Smoked Chicken Breast

Summer barbecue season is here! Roasted chicken is great, grilled chicken is just fine, but smoked chicken breast is a whole new level of delicious. Boneless chicken breasts are simple to prepare for a week's worth of meal prep, and cook up quick inside a charcoal smoker.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Resting Time 10 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes

Servings servings

Calories 275kcal

Author Meggan Hill

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

Instructions

For the brine:

In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine water, sugar, salt, bay leaves, lemon, thyme, garlic, and sage, stirring often until sugar dissolves. Cool completely.
In a container large bowl or container, place chicken breasts. Cover with brine and refrigerate overnight. Ensure the chicken stays submerged by placing a bag of ice or heavy plate on top of the chicken.

For 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 making sure to coat well on all sides.
Bring the smoker up to 200 to 225 degrees. Place the chicken onto the grate and cover. Smoke until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees on a digital thermometer in the thickest part, about 75 minutes. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Nutrition