This Cajun Smoked Chicken Recipe uses an electric smoker to slow cook dry rubbed chicken. No brine needed. Tender and perfectly cooked every time!
We got a smoker! My husband is in food heaven. He is pretty obsessed with BBQ meats and smoked foods and has been wanting a smoker for years. It is literally his new favorite cooking appliance and he wants to smoke everything.
When we first got it, we were determined to make a brisket but after talking it to death, we decided we should test it out on classic smoked chicken – sort of like the equivalent of mastering roasted chicken in the oven.
Then, it was brine or no brine? Dry rub or marinade? Cook directly on the rack or use a tray? So many decisions! Of course we tested a bunch of variations and this is our foolproof How To Smoke a Chicken tutorial for all of you who have or are considering getting an electric smoker. We got this one from Char-Broil and it has a remote control that alerts you when the desired temperature is reached. It’s handy, super hands-off and really easy to use!
So, some tips from our testing:
- You do not *need* to brine the chicken. You can but the difference in taste and texture is negligible compared to the mess and pre-planning needed to manage the brine.
- Dry rubs are a lot easier to manage. Marinades work but be prepared for a lot more cleanup (see a theme here?). I used Black Magic by Spiceologist. It is a Cajun spice rub and free from junk as well as sugar! It’s reaallllllyyyyyy good!
- Start with a more mild wood – we settled on Apple Wood Chips and it imparts a wonderful flavor without being overwhelming.
- Spatchcocking the chicken really saves time and renders a better finished product. I briefly explain How To Spatchcock a Chicken below in the recipe but if you want a more in-depth tutorial, I like this one by Jamie Oliver.
- Cook directly on the rack. Just be sure to remove any racks not in use to save them from getting drippings and needing to be cleaned.
- Don’t forget to fill the water bin! This helps keep the bird nice and juicy.
Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below!
This Cajun Smoked Chicken Recipe uses an electric smoker to slow cook dry rubbed chicken. No brine needed. Tender and perfectly cooked every time!
- 1 4 1/2 to 5 pound whole chicken, spatchcocked
- 1 large handful cajun spice mix
- Kitchen Shears
- Apple wood chips
- Digital Electric Smoker
- Begin by grabbing the whole chicken, kitchen shears, paper towels and spice rub.
- Turn chicken over so breast side is down. Use kitchen shears to cut along each side of spine to remove backbone. Reserve backbone for making broth or stock.
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- Turn chicken back over so that breast-side is up and press breasts until you hear wishbone crack so that the chicken is flat. Turn legs in.
- Use paper towels to blot the chicken dry.
- Grab a large handful of cajun spice mix and spread onto both sides of chicken until well coated. For reference, I used a small jar of Black Magic (which is a little over 1oz) and used about half of the jar.
- Place spiced chicken, breast side up, on smoker cooking rack. Insert thermometer into thickest part of chicken, taking care not to touch bone, and set inside of smoker.
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- Fill wood chip holder with apple wood chips.
- Fill water container with water. Close door, lock and set to 165F. Cooking time is approximately 20 to 30 minutes per pound.
- Cook undisturbed until temperature alarm beeps on remote. Remove, allow to rest for 15 to 20 minutes. Slice, serve and Enjoy!
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Are you able to get the wood chips smoking at such a low temperature of 165° f?
I have a master build electric smoker – and it seems that I can’t get the chips to start smoking unless I set the temp at 225° f.
Any advice?
I don’t know for sure, but I think she is saying cook the chicken to a temp of 165 degrees. I have heard you want to smoke chicken at a higher temp around 275 -350 degrees. If it was me, I would set the temp somewhere around 300-315.
Hi Jonathan, This sounds like an issue I would contact MasterBuild about. Good Luck – I hope they help you figure it out!
Hey Alyssa, Just wanted to let you know we love your recipe so much we featured it as part of our 101 favorite smoker recipes! You can check it out here – https://bbqonmain.com/101-smoker-recipes/
Thank you for sharing, it’s great to see good BBQ recipes coming out of the PNW =]
Thank you so much and thanks for sharing the recipe 🙂
I’m so jealous! I’ve been wanting a smoker forever! This chicken looks amazing!
Smoking is the bomb!! I have a Masterbuilt digital smoker – it looks almost identical – and I’ve been smoking everything from chicken to homemade sausages & brats and smoked ham hocks for soup. Next up I’m making my own bacon & pancetta. It’s a blast! Have fun!
I need a smoker now! This looks amazing!
Right? We are obsessed – my hubs is smoking everything.
What a fabulous recipe! I love everything about this!
Thanks so much Lauren!
Do you know if you can follow the same recipe for pellet smoker, non electric?
Hey Pat! The dry rub and spatchcock should work just fine. You’ll have to manage the cook time and temperature according to how your smoker works!