Smoked spatchcock chicken time per pound

Smoked Spatchcock Chicken – That’s a tongue twister right there, but it indeed brings satisfying flavors to the table. Fall-off-the-bone juicy chicken with smoky goodness is faster with the now-famous spatchcocking method. That makes for an easy weeknight dinner or soul-satisfying deliciousness after a long week.

If you’ve ever met me before, you know I love celebrating. It doesn’t matter how big or small the win; whatever it was, if it was worth doing, then it’s worth celebrating. (Actually, I love making celebration food, so I’ll take any excuse😉)

A childhood friend excitedly told me she was starting an online business the other day. It’s so fantastic to see her pursue her passion. So today, I’m sharing what I’m going to prepare for her business venture celebration. Can you guess what I’ll make when her business finally opens? I’ll be thinking about that one 🤔.

What is Spatchcocking?

This culinary procedure flattens the chicken and hastens the cooking time while ensuring a tender, juicy bird. It’s an easy method that removes the neck, backbone, and giblets and then uses a little weight to flatten it, similar to butterflying. I also believe it lets the fabulicious smoke penetrate the meat better.

Recipe Ingredients

1. Whole Chicken – The star of this show is meaty and juicy. You could replace it with turkey or duck for an extra special holiday feast.
2. Brine – This step is optional, but I highly recommend it. You can get a fantastic poultry brine recipe with just one click.
3. Herbs – Dried thyme, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, ground black or white pepper, and cayenne pepper all take this deliciousness over the top. Of course, you can use your favorite spices blends as well. Creole, jerk, all-purpose, and blackened seasonings all do wonderfully on smoked spatchcock chicken.

How to Smoke a Spatchcocked Chicken

I love this bone-in method of preparing chicken because the flavor and juiciness are kept intact. And it’s super easy to spatchcock a chicken since it only takes three steps.

Prepare the Chicken

1. Remove the giblets: Take out the giblet package usually tucked inside the chicken. Then reserve it for mouthwatering homemade gravy.
2. Optional Brining – I highly recommend this step, but don’t feel obligated if you don’t have the ingredients or the time. You can use the turkey brine if you wish. (Photo 1)
3. Remove the backbone: Use your handy kitchen shears or a sharp knife to cut the left side of the backbone from the tail all the way to the neck. Then repeat with the right side of the backbone. (Photos 2-3)
4. Flatten the chicken: Flip the chicken over and press down on it to break the breast bone and flatten the wings. Done! (Phot0 4-5)

Season the Chicken

1. Season the Chicken – Rub your choice of seasoning (Creole, Italian, all-purpose, jerk, or poultry seasoning—it’s your call) all over the bird, on both sides. (Photos 6-7)

Smoke It

1. Preheat your smoker to 250-275℉/120-135℃. The higher the temperature, the faster the chicken will cook.
2. Start Smoking – Place the chicken in the smoker and brush with oil every 1-2 hours. Smoke until the internal temperature of its thickest part reaches at least 160℉/72℃. It will continue to cook, and the temperature should rise five more degrees. The ideal temperature is 165℉/74℃. (Photo 8)
3. Rotate – Flip the chicken halfway through for even browning – optional if using a pellet smoker and recommended for a charcoal grill.
4. Remove, Rest, and Serve – Remove the chicken from the smoker and allow it to sit covered with foil for 10 minutes. Then slice and serve.
5. Serve with traditional BBQ sauce, mustard BBQ sauce, or white BBQ sauce.

Enjoy!

Which Smoker is Best?

Of the many choices, pellet smokers, charcoal grills, and electric smokers are the most common. Honestly, the chicken turns out perfect in whichever one you choose. I love my Traeger Pellet Smoker, but a charcoal grill works just as well. Here are my top smoker choices:

My Choice: Pellet Smoker

Pros 

1. More Intense Flavor – Although this smoker takes longer, the smokey flavor penetrates better. Delish!
2. Flavored Wood Chips – Pellet smokers can use flavored wood chips to smoke meat in a closed chamber. That means you can choose your desired wood chip flavor.
3. Indirect Heat – The indirect heat source is farther from the meat, cooking your meat slower and more evenly.

