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Take a break from baking and grilling, and try Smoked Chicken Breast for even more flavor and ultra-juicy and tender results. Learn how to make chicken that’s infused with smoky flavor. Then I’m dishing up my favorite smoked chicken recipes that put the protein to delicious use.
A quick and easy recipe for Smoked Chicken Breasts is the perfect thing to make when you’re warming up to your new charcoal smoker. It only takes about an hour, and paves the way for you to try longer smoking recipes, like Smoked Tri-Tip or Smoked Turkey! (P.S. Here’s How to Use a Charcoal Smoker if you’re still getting comfortable with the versatile tool.)
You can make Smoked Chicken Breast on a Traeger, if you have one, or a regular charcoal smoker, like the Weber Smokey Mountain, or a kamodo smoker, such as a Big Green Egg. As long as you know how to light a smoker and have some wood chips handy, I’ve tested this smoker recipe many times and can verify that it works.
Get ready for the juiciest Smoked Chicken Breast ever this summer! It’s all right here: brine, barbecue dry rub, and all. By the end of the season, you’ll be a pitmaster and the envy of all your neighbors.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Homemade Dry Rub: If you have another seasoning blend you prefer, of course feel free to swap that in. Here’s my favorite spice blend to coat boneless skinless chicken breasts:
- In a medium bowl or jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine ½ cup light brown sugar, 3 tablespoons kosher salt, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon ground New Mexico chili (or ancho chili), 1 tablespoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon ground chipotle chilies (optional), 1 teaspoon ground mustard powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, ½ teaspoon coriander, and ½ teaspoon thyme (crushed).
- Use 1 tablespoon for this Smoked Chicken Breast recipe, then store the remainder in an airtight container.
Step by step instructions
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine water, sugar, salt, bay leaves, lemon, thyme, garlic, and sage, stirring often until sugar dissolves, about 7 to 10 minutes. Cool completely and add to a large bowl or other container.
- Add the chicken breast meat to the container with the brine, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Ensure the chicken stays submerged by placing a bag of ice or heavy plate on top of the chicken.
- Remove chicken from the brine and rinse to remove excess salt and spices. Use paper towels to pat dry. Rub the chicken with the oil and sprinkle on the dry rub, coating well on all sides.
- Bring the smoker up to 200 to 225 degrees. Place the chicken on grate and cover.
- Smoke until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees on a digital meat thermometer in the thickest part, about 75 minutes.
- Allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes about 5 cups of Smoked Chicken, enough for 4 entree-sized servings.
- Storage: Transfer extra chicken to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Transfer cooked smoked chicken to an airtight container, then freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw overnight when ready to serve. Serve cold or reheat in a small amount of chicken broth or water until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
- Customize your dry rub: Tweak your spice blend to include black pepper, cumin, or even Chinese Sichuan peppercorns.
- Smoked Turkey Legs: You don’t need to wait for the State Fair to enjoy juicy Smoked Turkey Legs! Start with a simple, flavorful brine, then add the legs to your smoker for a couple of hours. They’re smoky, delicious, and meltingly tender.
- Smoked Chicken Wings: A summer barbecue recipe for Smoked Chicken Wings will take your wing game to new, spectacular heights. Fire up that charcoal smoker; here’s everything you need to know to make the best chicken wings ever.
- Smoked Tri-Tip: Ideal as a barbecue main dish, Smoked Tri-Tip is hearty, juicy, and surprisingly simple. With just 3 ingredients, learn how to smoke tri-tip to tender perfection.
- Smoked Salmon: Homemade Smoked Salmon is a treat all on its own, on a bagel, in a dip, or as part of an appetizer board. My Smoked Salmon recipe is tender, smoky, and yes, absolutely worth it to DIY.
- Smoked Whole Turkey: This recipe shows you how to make a whole Smoked Turkey using a charcoal smoker – in this case, a Weber Smokey Mountain – from start to finish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Options abound! You can cook chicken in a pan on the stovetop (Blackened Chicken is a favorite). Or try classic Oven-Roasted Chicken or better-than Costco Rotisserie Chicken in the oven. Poached Chicken is ideal for creamy chicken salad. Slow Cooker Whole Chicken (or Pulled Chicken) allows the meat to simmer in its own juices for moist and flavorful results. And I can’t forget good old Fried Chicken. As much as I adore the smoky goodness of this recipe, that crunchy coating is tough to top!
Rocking its zesty spice blend and infused with smoky flavor, this Smoked Chicken Breast recipe is incredible in its unadorned glory, with a side of Cornbread and Baked Beans. If desired, brush on some BBQ sauce during the final 5 minutes and try this inside of a sandwich. And now that we’re in the sandwich lane, how about a Smoked Chicken Breast BLT? You can also use Smoked Chicken Breast instead of the chicken called for my recipes for Grilled Chicken Caesar Wrap, Chinese Chicken Salad, Chicken Pot Pie. Or add it to a Buddha Bowl or any other creation that’s part of your meal prep menu for the week.
