How Long Does it Take to Smoke a Whole Chicken?

Smoke a Whole Chicken?

The meal chicken is among very few meats that can effortlessly cook in less time. Additionally, chicken is quite tasty and versatile. Similarly, it’s the meat that anyone can afford. The best thing about chicken is, anyone can quickly cook any chicken meal. Even beginners can create the yummiest dishes. Also, you can make numerous different meals with chicken-like soups, sandwiches, bbq, etc.; however, making all versatile dishes is another level of fun.

Furthermore, you can also bake, smoke, fry, and boil the chicken. As mentioned above, chicken is one of the meals that can be prepared in less time. Still, many different dishes take different times in cooking. Likewise, smoking chicken is not that quick process as frying chicken. So, one must be very careful with the time when cooking whole chicken in a smoker. The time also varies on the amount of chicken you are prepping. Also, every recipe demands different processes.

So, it’s essential to choose a trustable recipe when smoking whole chicken. Also, without knowing the answer of how long does it take to smoke a whole chicken in a smoker, how can one create a perfect smoked chicken. Thus, in this article, we focus on smoking chicken time and share some helpful information about the process.

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How Long Does it Take to Smoke a Whole Chicken In a Smoker?

One can only know how long to smoke chicken when he gets the idea of how much chicken he will cook. Therefore, it is also required to discover what you smoke like quarters, breasts, wings, drumsticks, or a whole chicken. The type and weight of the meat you are going to prepare will decide the proper time.

Similarly, in this guide, we are only focusing on the whole chicken, then one must know about the weight of meat in pounds before getting started. So, if the chicken is large in size and weight, it can easily take 3 to 5 hours of cooking time. Most chefs calculate chicken cooking time as 45 minutes per pound when cooking at the temperature of 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Therefore, the more large chicken you opt for cooking, the more extended hours it will take in smoking.

Average Time Consumption Details According to Weight Of Chicken

Weight of ChickenTime Consumption
Under 4-pound roaster chicken1 hour 45 minutes
4 – 5 pound roaster chicken2 hours 15 minutes
Over 5-pound roaster chicken2 hours 30 minutes

Read the following steps to discover how long it takes to smoke a whole chicken in a smoker:

  • Firstly, it is essential to preheat your smoker to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • After that, you need to prepare the chicken as desired. For this, you can follow any best recipe and go ahead.
  • Now, it’s time to place the chicken into the smoker. Please place it in an aluminum pan first, and then shift the pan into the smoker.
  • Now, let the whole chicken cooked for the next 3 to 5 hours. Make sure you would not open the lid of the smoker frequently. You can only check once or twice during the cooking process. Otherwise, the heat can be distributed, and the chicken will not cook properly.
  • The internal temperature should be around 165 degrees Fahrenheit to cook the chicken ideally. So, be careful with the temperature control and maintain it to 165 degrees effectively. For this purpose, you can use meat thermometers too.
  • When you realize and check the doneness of chicken, it’s time to take out the chicken and serve it among your friends and family.

If your chicken is more significant, then it may take more extra time to smoke correctly. So, don’t worry, keep on checking temperature details and vents control.

How Much Chicken Per Person ?

How Long to Smoke a Whole Chicken In Electric Smoker?

If you own an electric smoker manufactured by Traeger, Masterbuilt, Bradley, or Cookshack brand, then it would be effortless to smoke anything in that smoker because these renowned brands manufacture the world’s best electric smokers and other items. In addition, electric smokers themselves provide worry-less cooking sessions, as they are more like a set and forget smokers. You can quickly cook anything in less time in the electric smokers.

Additionally, the internal temperature needs to be around 165 degrees Fahrenheit to cook the whole chicken evenly. The average time details of smoking chicken in an electric smoker also depend on the chicken size and eight you are cooking. Similarly, if you cook a whole chicken to serve four persons, it would take 3 to 5 hours to smoke. Yet, it would be best if you made sure that it should be well maintained at 165 degrees Fahrenheit with the internal temperature. Thus, smoking whole chicken in an electric smoker is simple and full of fun. You will enjoy every bit of smoking while using an electric smoker.

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When Is Smoked Chicken Done?

The simplest way to discover when your smoked chicken is done is when you use a meat thermometer. Similarly, if your thermometer shows a minimum temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, then it means the chicken is ready. Better is that if you use a meat probe thermometer, that can be inserted initially in the chicken when you out the chicken for cooking. The probe thermometer shows time constantly during the smoking process and keeps users updated about the temperature details.

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Therefore, the guide is written to update the smoked chicken lovers about the time details of the cooking process. I hope you found the information helpful and liked the post. Share your thoughts too in the comment section below, and we would love to read your opinions. Thanks

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  1. […] How Long Does it Take to Smoke a Whole Chicken? […]

  2. […] chicken is quite effortless and quick. Similarly, it is not a challenging task to cook chicken, whether you must feed the guests or cook for dinner. In both situations, one can quickly cook […]

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