How Long Does It Take To Smoke A Whole Chicken? We Asked the Pros

Not only is chicken is the number one selling meat in the USA, it’s also one of the quickest, easiest and most affordable meats to smoke in your smoker. Unlike a brisket or a pork butt, which takes 10 plus hours to cook, you can smoke a chicken in under 2 hours.

The total cook time will vary depending on the size of the chicken and the cooking temperature. On average, it takes between 1.5 to 2 hours to smoke a whole chicken on a smoker if you’re cooking in the 300° F range. Spatchcocking is the quickest way to smoke a chicken. A spatchcocked bird will only take around 45 minutes to cook if the temperature to 375° F.

Cooking Times and Temperatures for Smoking a Whole Chicken

Weight of Chicken (lbs)	Cooking Time (hours)	Internal Temperature
4-5	1.5-2	165° F (breast), 175° F (thigh)
5-6	2-2.5	165° F (breast), 175° F (thigh)
6-7	2.5-3	165° F (breast), 175° F (thigh)

Key Points

• Chicken is a popular and affordable meat to smoke in a smoker.
• The total cook time for smoking a chicken varies depending on the size of the chicken and the cooking temperature. On average, it takes 1.5-2 hours to smoke a whole chicken on a smoker at a temperature of 300° F.
• Spatchcocking (flattening) the chicken before smoking it can lead to a more even cook and reduce the cooking time to about 45 minutes at a temperature of 375° F.
• To achieve crispy skin on a smoked chicken, it is recommended to keep the temperature high (around 300° F), dry the chicken before cooking, apply olive oil spray every 30 minutes during cooking, and avoid soaking the chicken in brine or using a water pan.
• The internal temperature of the chicken should be 165° F in the breast and 175° F in the thigh to ensure it is cooked properly and safe to eat. Use an instant-read thermometer to check the temperature.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Smoking a Whole Chicken

Step	Description
1	Preheat your smoker to 300° F.
2	Remove the chicken from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before cooking to allow it to come to room temperature.
3	Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, inside and out. This will help the skin crisp up when it hits the heat.
4	If desired, baste the chicken with butter or oil before cooking to help the skin crisp up and add flavor to the meat.
5	Place the chicken in the smoker and smoke for 1.5-2 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 165° F in the breast and 175° F in the thigh.
6	Every 30 minutes, apply olive oil spray to the chicken to help with the browning effect and crispness of the skin.
7	Use an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken frequently to ensure it is cooked to the proper temperature for safety.
8	Once the chicken is cooked to the desired level of doneness, remove it from the smoker and let it rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Spatchcock for an Even Cook

Before smoking a chicken, consider spatchcocking the bird prior to smoking. Not only will this technique cook the chicken faster, you will also get a more even cook. Chicken can be difficult because there are thick parts, thin parts and a hollow cavity. The breasts are a challenge because they contain little fat and can dry out easily. The thighs and legs contain more blood vessels, so take longer to cook, but are less likely to dry out because of the extra fat. Spatchcocking the chicken will give you an even cook, and will be much quicker. 

“Spatchcocking a chicken allows for even cooking and a crispy skin.”

– Franklin Barbecue (barbecue pitmaster)

How to Get Crispy Skin on Smoked Chicken

• You need to smoke it in the 300° F range to ensure you get that nice crispy skin. 
• Dry the chicken with a paper towel, or place on an airing rack prior to cooking.
• Apply olive oil spray every 30 minutes. This will help with the browning effect and help the skin be crisp. 
• Avoid soaking the chicken in brine, as this will also contribute to soft skin.
• Don’t use a water pan when cooking chicken, as this will add too much steam and moisture to the environment, which may soften the skin. However, water pans will give you moist, tender chicken.

The trick with chicken is to get crispy skin. Cook the thigh at 175° F and the breast at 165° F. You don’t want to use a strong smoking wood ‘cause it has sensitive flesh. You want to dry the skin ‘cause you want it crispy, not soft and rubbery. You don’t want to smoke it too long; otherwise, it will get too dry.

