Honey Glazed, Orange Smoked Chicken
Orange-wood smoked chicken finished with honey and a hotter final stage to help crisp the skin.
Servings 4 servings
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 whole chicken about 5–6 lb
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup Jeff's original rub approximately, to coat
Brine
- 1 gallon water replace 1/2 cup with orange juice if desired
- 1 cup kosher salt
- 1 cup brown sugar
Honey Finish
- ½ cup honey approximately; the ingredient list says 1/3 cup, while the detailed brushing step uses 1/2 cup
Instructions
Brine and Season
- Stir the salt into the water until dissolved, then dissolve the brown sugar. If desired, replace 1/2 cup of the water with orange juice.
- Cover the chicken with cold brine and refrigerate below 40°F for about 4 hours. Discard the brine and drain the chicken well.
- Coat the chicken with olive oil, then massage or sprinkle rub all over the outside.
Smoke and Glaze
- Prepare the smoker for 225°F, using orange wood or another fruit wood and a water pan if applicable.
- Place the chicken breast side down on the grate. Keep smoke flowing during the cook.
- Cook about 3 hours, until the internal temperature is around 150°F.
- Warm the honey briefly so it brushes easily, then coat the chicken. Raise the smoker to 300–350°F for the final approximately 30 minutes.
- Finish when the thickest parts of the breast and thigh reach 165°F. Rest under tented foil for about 10 minutes before carving.
Notes
Yield: about 4 servings from one whole chicken. The detailed instructions' approximately 1/2 cup honey is used for brushing, rather than the ingredient list's 1/3 cup. A 5–6 lb roaster takes about 3.5 hours in the source; use temperature rather than time to determine doneness.