Go Back
Print

How to Brine and Smoke a Chicken

Ingredients

  • 1 gallon water
  • 1 cup canning salt
  • 3 Tbsp minced garlic
  • (other spices as you see fit!)

Instructions

  1. Heat 2 quarts (1/2 gallon) of water to boiling.

  2. Add the salt and garlic, stir to dissolve the salt, and then let solution cool a bit. 

  3. Add the water/salt/garlic solution to a food grade bucket. Add 2 quarts (1/2 gallon) cold water and stir to help bring the temp of the brine down even further. You don’t want to put your raw meat into super hot water. We don’t want it to cook, we want it to brine.

  4. Place the meat (pieces or whole bird) into the five gallon food grade bucket.

  5. If you find that you don’t have enough brine for the amount of meat you’re using, just increase the brine recipe—doubling or tripling as needed. It is important the meat stays completely submerged in the brine while it is brining!

  6. Cover the bucket and place in the fridge. Let sit for at least 24 hours.

  7. When you are done brining the meat, take the meat out of the brine, rinse briefly in cold running water, towel the meat off (clean flour sack towels or paper towels) and then let the meat sit on drying racks for a bit to further dry off. Although this dry time is optional, a dry surface on your meat will help the smoke flavor adhere better to the meat.

  8. Smoke meat using instructions for your smoker. Chicken should be smoked to an internal temp of 175-180 degrees.

Recipe Notes

 ** The breasts, legs, and thighs of four large chickens (6-7 pounds each) took 2.5 hours to smoke on a 40 degree day. We have found if we smoke on a particularly cold day (near zero or below) the smoking time is increased.