Cons

1. It’s Bulky – The space this one takes up may not be ideal for apartment living.

How to Use a Pellet Smoker

1. Meat Placement – Put the chicken on the rack inside the smoker. The indirect heat source allows the chicken to cook evenly. That means you don’t have to worry about it burning on one side.
2. Add the Water Pan – Putting a pan with half a cup of water in the smoking chamber prevents your chicken from getting dry.
3. Trap the Heat – Close the smoker lid to trap all that flavorful smoky goodness.

Note: This method also infuses the wood chip flavor into the meat. (Pecan, apple, mesquite, and cherry work well for chicken, but you can mix and match your preferred flavors.)

I purchase wood chips directly from Traeger because they have good combustion and perfectly infuse the smoky flavor. But Kingsford also offers excellent wood chips for smoking.

Verdict – This smoker is straightforward, automatically feeding the pellets into the smoker and fanning the chamber. So there’s no need to get dirty, but don’t forget to check the chicken once in a while! 👍

Note: DON’T FLIP THE MEAT! You don’t have to flip your chicken because the indirect heat cooks it evenly. Talk about hassle-free cooking!

Charcoal Grill

Pros

1. Compact Unit – It’s small and convenient, and you can store it when not using it. Yay!!!
2. Environmentally-Friendly – It doesn’t require electricity, so you can use it for camping. How does smoked spatchcock chicken sound on your next trip to the wilderness?
3. Flavorful – While you can always use the standard charcoal, you can also use flavored wood to infuse more smoky aroma down to the bone!
4. Low Cost – This way of smoking is probably the cheapest. So take advantage of this budget-friendly option!

Cons

1. Direct Heat – Even though you put the heat as far away from the chicken as possible, the heat and the meat are still in the same chamber. That means you’re slow-roasting more than smoking, which can burn one side of the chicken if you don’t occasionally turn it.
2. Not so Clean – A simple, compact charcoal grill is a fantastic smoker, especially if you don’t have much space in your backyard. But it’s a little messier, so I wouldn’t wear my Sunday best.

How to Use a Charcoal Grill for a Smoker

1. Heat the Coals – Put the hot charcoal on one side of the grill. Put some larger pieces of wood (not chips) next to the fire if you’d like more smokiness. The larger wood pieces will smoke better than chips.
2. Keep it Moist – Put a pan of water on the grill next to the meat. Or occasionally mist the chicken with water.
3. Placement – Put the chicken on the side of the grill furthest from the coals.
4. Maintain the Heat – Shut the lid to start heating the grill. Try to keep the internal temperature around 225-250℉/107-120℃.

Verdict – This method is convenient, and you don’t need space for a bulky unit in your backyard. 👍🏾 Just add your favorite wood chips along with the charcoal.

Electric Smoker

Pros

1. Indirect Heat – No worries with an open fire with this smoker: just wood chips and heating rods.
2. Automatic Thermometer – You can see the internal temperature with the built-in thermometer.

Cons

1. Longer Smoke Time – This isn’t necessarily a con, but it does take longer to smoke because of the lower maximum temperature.
2. Electricity – I love this smoker, but it raises my electric bill a tad.
3. Different Taste – The taste may vary slightly without the authentic smoke from wood chips. And you may get a subtle plastic flavor if you don’t preheat it.

Electric smokers use heating rods to smoke the wood chips. It also uses convection heat to cook the chicken, giving it a slightly different flavor. It resembles a bullet smoker, but the wood tray substitutes for the fire chamber.

How to Use an Electric Smoker

1. Preheat the Smoker – Load it with your choice of wood chips and pre-smoke it.
2. Attach the Water Pan – When it reaches the ideal temperature, place the water pan in the lowest part of the unit. While it may lower the temperature inside the smoker, it assures a moist chicken later.
3. Placement – Place your chicken on the rack and close the lid or door.

NOTE: If you’re breaking in a new smoker, season it with cooking oil to remove manufacturing residue.

Verdict: Electric grills cook at lower temperatures, which takes longer. However, this method is easier to navigate!

Tips and Tricks

1. Easier cutting – If it gets a little tough to cut the backbone, try cutting it slightly farther from or closer to the bone.
2. Move the bone around – You can check the thinnest part of the bone if you move it around a bit.
3. Only open the smoker lid when necessary – Constantly opening the smoker will mess up the internal temperature, leading to a longer cooking time.

FAQs

How much time do you need to smoke a chicken?

