Thank you Western Premium BBQ Products! As you know Smoked Rotisserie Chicken is a family favorite!
A smoked rotisserie chicken has to be my go-to Sunday Supper! It is so easy! I know, it is just so darn easy to run into the grocery store and buy a hot rotisserie chicken! But here’s the deal, at home you can select your favorite seasoning blend, and you can add a delicious smoky flavor that store rotisserie chickens can’t match! Plus, your smoked rotisserie chicken won’t have MSG, added preservatives, or be over-baked; that’s a plus for me!
Another advantage of smoking rotisserie chicken at home is the reward of hearing raving reviews like “this is so much better than store bought”! E V E R Y T I M E ! ! !
And it is true, after you have smoked rotisserie chickens it really is hard to go back to store bought.
WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF SMOKING ROTISSERIE CHICKEN
As I have stated, smoking rotisserie chicken at home allows you to control the seasoning, and overall it produces a juicier, more flavorful chicken than store bought.
Furthermore, when you smoke a rotisserie chicken at home, it is just as easy to smoke two. Subsequently, with an extra mound of leftover chicken you can make a plethora of scrumptious chicken recipes.
Other advantages to smoking rotisserie chicken on your home grill.
- It’s so affordable! Whole chicken is generally less expensive than chicken breasts or thighs! I wait until chickens are buy-one-get-one-free or 99-cents or less per pound!
- Minimal Ingredients! All you need is seasoning, cooking oil, and smoking chips!
- Chicken Prep is Easy! Simply remove giblets, trim extra fat and skin, truss, season, and mount on a rotisserie.
- Easy Grill Prep! Prepare a gas grill for rotisserie cooking. Fill a smoker box with BBQ smoking chips. Ignite the grill and wait until the smoke drifts.
- Minimal Hands On Time! Once the chicken is on the rotisserie, set the timer for 1 hour 20 minutes, or and walk away. Whew, that was so easy!
HOW TO SMOKE A WHOLE CHICKEN ON A ROTISSERIE AT HOME
Gather The Equipment
- Gas Grill
- Rotisserie attachment
- Western BBQ Smoking Chips
- Disposable Gloves
- Two Full Size Aluminum (Drip) Pans if smoking 2 chickens
- One Half Size Disposable Aluminum Pan if smoking 1 chicken
- Instant-Read Thermometer
- Kitchen Shears
- Butcher’s Twine
- Grill Gloves
- Grill Brush
Prepare The Gas Grill
Adjust the gas grill for indirect rotisserie cooking. On my grill, I remove the grill grates and flame tamers that are directly over the center burners. I leave the front burner and the back burners attached. Wrap foil around the center burner. Position and balance an aluminum pan on top of the center burners to catch drips. Place 1-inch water into the drip pan. If you want add celery, onion, carrots, and giblets.
Prepare a Smoker Box
Fill a smoker box with Western BBQ Smoking Chips. There are various wood chips that are delicious for chicken: Pecan, Cherry, Peach, Mesquite, and Apple. Hickory can be a bit too strong! Place the smoker box over the hottest burner.
Ignite the Grill
Heat an indirect grill to 350°F. Position the Smoker Box over the hottest burner. While the grill heats up, truss the chicken and season it.
Truss the Chicken
Tie the chicken legs securely with butcher twine. The wings can be tucked under the twine, as well. Check an internet trussing chicken video if needed. By trussing the chicken before seasoning you are assured it will not rub off. The exception, if you want additional seasoning inside the cavity and under the skin, do it now. In this recipe, I have kept it basic with sprinkling seasoning only on the outside along with 2 teaspoons of salt inside the cavity.
Mount the Chicken
Secure the chicken with meat forks onto the center of the spit rod. Place a spit rod on top of a disposable aluminum pan, to make seasoning the chicken easier. The pan allows the chicken to turn so that the seasoning does not touch a cutting board and rubs off.
Oil the Chicken
Spray or brush cooking oil on the chicken. The oil helps the seasoning to adhere.
Season the Chicken
A tasty spice blend is a combination of 6 tablespoons Jack Daniel’s Chicken Rub, 4 tablespoons ground coriander, and 1 tablespoon granulated garlic! That’s it!
Attach the Rotisserie
Once the grill has reached 350°F and the smoke has begun to drift, insert the spit rod, with the chicken, into the rotisserie motor. Close the grill lid. Set your timer for 1 hour 15 minutes.
Crisp the Chicken Skin
To begin with, remove the chicken from the grill, but not from the spit rod. Then remove the drip pan and adjust the grill for high indirect heat. Heat the grill to around 450°. Finally, insert the spit rod, with the chicken, back into the rotisserie motor, and crisp skin for about 10-20 minutes.
