Make the best Traeger smoked chicken without brine (you don’t need one!). My recipe is packed with flavor and is a very easy smoker recipe for beginners. So join me today to learn exactly how to make the best smoked whole chicken. Let’s smoke some tasty food!
Why my smoked chicken is the best recipe
- SO easy, with very simple ingredients.
- Big time tasty. You’ll make super juicy chicken with a deep smoky flavor.
- Use your favorite bbq rub or poultry seasoning.
- It’s a great family style smoker recipe – my version of smoked whole chicken tastes just like eating at a BBQ restaurant. It’s right up there with whole smoked turkey and my beginner-friendly smoked brisket flat.
- Get the best chicken smoker time for moist chicken.
- New to smoking a whole chicken? Scroll to the bottom of the page for my full-length Youtube video.
- You’ll make it again and again!
PSST… beginners to smoking food – check out the full step by step video at the bottom of this post – it’s about 3 minutes long and will walk you through the whole thing!
Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make Traeger smoked chicken.
- Whole chicken (about 2-3 LBs whole bird)
- Olive oil
- BBQ seasoning
Flavor note: in this demo, I used Meat Church Holy Cow BBQ Rub, but you can use any BBQ dry rub or poultry seasoning)
How long does it take to smoke a chicken?
With my recipe, you’ll get 2 different cooking temperatures for smoked whole chicken: 375°F (about 1-1.5 hours) and 250°F (about 2-3 hours). See the steps for details on how long to cook chicken based on the weight of the bird.
How to make smoked whole chicken
Now I’ll walk you through it…
- Prepare the whole chicken. Rinse and pat the whole chicken dry with a paper towel.
- Season the whole chicken all over by adding the olive oil and bbq rub seasoning, massaging the seasoning into the skin along the way. Tie the legs together with twine and tuck the wings into the thighs if desired. Let chicken skin dry out a bit (optional) If you have time, refrigerate the seasoned whole chicken before smoking it for 15 minutes to 2 hours (or overnight). Drying out the chicken skin is always great, but if you are in a rush you can skip it.
- Turn on the Traeger grill or pellet smoker you’re using, to preheat for 15 minutes at 250°F OR 375°F. (Set temperature based on how fast you want it to cook, based on the next step. The smoked chicken in the Sip Bite Go demo was cooked at 250°F for a couple hours).
- Add seasoned whole bird to the smoker and smoke Traeger whole chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. At a smoking temperature of 250°F this will be about 30-45 minutes a pound. Or a smoker temperature of 375°F for about 20-25 minutes a pound.
- Transfer smoked whole chicken to a cutting board to rest, covered with foil, for at least 20 minutes to let the juices settle. Carve and enjoy.
Next up? Learn how to smoke a ham…
For a side dish, see this smoked corn on the cob seen in this recipe video or this smoked mac and cheese.
Best chicken smoker recipes from Sip Bite Go
- Smoked whole chicken
- Traeger smoked chicken thighs
- Smoked wings
- Smoked chicken breast
- Chicken temperature guide
FAQs
Smoke chicken at 375°F for about 60-90 minutes, until it reaches a safe initial temperature of 165°F.
Smoke chicken at 250°F for about 2-3 hours, until the chicken does completely reach 165°F internally. The photos and video feature chicken in my Sip Bite Go recipe demo was smoked at 250 degrees for a couple of hours.
Use a digital meat thermometer, stuck into the thickest part of the meat (without touching bones). Once the internal temperature of smoked chicken reaches 165°F, the smoked whole chicken is ready to take off the Traeger.
Use either the Traeger blend or apple wood pellets to smoke whole chicken.
Make a simple pan sauce with chicken broth, or try this romesco sauce, a simple peppercorn sauce, or even this cool, a bit spicy, creamy jalapeno ranch dressing. Or you can mix together a glaze of equal parts (about 1 tbsp) of honey and bbq sauce with a pinch of brown sugar and a splash of water (or bourbon will go well with that smoke flavor!).
Anything that goes with pan grilled chicken is a great side dish for smoked chicken, too. A classic potato side dish like sous vide little potatoes, crock pot sweet potatoes, a topping of caramelized onions, and a vegetable like sauteed carrots or sous vide asparagus are great ideas.
Leftovers (if you even have any!) stay tremendously juicy and are delicious for smoked nachos, chicken taco pizza, wraps, bbq chicken tacos or chicken spinach pizza the next day. Or try your own spiff on these turkey avocado sandwiches. Dream big with your leftover BBQ smoked chicken!
