RCI-MT.004.0462.001
Hickory Smoked Chicken Breasts
When you get the job of smoked or barbecued chicken, do you weep in fear of flavorless breasts? It happens to everybody, even professional chefs. This is your solution.
Prep20 min
Cook25 min
Total45 min
Servings4
Difficultyadvanced
Ingredients
- 4 unit
- salt (if you're concerned1 cupget this: The meat takes just enough from the brine. In the end product, there's less salt than an order of large fries.)
- plus 2 tbs honey3/4 cup
- 2 cups
- 2 pounds
- fresh rosemary4 sprigsfinely chopped
- fresh thyme10 sprigsfinely chopped
- tbs black peppercorns1 unitcracked
- 1 unit
- 1 unit
- 2 unit
- lemon-pepper1 1/2 tsp
- Several pounds of large hickory chunks1 unit
Method
1
Combine salt, honey, herbs, and vinegar in a gallon-size zip-top bag. Add ice and shake until ice is mostly melted and mixture has cooled enough for meat to safely not cook.
5 minutes
2
Add chicken and refrigerate 1-2 hours.
90 minutes
3
Take chicken out of brine and pat dry with paper towels. Set aside.
3 minutes
4
Combine lemon pepper, peppercorns, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and paprika. Rub mixture gently into both sides of each chicken piece.
4 minutes
5
Place enough hickory wood chunks into the firebox of a smoker to keep the temperature around 225 degrees F. Insert a probe thermometer into one of the chicken pieces and place in the smoker. Cook, changing chunks as needed, until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
90 minutes
6
Remove to a plate and let rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Serve warm.
5 minutes