Beer Can Chicken Method
The beer can chicken method of smoking a whole chicken is something every grillmaster should try once. It makes for a very tender bird, as the evaporation from the beer helps keep the meat from drying out.
We like the beer can method so much, we built a special Chicken Throne to make it easier. This sturdy ceramic stand will keep your chicken from tipping over, and protect the meat from any toxins that the can could release.
Follow our beer can chicken recipe to get tender meat and smoke flavor like you’ve never had before.
How To Get Crispy Skin On Traeger Smoked Chicken Legs
The problem with most smoked chicken is that while the meat inside gets tender and delicious, the skin is usually a little rubbery and unappetizing.
Smoking your chicken legs at a high enough temperature on the Traeger to render out the fat underneath the skin is important, but so is the seasoning and the way you do it.
So if you want the crispiest skin possible at the end, it all starts with dry brining at the beginning.
This is what will separate you from all those wannabe chicken smoking amateurs out there.
It works on all cuts of skin-on chickenand turkey too.
Trust us.
Why Smoke A Boneless Traeger Chicken Breast
Without a doubt, chicken is one of the most delicious and beloved types of meats out there. Tender, satisfying and incredibly versatile, chicken meat is a worldwide favorite. Boneless chicken breast, in particular, is loved by people of all ages, everywhere. Ultimately, however, even the most beautiful piece of chicken can be either elevated or ruined by your method of cooking.
Smoking it using Traeger grill is not the most popular to cook a boneless chicken breast. However, most people who try it find it hard to go back to more traditional methods afterward. The reason? Smoked boneless chicken breast is incredibly juicy and tender. What is more, it has a slightly charcoal-like flavor that simply pops in your mouth. Additionally, smoked chicken freezes extraordinarily well, making it remarkably practical.
If you are not particularly delighted by chicken breast, dont worry. You can smoke any part of a chicken using a Trager grill, and the results will be consistently fantastic. Chicken thighs and wings are very often smoked in addition to chicken breasts. As a matter of fact, you can even smoke a whole chicken quickly and efficiently using this type of grill.
Recommended Reading: How Hot To Grill Chicken
How To Make Traeger Smoked Whole Chicken
Detailed measurements and full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How To Prep The Chicken
You will need to remove the contents of the inner cavity. Giblets are typically inside. Giblets are the little bundle of parts and usually include the neck, the gizzard, which is a muscle that grinds up food before it enters the digestive system, the heart, and the liver. Some people save these and cook them up or make gravy. You can discard if you wish.
Read Also: How Long To Cook Chicken Thighs Oven
Why Should The Meat Rest After Cooking
It is important to let your meat rest so that the muscle fibers are able to retain the juices that are still quite fluid inside. Particularly, we are considering the fats, oils, and water that were heated from a solid to a liquid phase during cooking, allowing them to move throughout the muscle. If we were to cut into the meat right away, we would release all of these liquids, making our food quite dry.
Instead, letting the meat rest allows fats and oils to condense into a more viscous state, helping them stick in the muscle fibers better. This also lets the vaporized water return to a liquid phase, preventing it from evaporating into the air as soon as you make a cut in the meat. Overall, you will notice that this will keep your meat more tender and juicy when serving.
The Best Cooking Temperature For Beer Can Chicken
The ideal temperature to cook chicken is in the 300° F range. Any lower than 275° F, you may end up with soft, rubbery skin. Theres nothing worse than soft rubbery chicken skin. Its even more important to cook above 300° F with the beer can chicken recipe. The beer can will create some extra steam, producing more moisture in the cooking chamber, and therefore softening the chicken skin.
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How Long Does It Take To Smoke Chicken
The grilling time for this chicken breast will vary based on the temperature you are smoking at, as well as the size of the breasts.The lower the temperature, the longer the cooking time and the more smoke flavor the chicken will have. The higher the temperature, the faster the chicken will cook however it will have less smoke flavor.
You can customize this recipe and the cook time based on how much time you have and how much smoke flavor you would like.
The cooking time will also vary based on the size and thickness of the chicken breasts. For best results use a meat thermometer. We use a meater plus bluetooth thermometer and love it!
Six: Grill The Chicken
To properly smoke boneless chicken breasts, you need to get your Traeger grill to 250°F. Use your thermometer to make sure this is the case. Once you reach the temperature and you see that its stable, put the chicken pieces in the grill. Close the lid and leave everything be for 45 minutes. Its important not to lift the lid during this time.
