Summer afternoons with friends and family remain incomplete, without some sort of smoked meat to feast upon. It is a great time to dust off those infrequently used grills, get some meat smoking on them, and enjoy the whole process- from cooking to relishing every bite, with your loved ones.
While smoking meat, one of the most important questions people face is what type of meat to cook. While beef and turkey are a popular choice, they are very often not the healthiest one. Chicken, on the other hand, if prepared and smoked properly, can deliver a great burst of flavor without putting your health at risk.
Chicken breasts are one of the most convenient choices to make a smoking hot dish. You can go creative with chicken breasts, and add almost anything to it to intensify the flavor.
In this article we have listed 4 different types of smoked chicken breast recipes for you that will turn you into a hardcore smoked chicken freak like us.
Maple Chipotle Smoked Chicken
This dish has a smoked maple flavor and is popular if you want that hint of something extra in your recipe. The ingredients and directions are listed below.
- 6 boneless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons chipotle powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ½ tablespoon black pepper
- ½ cup maple syrup
- Step 1: In a large bowl, combine the chipotle powder, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, and salt together. They will form the rub for this dish.
- Step 2: Apply the rub evenly over the chicken, making sure to cot it properly.
- Step 3: Get the temperature on the smoker to 250F. Maple wood might be the best option to smoke this dish.
- Step 4: Place the chicken on the smoker and let it cook.
- Step 5: Every hour, glaze the chicken with the maple syrup. Glazing every 40 minutes will result in a better maple-like flavor.
- Step 6: After about 3 hours, the chicken will be done completely. Place a thermometer inside the fattest part of the chicken breast to measure its internal temperature. If the temperature is 165F, you are good to go.
- Step 7: Serve to your guests with a side dish.
Spicy Smoked Chicken Breasts
This recipe is great for those who want to make sure that their smoked meat is juicy and tender, and not void of flavor. It includes brining the chicken before smoking it, which lets it absorb all the subsequent flavors properly and makes a very yummy dish.
- 6 boneless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 6 cups of water
- ½ cup kosher salt
- 3 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- Step 1: In a large bowl, combine the water, kosher salt, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar. This will form the brine for the chicken.
- Step 2: Dunk the chicken breasts in this mixture and cover with a plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 7 to 8 hours or overnight.
- Step 3: Combine the rest of the dry ingredients in a bowl to make the rub for the dish.
- Step 4: Strain the brine, and remove the chicken breasts, wash them under cold water and let them dry.
- Step 5: Liberally apply the rub all over the chicken. Cut a bit of the skin and get the rub under there too to enhance the flavor.
- Step 6: Get the temperature to 225F on the smoker. You can use Applewood, hickory, or ample wood.
- Step 7: Keep smoking until the temperature is right inside the breasts, or until there is no pinkness left. This should take about 4 hours.
- Step 8: Once it has been completely cooked, serve with your favorite side dish.
Smoked Chicken Breasts and Jalapeno with Cream Cheese
Smoked chickens are amazing delicacies themselves, so it is no surprise that when you add some cream cheese in this dish, it just magnifies the whole taste a thousand times. This recipe is the ultimate comfort food to both chicken and cheese lovers and will get you hooked in no time at all.
- 6 boneless chicken breasts
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 2 or 3 jalapenos
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- Step 1: Place the cream cheese in a bowl. Leave it at room temperature for about an hour to soften it.
- Step 2: Remove the seeds from the jalapenos and slice them into small pieces. Combine with the cream cheese.
- Step 3: Brush some olive oil on the chicken breasts evenly with a basting brush.
- Step 4: In a bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients together to form the rub for the chicken. Season each breast individually with this mixture.
- Step 5: Put a large spoon of the cream cheese and jalapeno mixture on the chicken breasts and distribute it evenly. Fold the chicken pieces into halves.
- Step 6: Apply more olive oil to the outside skin, and then season with some more rub to get as much flavor as possible.
- Step 7: Heat the smoker to 230F. Use any wood of your choice.
- Step 8: Let the chicken breasts smoke until the internal temperature reaches 165F.
- Step 9: Serve when done.
Bacon-Wrapped Smoked Chicken Breasts
This dish is the simplest recipe in this list, as it consists of only two ingredients yet adds a lot of diversity to the favor. If you are not willing to get into the trouble of prepping too much, this dish is perfect for you.
- 6 boneless chicken breasts
- 15-16 maple bacon
- BBQ rub
- Step 1: Spread the BBQ rub all over your chicken. If you do not have a readymade BBQ rub, make it by combining 1 tablespoon each of salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, brown sugar, and black pepper.
- Step 2: Wrap the bacon pieces all around your chicken.
- Step 3: Season the bacon-wrapped pieces with some more BBQ rub.
- Step 4: Heat the smoker up to 250F. You can use any wood you prefer, but maple wood will give the best flavor to this dish.
- Step 5: Place the chicken pieces on the smoker and let it cook for around 3 hours.
- Step 6: See if the temperature has reached 165F to understand if the chicken has been smoked properly.
- Step 7: Serve with a side dish.
Conclusion: Chicken breasts are a very popular dish among people of all ages. Smoked chicken breasts are definitely an upgrade on that. If done properly, they can and will be the party stealer.
So get going on that smoker, follow the recipes we have selected for you, get even more creative if you want, and you will not regret it surely.
