Smoked Chicken Tenderloins
Smoked chicken tenderloins so tasty and tender you’ll be blown away! This step-by-step recipe shows how to prepare and smoke them in your own smoker.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
- Category: Entree, Main
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 3 lbs chicken tenderloins (about 30 pcs)
- 1/2 gallon cold water
- 1/2 cup coarse kosher salt (Morton’s blue box)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- Jeff’s Texas style rub
- Spray oil
Instructions
- Make a brine using ½ gallon of cold water, ½ cup of coarse kosher salt, and ½ cup of brown sugar (the brown sugar adds some flavor but is optional).
- Pour the salt and brown sugar into the water and stir for about a minute or until the water becomes a clear amber color.
- Place the tenderloins into a medium-sized plastic or glass container.
- Pour the brine over the chicken to cover.
- Lid it and place in the fridge for about 60-90 minutes. 60 minutes will do the trick if you’re in a hurry.
- When the brining process is complete, rinse the chicken one time in cold water.
- Lay the brined chicken out on a pan/rack if you have one; otherwise, you can just lay them out on parchment paper or a large sheet of foil.
- Sprinkle my Texas style rub on the top of the chicken.
- Set up your smoker for cooking at 225°F (107°C), and if your smoker uses a water pan, fill it up. I used a mix of hickory and cherry for smoke. You can expect the chicken to take 80-90 minutes to reach 160°F (71°C).
- When the chicken reaches about 135°F (57°C), place the tenders on a griddle or a hot pan and give them a quick sear on both sides.
- When they reach at least 155°F (68°C), they can be removed from the smoker. Place the chicken in a covered foil pan to keep them hot as they get finished.
- Bring the chicken into the house and serve them up with some sides or use them to make an amazing sandwich with melted cheese, veggies and condiments.
Find it online: https://www.smoking-meat.com/smoked-chicken-tenderloins