien

Author and founder at Meat Smoking HQ

Recent Posts