Smoked Pulled Chicken
This smoked pulled chicken just melts in your mouth and is loaded with flavor. Oh and it's great on its own or added to other dishes.
Servings 6
Calories 344kcal
Ingredients
- 1 (3-4 lb) whole chicken
- ½ cup BBQ sauce
Apple Cider Injection
- ¾ cup apple cider
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Sweet Rub
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- ½ tablespoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon ground mustard
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Remove the giblets, heart and neck from the chicken and pat dry.
- Combine the apple cider, melted butter, garlic powder and salt in a jar. Inject the mixture 3 times in each breast, twice in each thigh and once in each leg.
- Mix rub ingredients in bowl and rub outside the chicken.
- Preheat smoker to 225°F. Place the chicken in the smoker and smoke until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. It should take about 45 minutes per lb, so 2.5-3.5 hours depending on the size of the chicken.
- Once done, remove and let rest for 15 minutes. Shred and drizzle some BBQ sauce over it.
Notes
- Use apple, cherry or maple wood for smoking. They all complement the chicken perfectly.
- You can skip the injection if you want. It just keeps the chicken super juicy.
- If you don't want to make your own spice rub, just use store-bought.
- When the chicken reaches the correct temperature, cover loosely in aluminum foil for 15-20 minutes before shredding. Letting it rest keeps the juices in the chicken.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 344kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 120mg | Sodium: 1075mg | Potassium: 44mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 18g