If needed, adjust heat higher or lower to achieve crispy chicken skin. Lastly, the chicken can be removed from the grill when the chicken breast has reached 160°F to 165°F and the thighs are 170°F to 175°F.
Rest the Chicken
Leave the spit rod in the chicken, for at least 15 minutes, while the chicken is resting. If you have time, rest the chicken for 25-30 minutes.
WHAT TO MAKE WITH LEFTOVER CHICKEN
Go Mexican: Chicken Enchiladas, Tostados, or Tacos!
Go Asian: Ginger Sesame Shredded Chicken over Dan Dan Noodles, Chicken Wontons, Chicken Spring Rolls!
Let’s Go to Italy: White Chicken Lasagna, Marinara Chicken Calzone, Chicken Stuffed Pasta!
I Love Africa: Quick West African Stew, Chicken Plantain Bowl, Chicken and Mushroom Tart
Grilling Grandma has other smoky delish chicken recipes
- Herb and Lemon Bone-in Chicken Breasts
- Smoked Chicken Thighs and Salsa Verde Corn Salad
- Apple Whiskey Barrel Smoked Chicken Meatballs
CLICK HERE FOR MORE WESTERN BBQ SMOKING CHIPS RECIPES!
CHECK OUT WESTERN BBQ ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER, AND PINTEREST, YOUTUBE!
Mesquite Smoked Rotisserie Chicken
Can you smoked whole chickens on the rotisserie? You bet! Mesquite smoked rotisserie chicken is juicy, delicious, and an inexpensive way to feed your family, friends, and even the neighbors. Why buy store bought rotisserie chicken whey you can smoke your own rotisserie chicken!
Ingredients
- 2 (4-5 lbs) fresh whole chickens
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons Jack Daniel’s Chicken Rub
- 3 tablespoons ground coriander
- 1 granulated garlic
Instructions
Prepare the Grill
- Remove grill grates, and prepare gas grill for indirect cooking as directed in the grill’s instruction book.
- Place a full size disposable aluminum pan, to catch drips, in the center of the grill. Right before grilling, fill the drip pan with 4 cups of water, if using a full size plan, less if using the half size disposable aluminum pan.
- Fill a smoker box with 2 cups Western Mesquite BBQ Smoking Chips, and securely position over the hottest part of the grill to get the smoke started.
- Plug in the rotisserie motor, but don’t turn it on just yet.
- When it is time to rotisserie the chicken, adjust the grill heat to 350°F indirect heat, and move the smoker box to a cooler part of the grill, if possible, to prevent burning.
- Insert the spit rod, with the chicken, into the rotisserie motor, and turn on.
To Prepare Chicken
- Remove chicken from packaging but do not rinse. Remove the neck and giblets from the chicken’s cavity, and discard or use for another purpose. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the salt inside the cavity of the chicken.
- Truss the chicken by tying chicken legs securely with butcher twine. The wings can be tucked under the twine, as well. If it is your first time to truss a chicken, an online “how to truss a chicken” will help.
- Secure the chicken with meat forks onto the center a spit rod. Place spit rod, with the chicken, on top of a disposable aluminum pan, to aid in evenly distributing seasoning. The pan allows the chicken turn so that the seasoning does not touch a cutting board and rubs off.
- Spray or brush cooking oil on the chicken.
- Season the chicken by combining Jack Daniel’s Chicken Rub, coriander, and garlic.
To Smoke Chicken
- Once the grill has reached 350°F and the smoke has begun to drift, insert the rotisserie spit rod into the rotisserie motor. Close the grill lid. Set your timer for 1 hour 15 minutes.
- To crisp the chicken skin, remove the chicken from the grill, but not from the spit rod. Remove the drip pan and adjust the grill for high indirect heat.
- Heat the grill to around 450°. Insert the spit rod, with the chicken, back into the rotisserie motor. Cook for 10-20 minutes, adjusting heat as needed, to prevent burning.
- When the chicken breast has an internal temperature of 160°F to 165°F, and the thighs are 170°F to 175°F, use gloves to remove spit rod from grill.
- Leave the spit rod in the chicken, for at least 15 minutes, while the chicken is rests. If you have time, rest the chicken for an additional 15-20 minutes.
- Carve the turkey and garnish with fresh herbs.
Notes
*Yes, you can smoke just one chicken but it takes about the same time so why not cook two! If you insist on only one chicken cut the seasoning amount in half.
*If you don’t have access to the large disposable pans then use your largest bowl when seasoning the chicken. The goal is to keep the chicken elevated with the spit rod as a brace across a vessel of some type! The seasoning stays on this way!
Leave a Reply