I heat my Traeger smoker at around 275℉/135℉ to smoke my spatchcock chicken, and it takes 3-4 hours. Of course, it depends on your altitude and the size of the bird. So, to make sure, I have an instant-read thermometer and don’t take it out until it says at least 160℉/72℃. Then it rests for 10 minutes and the internal temperature rises to 165℉/74℃. It’s always tender and falls off the bone.

Spatchcocking vs. Butterflying

While spatchcocking is sometimes called butterflying, butterflying isn’t always the same as spatchcocking. Butterflying can also apply to slicing a chicken breast or other meat sideways but not all the way through, then laying it open to make it wider and flatter. This technique is helpful in recipes like my stuffed pork loin roast.

Barbecuing vs. Smoking vs. Grilling

Smoking is similar to barbecuing because they both take advantage of slow, indirect heat to cook all sides perfectly. However, smoking is usually done in an enclosed cooking appliance that gives the meat greater exposure to the smoke. Grilling takes advantage of the higher heat from a wood or charcoal fire and cooks your meat much faster. However, you will need to turn the chicken occasionally if you don’t want one side to burn.

Serving Suggestions

A dish like this only deserves the best pairings. Luckily, it isn’t hard to pick out recipes to accompany this one. Here are my top choices to serve with smoked spatchcocked chicken:

1. Serve up a side of Jalapeno Corn Casserole to give it a kick of heat balanced with corn’s sweetness.
2. A side serving of Easy Coleslaw gives your palate a refreshing taste.
3. Complete your comfort food experience with an easy Stovetop Mac and Cheese.
4. Make it feel like a holiday special with Roast Potatoes and Carrots.

More Delicious Poultry Recipes

1. Chicken Francese
2. Blackened Spatchcocked Chicken
3. Roast Turkey Breast
4. Breakfast Turkey Sausage

Conclusion

That’s the sum of it all: an easy-peasy process for a delectable smoked spatchcocked chicken. Will you brine or not? I would love to know if you tried it and noticed a difference in how juicy your chicken turns out.

Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 3 hrs

Optional Brining Time: 12 hrs

Total: 15 hrs 10 mins

• ▢ Optional brine
• ▢ 3½-4 pounds (1.5-1.8kg) whole chicken, patted dry
• ▢ Salt to taste, omit if brining
• ▢ 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ▢ 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• ▢ 1 tablespoon onion powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground black or white pepper
• ▢ ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Preparing the Chicken

• You can optionally brine the chicken using the same recipe for brining a turkey.

• Mix your seasonings in a small bowl. Set aside.

• Remove the giblet package (neck and gizzard) that's usually tucked inside the chicken and make some drool-worthy homemade giblet gravy.

• Use your handy kitchen shears or a sharp knife to cut the left side of the backbone from the tail to the neck. Then repeat with the right side of the backbone.

• Flip the chicken over and press down on it to break the breast bone and flatten the wings.

• Rub your choice of seasoning all over the bird, on both sides.

Smoking

• Preheat your smoker to 250-275℉/120-135℃. The higher the temperature, the faster the chicken will cook.

• Place the chicken in the smoker and brush with oil every 1-2 hours. Smoke until the internal temperature of its thickest part reaches at least 160℉/72℃. It will continue to cook, and the temperature should rise five more degrees. The ideal temperature is 165℉/74℃.

• Flip the chicken halfway through for even browning – optional if using a pellet smoker and recommended for a charcoal grill.

• Take the spatchcocked chicken from the smoker and let it rest covered with foil for 10 minutes, then slice and serve.

• Serve with classic BBQ sauce, mustard BBQ sauce, or white BBQ sauce.

1. Easier cutting – If it gets a little tough to cut the backbone, try cutting it slightly farther from or closer to the bone.
2. Move the bone around – You can check the thinnest part of the bone if you move it around a bit.
3. Only open the lid when necessary: Constantly opening the smoker will mess up the internal temperature, leading to a longer cooking time.
4. Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.

Serving: 150g| Calories: 379kcal (19%)| Carbohydrates: 5g (2%)| Protein: 34g (68%)| Fat: 23g (35%)| Cholesterol: 121mg (40%)| Sodium: 711mg (31%)| Fiber: 1g (4%)| Sugar: 3g (3%)

Course: dinner

Diet: Gluten Free