After 45 minutes of grilling, check the interior temperature of your Traeger grill. Ideally, it should be at least 165°F. If it isnt, make sure to elevate it to around 200°F. After that, close the lid again and let the chicken grill for an additional 15 minutes.
After that time has elapsed, you are ready to take the chicken pieces out of the grill. Dont be too quick to slice the pieces open, though, as this will cause the internal juices to escape and the meat to dry. Instead, wait for a good five to ten minutes.
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How Long To Smoke A Whole Chicken
The cooking time for a smoked whole chicken will depend on how you’ve prepared it, the temperature you’ve set, and the final product you’re looking for. The method above will give your bird a smoky flavor, but may not result in crispy skin if not roasted at a higher temperature. “The higher the temperature, the crispier the skin,” says Matt Pittman of Meat Church BBQ.
Spatchcocked Chicken
350 degrees F for 60-75 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. See recipe.
Whole Chicken
375 degrees F for about 60 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. See recipe
To measure the temperature of a whole chicken, insert a digital thermometer into the thickest part of the breast. The chicken is ready to take off the grill when the temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
Traeger Grilled Chicken Recipe
The Traeger Chicken Challenge is the first thing that they recommend you make after buying your first Traeger, and after tasting it, I can totally see why. Ive never had a whole chicken that retained so much moisture or had so much flavor. It is easy, consistent, doesnt take forever to make, and can be used for so many different dishes.
Also Check: Cook Chicken Legs In The Oven
What Flavor Of Traeger Smoker Pellets Go With Chicken
Pecan, Apple and cherry wood are the best for chicken because chicken is not a very strongly flavored meat so you can use lighter flavored pellets. I tend to use the Traeger Signature Blend of pellets which are a combination of Maple, Cherry and Hickory. It goes well with everything from pork to chicken to beef!
Two: Brine The Boneless Chicken Breasts
Next, take your boneless chicken breasts and put them into the large bowl or container with the brine. Make sure that all the pieces are fully covered by the liquid. Then, without covering it, place the container in a place where it wont be disturbed.
If you can, leave the chicken brining overnight so it can absorb as much flavor and moisture as possible. If you dont have the time, however, you can brine the chicken breasts for as little as 30 minutes.
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What Is Spatchcock Chicken
You will be surprised to learn that Spatchcock is simply a word to describe a method of butterflying your chicken so that it will lay flat on the grill, allowing all of the meat to be closer to your source of heat which means even cooking.
No more overdone legs and wings while assuring the breast meat is done!
Get all of my Traeger Chicken Recipes here!
How To Roast Chicken On A Traeger Grill
When ready to begin, start the Traeger grill on SMOKE setting, with the lid OPEN, until the fire has ignited and is smoking . Set the temperature gauge to 375°. Close the lid. Let the Traeger preheat for 10-15 minutes. Add a small pan of apple juice to the top rack of the grill. This helps to keep some flavorful steam circulating while roasting the chicken.
After grill has preheated, place the chicken directly on the grill grate. Cook at 375°F for approximately 60 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
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Meal Prep Chicken Breasts
The reason I love chicken so much is because it is incredibly versatile. From wraps and salads to easy entrees, having pre-cooked chicken in the refrigerator makes for quick weeknight dinners or easy meal prep lunches.
Add some vegetables like sautéed garlic mushrooms or Air Fryer carrot fries for an incredibly healthy and easy meal.
Pack up your smoked chicken breasts and vegetables in your favorite meal prep containers for easy meal prep.
How To Smoke A Whole Chicken On A Pellet Grill
Smoking a whole chicken on a pellet grill is as easy as cooking in an oven. In a pellet grill, which uses wood pellets as a source of fuel, your bird will be infused with smoke flavor.
Whats the best wood for smoked chicken? Most pair well with poultry, so let your other flavors guide you. If you need to add sweetness, any fruit tree or maple will help. If you want bold flavor try hickory or mesquite, and if youre just not sure, feel free to try a premade blend.
Doug’s opinion? “For chicken, fish, and turkey it is always apple.”
After you choose your smoke flavor, set the pellet grill to 225 degrees Fahrenheit, or the Super Smoke setting on your Traeger. Preheat with the lid closed for 15 minutes. Remove chicken from the brine and pat dry.
Place the whole chicken in your Traeger and cook at it at 225 degrees Fahrenheit for 45-60 minutes. This low and slow start will let the smoke flavor penetrate the bird.