Adding different hardwoods to the smoker has a direct effect on the food’s taste. Here are the qualities of the most common types of wood chunks for smoking so you can choose accordingly. It is common to wrap the chips or chunks in foil before adding to your grill or smoker.
Apple: Fruity smoke flavor, perfect for beef, pork, and ham.
Alder: a delicate smoking wood, alder is fantastic with all fish.
Cherry: Mild and fruity, goes well with hickory wood. Delicious with ham, chicken, and turkey.
Hickory: Sweet, savory, and hearty, hickory adds a bacon flavor to the food. Don’t overdo it, though—a little goes a long way. Perfect for all meat and poultry, but especially ribs and pork shoulders.
Maple: A subtle smoking wood with mild smokiness. Best for game, pork, vegetables, and poultry.
Mesquite: An intensely flavored wood with a unique flavor. Best for red meat of all kinds.
Oak: a basic wood with a medium-strong flavor that doesn’t overpower. Perfect for lamb, brisket, and sausages.
Pecan: A nutty wood with a sweet flavor. Used for briskets, roasts, and ribs.
Just like with turkey, brining chicken is totally optional. It leads to more flavorful meat and moisture (AKA juiciness) in the finished product, but brining is not required.
You bet! Here is the Smoked Chicken Wing recipe I swear by. (You can also make Air-Fryer Chicken Wings or Baked Chicken Wings if that’s more your style.)
Pellet grills heat with ignited pellets instead of charcoal. Chicken breast can most certainly be smoked on a pellet grill, but I haven’t tested it myself to be able to provide the particulars for this method.
Round out your meal
Salad Recipes
Watermelon Salad
Bread Recipes
Cornbread
Salad Recipes
Wedge Salad
Drink Recipes
How to Make Lemonade
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Smoked Chicken Breast
Ingredients
For the brine:
- 1 gallon water
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup Salt
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 lemon sliced
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage leaves
For the chicken:
- 4 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon homemade dry rub or store-bought (see note 1)
Instructions
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine water, sugar, salt, bay leaves, lemon, thyme, garlic, and sage, stirring often until sugar dissolves, about 7 to 10 minutes. Cool completely and add to a large bowl or other container.
- Add the chicken to the container with the brine, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Ensure the chicken stays submerged by placing a bag of ice or heavy plate on top of the chicken.
- Remove chicken from the brine and rinse to remove excess salt and spices. Rub the chicken with the oil and sprinkle on the dry rub, coating well on all sides.
- Bring the smoker up to 200 to 225 degrees. Place the chicken on grate and cover. Smoke until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees on a digital thermometer in the thickest part, about 75 minutes (see note 2). Allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- Homemade Dry Rub: If you have another seasoning blend you prefer, of course feel free to swap that in. Here’s my favorite spice blend to coat boneless skinless chicken breasts: In a medium bowl or jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine ½ cup light brown sugar, 3 tablespoons kosher salt, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon ground New Mexico chili (or ancho chili), 1 tablespoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon ground chipotle chilies (optional), 1 teaspoon ground mustard powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, ½ teaspoon coriander, and ½ teaspoon thyme (crushed).
- Yield: This recipe makes about 5 cups of Smoked Chicken, enough for 4 entree-sized servings.
- Storage: Transfer extra chicken to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
is the temperature fahrenheit or celcius?
Hi Toro, the temperature is fahrenheit! -Meggan
Hi Meggan,
I wish I found your recipe before we tested our new Traeger grill …
We found some recipe to cook boneless chicken breast that looked like something we were looking for but the outcome was only ok. I was testing thick and thin pieces just to see what’s better. Based on Our recipe the total cooking time was about 30 min temperature 350. First meal straight from the grill was delicious, although not as tender as I expected. When I reheated the leftover we were very disappointed how dry, tough and rubbery it turned out. Did we cook it too fast? How do I cook chicken breast that is very tender in hot or cold state? And what is the best way to reheat it?
Hi Zofia, I wish so too! I’m not sure if the temperature was too high, since it was only cooked for 30 minutes. Tough chicken is terrible, I’m soo sorry! I recommend brining the chicken to keep it moist, but you don’t have to. It can be a simple salt and water brine, or with spices. Make sure to check the temperature of the chicken and pull it when it reaches 165 degrees in the thickest part. To reheat the chicken in the oven, I would cover your pans with foil to keep the chicken from drying out. Or, you could toss it in a hot skillet to heat it up. I hope you have a better cooking experience with your Traeger, they are very nice grills! – Meggan
Thanks for your clear and easy instructions. This was very easy painless to do in my new smoker.