If you want crispy skin on a chicken, there are several things that you can do. First, keep the temperature high in the 300° F range. Unfortunately, if you have an electric smoker, the temperature will not reach beyond 275° F in most cases. Smoke the bird to the highest setting as normal, and finish in the conventional oven at 300° F. That way, you get the nice smoke flavor and avoid the soggy skin.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3FVqch9JnY

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What the Experts Say

1. “To get crispy skin on your chicken, dry it well before cooking and make sure your grill or smoker is hot.” – Myron Mixon, three-time World Barbecue Champion and author of “Smoke It Like a Pro”
2. “To get a crispy skin on your chicken, you need to start with a dry bird. Remove it from the fridge at least 30 minutes before cooking to allow it to come to room temperature. Pat it dry with paper towels, inside and out. This will help the skin crisp up when it hits the heat.” – Ray Lampe, aka “Dr. BBQ,” award-winning pitmaster and author of “Slow Fire: The Beginner’s Guide to BBQ”
3. “The secret to crispy skin on chicken is to remove the excess moisture. Make sure you dry the skin off well with paper towels, and let the chicken sit at room temperature for a bit before cooking. This allows the skin to dry out and helps it get crispy when it’s grilled.” – Chris Lilly, executive chef at Big Bob Gibson BBQ and author of “Fire & Smoke: A Pitmaster’s Secrets”
4. “To get crispy skin on your chicken, dry the skin well and make sure the grill or smoker is hot. Another trick is to baste the chicken with butter or oil before cooking to help the skin crisp up.” – Adam Perry Lang, chef and owner of Daisy May’s BBQ USA and author of “Serious Barbecue: Smoke, Char, Baste, and Brush Your Way to Great Outdoor Cooking”
5. “The key to getting crispy skin on chicken is to start with a dry bird and to cook it hot and fast. Preheat your grill or smoker to at least 400°F, and make sure the chicken is at room temperature before cooking. Basting the chicken with oil or butter will also help the skin crisp up.” – Steven Raichlen, barbecue expert and author of “The Barbecue! Bible”

Crispy chicken skin is a sought-after feature of smoked meat, adding texture and flavor to the dish while helping to seal in juices and keep the meat moist. However, achieving crispy chicken skin can be challenging, as the high moisture content of chicken can make it difficult to get the skin to brown and crisp up.

To achieve crispy chicken skin when smoking meat, barbecue pitmasters and experts recommend starting with a dry bird. As Myron Mixon, three-time World Barbecue Champion and author of “Smoke It Like a Pro,” advises: “To get crispy skin on your chicken, dry it well before cooking and make sure your grill or smoker is hot.” Ray Lampe, aka “Dr. BBQ,” adds that you should “remove [the chicken] from the fridge at least 30 minutes before cooking to allow it to come to room temperature. Pat it dry with paper towels, inside and out. This will help the skin crisp up when it hits the heat” (Lampe, “Slow Fire: The Beginner’s Guide to BBQ”).

Another important factor for achieving crispy chicken skin is the cooking temperature. To get crispy skin on your chicken, it is recommended to keep the temperature high, around 300° F. Chris Lilly, executive chef at Big Bob Gibson BBQ and author of “Fire & Smoke: A Pitmaster’s Secrets,” explains that “the secret to crispy skin on chicken is to remove the excess moisture. Make sure you dry the skin off well with paper towels, and let the chicken sit at room temperature for a bit before cooking. This allows the skin to dry out and helps it get crispy when it’s grilled” (Lilly).

Adam Perry Lang, chef and owner of Daisy May’s BBQ USA and author of “Serious Barbecue: Smoke, Char, Baste, and Brush Your Way to Great Outdoor Cooking,” suggests that “to get crispy skin on your chicken, dry the skin well and make sure the grill or smoker is hot. Another trick is to baste the chicken with butter or oil before cooking to help the skin crisp up” (Lang). Steven Raichlen, barbecue expert and author of “The Barbecue! Bible,” agrees, stating that “the key to getting crispy skin on chicken is to start with a dry bird and to cook it hot and fast. Preheat your grill or smoker to at least 400°F, and make sure the chicken is at room temperature before cooking. Basting the chicken with oil or butter will also help the skin crisp up” (Raichlen).

