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Whole Smoked Chicken on the Charcoal Grill

This whole smoked chicken is cooked on a charcoal grill instead of a big fancy smoker. But tasting it, you would never know! Learn how to smoke a whole chicken using simple seasonings that allow the meat to shine.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time2 hours 30 minutes
Additional Time20 minutes
Total Time3 hours
Course: Grilling Recipes
Servings: 1 /4 of chicken
Calories: 453kcal
Author: Neal

Ingredients

  • Whole chicken
  • salt
  • pepper
  • garlic powder
  • Cavender's All Purpose Greek Seasoning
  • fresh rosemary oregano, thyme - 2 sprigs of each, finely chopped
  • 4 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp butter

Instructions

  • Take chicken out of the fridge about 30 minutes before seasoning it. Remove all the innards (liver, gizzards, heart, and neck). Properly discard of chicken juice from the package. Allow to rest for about 30 minutes on the counter so that the temp comes up a bit.
  • Prepare your charcoal grill for a low and slow smoke at 250 degrees. See my post How to Use Your Charcoal Grill as a Smoker.
  • While grill is coming up to temp, season chicken. Sprinkle entire chicken evenly with salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, all purpose greek seasoning, and fresh chopped herbs. TIP - Season the chicken breast side DOWN first!
  • Once your grill is reading 250 degrees, put whole chicken breast side UP on the grill, away from the charcoals. Close the lid and allow to smoke for an hour.
  • After one hour, rotate chicken so that the opposite breast is closest to the fire, and close lid again.
  • When the internal temp of your chicken is about 160 degrees, make the glaze by combining honey, lemon, and butter in a small saucepan and heating until butter is melted.
  • Brush your whole chicken with the glaze.
  • Your smoked whole chicken is done once the internal temperature is about 160-165 degrees and the juices run clear.
  • Remove from the grill and let rest for about 15-20 minutes before slicing.

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