More Tasty Grill + Smoker Recipes
- Smoked mac and cheese
- Smoked cream cheese
- Smoked brisket flat
- 321 ribs
- Beer can chicken on the smoker
- Smoked wings
- Smoked tomahawk steak
- Traeger tri tip
- Smoked turkey breast
- Smoked turkey legs
- Whole smoked turkey
- Smoked Traeger pizza
- Smoked onion rings
- Traeger smoked ham
- Smoked whole chicken
- Smoked jalapeno poppers
- Smoked corn on the cob
- Traeger beef ribs
- Smoked leg of lamb
- Smoked shrimp
- Grilled chicken wings
- Grilled skirt steak
- Flank steak marinade
- Grilled potato wedges
- Smoked pulled pork
- Want more? See my lineup of easy smoker recipes
See my favorite smoker tools and seasonings in my Amazon Storefront.
Meat thermometer recommendations
Every home chef needs a reliable meat thermometer to cook food perfectly.
On Sip Bite Go, you’ll often see me using:
- Meater thermometer – a fancy wireless thermometer that connects to a phone app – gifted to me from a Traeger partnership.
- ThermoPro digital thermometer – which has a wire that connects the thermometer to a display box outside the oven/grill.
It’s like being psychic! The great thing about either of the thermometers above is that I don’t have to take the food out of the oven to know the temperature.
How to use ‘em… What I do is stick the digital thermometer in steak, pork, chicken, whatever… Then put the food in the oven, on the smoker, or grill.
While the meat cooks, it reads the temperature so I know exactly what temp meat is as it’s cooking. Without having to take it out and check. It’s really difficult to overcook food when you know exactly what temp it is inside!
Why I wrote this recipe
The secret is out: cooking a whole bird looks so much fancier than it is! I’m a huge fan of serving a family meal, or get together dish, with one of my tasty whole chicken recipes as the centerpiece.
So I wanted to see how easy, and how simple I could make a smoked whole chicken on a Traeger. My goal was to have a meal we could pop in during the day when working from home, so we had a really nice weekday meal.
Tasty whole chicken recipes from Sip Bite Go
- Pellet smoker beer can chicken
- Smoked whole chicken
- Smoked spatchcock chicken
- Air fry whole chicken
- Sous vide whole chicken
- Crock pot whole chicken
- Vacuum seal whole chicken
- How to spatchcock chicken
See how to roast turkey breast in the oven and smoked turkey breast
Are you a foodie, too?
Hey home chefs, hope that answers all your questions about how to set your Traeger for smoking chicken that turns out super tasty.
If you don’t follow me on instagram you totally should @sipbitego. And for more deliciousness, subscribe to the Sip Bite Go channel and see the Sip Bite Go recipe collection.
Smoked Whole Chicken Recipe With Traeger Instructions | Sip Bite Go
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken about 2-3 LBs – the whole bird
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1.5 tbsp BBQ seasoning any BBQ dry rub or use poultry seasoning
Instructions
- Prepare the whole chicken. Rinse and pat the whole chicken dry with a paper towel.
- Season the whole chicken all over by adding the olive oil and bbq rub seasoning, massaging the seasoning into the skin along the way. Tie the legs together with twine and tuck the wings into the thighs if desired. Let chicken skin dry out a bit (optional but recommended if you like super crispy skin) If you have time, refrigerate the seasoned whole chicken before smoking it for 15 minutes to 2 hours (or overnight). Drying out the chicken skin is always great, but if you are in a rush you can skip it.
- Turn on the Traeger grill or pellet smoker you’re using, to preheat for 15 minutes at 250°F OR 375°F. (Set temperature based on how fast you want it to cook, based on the next step. The smoked chicken in the Sip Bite Go demo was cooked at 250°F for a couple hours).
- Add seasoned whole bird to the smoker and smoke Traeger whole chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. At a smoking temperature of 250°F this will be about 30-45 minutes a pound. Or a smoker temperature of 375°F for about 20-25 minutes a pound.
- Transfer smoked whole chicken to a cutting board to rest, covered with foil, for at least 20 minutes to let the juices settle. Carve and enjoy.
Norman Liebert says
Thanks for sharing this! I’ve been grilling all summer and looking forward to it again this weekend! Excited to try burgers for my next cookout.
Lacey says
Just had this tonight for dinner and WOW it was so good and juicey!! I’m gonna make it at my mom’s one day, how long would you suggest for 2 chickens?
Jenna Passaro says
They should smoke during the same time.