In addition to starting with a dry bird and cooking at a high temperature, applying olive oil spray every 30 minutes during cooking can also help with the browning effect and crispness of the skin. However, it is important to avoid adding too much moisture to the cooking environment, as using a water pan or soaking the chicken in brine can lead to soft skin. Instead, consider using a dry rub or seasonings to add flavor to the meat.

Another technique to achieve an even cook and reduce cooking time is to spatchcock (flatten) the chicken before smoking it. This will expose the bird more evenly to the heat.

Start Low and Finish High

One way to smoke a chicken is to start low and then finish high. Starting at a low temp will allow the bird to absorb more smoke flavor. Then by increasing the temperature, you’ll get a crispy skin on the chicken. If you want a crispy skin, chicken needs to be cooked at a higher temperature. The best temperature to smoke chicken is about 300° F. However, anywhere between 275° F and 350° F is okay for chicken. 

Make sure you don’t smoke the bird too long; otherwise, you’ll get a dry chicken. Use a good thermometer and smoke the chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 165° F on the breast and 175° F on the thigh. The chicken thigh and the legs contain red meat, so there are more blood vessels and fat within this part of the bird.

Therefore, I always take the thighs and the legs to 175° F. Also, it’s a good idea to face the thighs and the legs towards the hottest part of your smoker. If your heat source is coming from the right or the left, face the thighs towards that part of the smoker. 

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How To Tell When A Chicken Is Done

Cook chicken to an internal meat temperature of 165°F in the breath and 175°F in the thigh. Chicken needs to be cooked properly because it contains a lot of bacteria. Chicken is well known for containing a lot of salmonella, E coli, etc. Use an instant-read thermometer to ensure that your chicken is cooked to the done temperature.

Smoked meat can be deceiving because it has a pink layer on the outer layer of the meat. Parts of the chicken may look raw, but this is just the smoke ring. The smoke ring is a series of chemical reactions that occur on the surface of the meat and is when the smoke reacts with the fat and the moisture.

This chemical reaction preserves the pink pigment found in meat. With chicken, never go by look. Always go by temperature. Bacteria grow between temperatures of 40° F and 140° F, so always keep your chicken outside of this danger zone.

The Best Wood For Smoking Chicken

The best wood to smoke chicken is one of the fruitwoods, such as apple or cherry. Apple is mild and can be used with just about anything, and it’s a good idea to mix apple with another wood. An apple and cherry combination is a nice mix, as the cherry will give the meat a darker color.

Stronger smoking wood such as hickory or mesquite may overpower the sensitive chicken flesh. Although you can use these smoking woods, just mix them with a milder fruit. I like a 50/50 or a 70/30 mix of apple and hickory. Pecan is always a safe bet because the chicken will only be smoked for a couple of hours; it’s pretty safe. 

Do You Rest Smoked Chicken? 

Rest the chicken for about 20 minutes prior to slicing. This will allow some juices to reabsorb and not be lost. If you slice the bird too soon, the moisture will run out, causing the meat to become dry. During the cook, the muscles tighten and push out moisture. Resting allows the muscles to relax and reabsorb. 

Holding The Chicken

If you’re not ready to serve your chicken, you can place it in a cooler, a dry cooler wrapped in foil, but insert a thermometer probe to ensure it doesn’t drop below 140° F. If you use this method, remove the bird from the smoker before it hits the target temperature. 

The Barbecue Dry Rub

In my opinion, the best pre-made chicken rub on the market is World Champion pitmaster Harry Soo’s Slap Yo Daddy Rub. However, I prefer to make homemade rubs because I can control the salt content.

Apply a decent amount of barbecue rub on the chicken, and if you want a good recipe, check out this article: Best Rub Recipies. Here, I’ll show you the best recipes used by barbecue pitmasters, and you can mix and match these rubs and add or subtract ingredients. They’ll give you a good foundation for all your barbecue.