Easy Smoked Chicken with Dry Rub. This goof-proof recipe for smoked chicken turns out so juicy with flavorful skin every single time!

Whole smoked chicken on a plate on top of roasted vegetables, fresh off the smoker grill and ready to serve.

Do you purposely avoid the whole-body chicken at the grocery store?

If you are a bone-in, skin-on avoider, I shake your hand and tell you I used to be the same way.

The boneless, skinless chicken breast was my world up until I dated a rancher’s son back in the 2010’s.

While I still dabble in the boneless pieces from time to time, most of the chicken I consume comes in the form of a whole chicken.

To me, the flavor is exceptionally better, it’s less expensive to buy a whole chicken or the butchered bone-in pieces, and I like making broth out of the bones and remaining meat.

Smoking a whole chicken is undoubtedly my favorite way of cooking the whole bird.

Don’t get me wrong, my Garlic Butter Roast Chicken recipe is near and dear to my soul, but there’s just something about the texture and flavor of smoked chicken that takes gold.

The bad news is if you don’t own a smoker, this recipe is irrelevant to you. The good news is, if you own a smoker, this easy recipe will change your life.

whole smoked chicken on a plate with roasted vegetables, ready to serve.

Tips for the best Smoked Chicken:

Tip# 1: Keep an eye on the internal temperature. The key is to cook the meat to the proper temperature, which is around 165 degrees for poultry.

If you have a heat proof digital thermometer that can stay in the chicken throughout the smoking process, using it will come in clutch.

Tip #2: Dry brine or marinate the bird. If you have the time, season the chicken with sea salt and place it on a baking sheet. Refrigerate overnight (4 to 12 hours).

Just before smoking, sprinkle the whole bird with the dry rub (make the dry rub without the salt so that you aren’t double salting).

Similarly, If you enjoy drizzling olive oil or avocado oil over your meat before you add a dry rub, feel free. I only add oil when I think it is absolutely necessary and in most cases, I don’t think it’s necessary.

Tip#3: To flip, or not to flip? Don’t be afraid to flip the bird half-way or three-quarters of the way through to get some nice grill marks.

Tip #4: Let the meat rest. Allow chicken to cool before serving it with your favorite side dishes.

With these tips and tricks, the end result is juicy chicken with just the right level of smoke and so much delicious flavor.

The best part about this recipe is the dry rub can be put on any meat for any type of cooking preparation.

Whether it be a roast in the crock pot, seafood under the broiler, chicken baked in the oven, anything on the grill, the dry rub in this recipe yields incredible flavor.

If you don’t want to smoke a whole chicken, make my Smoked Chicken Thighs for the easiest peasiest smoked chicken recipe.

Let’s chat about the simple ingredients to make this amazing smoked chicken recipe.

Ingredients for Smoked Chicken:

Whole Body Chicken: Pick up a whole chicken from the grocery store. Most whole chickens weigh about 3 to 4.5 pounds. The exact smoking time will vary depending on the size of the chicken.

Dry Rub Ingredients: garlic powder, paprika, ground ginger, onion powder, dried rosemary, salt and black pepper.

This combination of ingredients makes the absolute best dry rub for any kind of meat!

Recipe Adaptations:

Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of brown sugar to the dry rub if you like sweet seasonings.
Use your favorite spice rub instead of the one provided in this recipe.
If you’re familiar with fileting open a chicken, use this recipe to make spatchcock chicken.

Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s make smoked whole chicken.

How to Smoke Chicken:

Remove the chicken from its packaging and remove any giblets from the cavity of the bird. Pat the whole chicken dry using paper towels.

In a small bowl, add all of the spices and mix to combine.

Seasonings for dry rub in a small bowl with bottles of seasonings to the side.

Sprinkle the dry rub evenly over the whole body chicken and use your hands to lightly press the spices into the chicken. Be sure to get the sides of the chicken (legs and wings) too!

Note: If you have the time, you can refrigerate your rubbed chicken for 12-24 hours. This is known as dry brining. Ours was chilling in the refrigerator for 2 hours before smoking.

When you’re ready to smoke the chicken, Preheat your smoker or pellet grill to 225 degrees Fahrenheit. Be sure there are enough pellets in the hopper.

Place chicken on the preheated smoker either breast-side down or breast-side up on the smoker.

Close the lid and allow chicken to smoke for 3 to 4 hours, depending on the size of the chicken. Checking the temperature of the meat with an instant-read thermometer.

Smoked chicken being pulled out of a smoker.

The chicken should be 165 degrees F before pulling it from the smoker grill.

To check the internal temperature, insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh and the thickest part of the breast. Most electric smokers (like a Traeger grill) come with an electric probe thermometer which can be used during the entirety of the cooking process.

If the chicken needs more time after 3 hours, you can adjust the temperature to 375 degrees in order to finish cooking.

After the chicken has finished smoking, transfer it to a rimmed baking sheet and let the chicken rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

How to Get Crispy Skin:

In order to achieve crisp skin out of this whole chicken recipe, you will need to adjust your smoker to a very hot setting for the last 8 to 15 minutes of cooking.

To do so, change the smoker setting to 500 degrees once the internal temperature of the chicken is 125 to 130 degrees.

This will give you time to crisp up the skin while not overcooking the inside of the chicken. Avoid overcooking the meat by performing this step well before the chicken is finished cooking.

This step results in crispier skin rather than rubbery skin.

Smoked chicken recipe on a plate, ready to serve.

Serve smoked whole chicken with your choice of side dishes and enjoy.

Store leftover chicken in an airtight container for up to 5 days (I recommend butchering it before storing it).

What to Serve with Smoked Chicken:

How Long to Smoke a Whole Chicken:

The exact cooking time depends on the size of your chicken, its temperature going into the smoker, and how much smoke flavor you’re looking for.

Nevertheless, a 4-pound chicken should take about 2.5 to 3.5 hours at 225. For the best result, use a thermometer to check the temperature starting at 2 hours of smoke time.

A great rule of thumb is 15-20 minutes per pound, which usually pencils out to 3-5 hours of smoke time depending on the weight of the chicken.

I’ve found the optimal smoky flavor is generated when smoking slow and low at 225 degrees Fahrenheit. Smoking at a lower temperature is the best way to get juicy chicken with a whole lot of flavor.

The downside to smoking at a low temperature is the outside of the chicken doesn’t become as crispy as you get with rotisserie chicken. Nevertheless, you can skill achieve crispy chicken skin by following my instructions above.

And that’s it! Everything you need to know to make perfect smoked chicken! This flavorful chicken is amazing for any occasion necessitating food.

Both the white meat and the dark meat turn out so delectable in this easy smoker recipe that the entire family is guaranteed a good time.

Whole smoked chicken forever!