Then, increase the temperature of your Traeger to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. The higher heat will help render out the skin of the bird so it isn’t as rubbery. Roast until the internal temperature of the bird is 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
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How Long Does It Take To Cook Beer Can Chicken
Plan for about 2 hours to cook a beer can chicken on a pellet grill. The total cook time will depend on the size of the chicken and the temperature of your grill. The chicken is done once the internal temperature reaches 165°F in the breast and 175°F in the thigh. Allow 10 minutes for the chicken to rest.
How Do You Grill Chicken Legs And Thighs
Grilling chicken is easy to do. Just make sure that you are grilling over indirect heat , and you turn them fairly frequently, you can be sure youre going to get great results.
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Best Traeger Recipes For Your Pellet Grill
May 26, 2022 · Found from Traeger. 2. Crispy Grilled Chicken Wings. Youre going to love this recipe. The crispiest, most flavorful smoked chicken wings youll ever make are cooked at 450 F for 25-30 minutes on a grill , and only require olive oil with kosher salt and pepper. Found from Traeger. 5. Smoked Shredded Beef Dip Sandwich.
How Long Does Chicken Take In A Traeger
It will only take about 45 minutes to cook a whole chicken on a Traeger with the temperature set to 375°F. If you are cooking at 300°F, it will take 1.5 to 2hrs. Spatchcocking the chicken will reduce the cook time and cook the bird more evenly. Avoid cooking chicken low-and-slow because the skin will turn out soft and rubbery. For a nice crispy skin, keep the temperature above 300°F.
When Is It Done? Safe Internal Temperature
A chicken is done when the internal temperature reads 165°F in the breast and 170°F in the thigh. When inserting the thermometer, stay away from the bone or you will get an inaccurate reading.
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Evenly Sized Chicken Breast
One big tip for best results with smoked chicken breasts is to start with evenly sized pieces of chicken, especially in thickness. The recipe calls for 6 chicken breasts that weigh about 8 ounces each. If you notice your chicken breasts are smaller, theyll cook a bit faster.
For uneven thickness, you can always wrap chicken breast in plastic wrap or place in a Ziploc bag and pound until its an even size. Just dont overdo it and turn your chicken breast into chicken cutlets.
Why I Wrote This Recipe
The secret is out: cooking a whole bird looks so much fancier than it is! Im a huge fan of serving a family meal, or get together dish, with one of my tasty whole chicken recipes as the centerpiece.
So I wanted to see how easy, and how simple I could make a smoked whole chicken on a Traeger. My goal was to have a meal we could pop in during the day when working from home, so we had a really nice weekday meal.
Here are some other chicken recipes that make amazing focal points for a meal:
- Similar: how to roast turkey breast in the oven and smoked turkey breast
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How To Make Smoked Whole Chicken
Now Ill walk you through it
Next up? Try the smoked corn on the cob seen in this recipe video or this smoked mac and cheese.
Check The Salt Content Of Your Rub
Always be careful not to over-salt your chicken. Be careful with the salt in the rub if you have pre-brinded the chicken. Check the salt content of the rub you buy. If the rub has a lot of salt, be careful if you brine the chicken. If youre making a homemade rub, then hold back on the rub or make a version without salt. I always like to salt my meat separately and make a version of rub with no salt.
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What Is The Best Teriyaki Sauce
My #1 is Veri Veri Teriyaki. We have used this brand for years to make teriyaki chicken all different sort of ways. It is inexpensive with a great sweet and savory flavor.
You can add a bit of heat and make it on a spicy side with a pinch of red pepper flakes. Easy change to it but will bring a whole new flavor with just a pinch.
Why Youll Love This Recipe
- Tender and Juicy Chicken – This recipe makes incredibly tender and juicy chicken that the entire family will love! This Jerk Chicken is another tender and delicious smoked chicken that is juicy and full of flavor!
- Less than 30 minutes – This BBQ chicken is so quick and easy making it perfect for busy weeknight dinners as it will be on the table in no time! Its also great for meal prep! If youre looking for more meat recipes that save well throughout the week try these Asian Meatballs and this Shredded Buffalo Chicken.
- Incredibly Versatile – Traeger Grilled Chicken is one of my favorite staples to have on hand in the fridge. You can quickly and easy make various meals from this recipe or heat it up and throw it on a salad. This chicken is perfect for these Smoked BBQ Chicken Nachos!
- Healthy Dinner Dish – It doesn’t get any healthier and more delicious than a tender and lean piece of chicken for dinner! Using a Whole30 and paleo compliant BBQ sauce keeps this chicken a great primal dish.
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