Whole chicken (smoke-roasted)

chicken-whole · verified system recipe · High-heat poultry method — hand-curated

Pit temp
350°F
Pull at
165°F
Total time
~15.1 hr

Phase timeline

720m
165m
Dry brine (2–24hr)Truss & seasonSmoke (high heat)Resttotal: 15h 7m

Step-by-step

  1. 1. Dry brine (2–24hr)

    ~720 min

    Salt + baking powder 4:1, uncovered in the fridge. This is what crisps the skin — 2 hr minimum helps, overnight is best.

  2. 2. Truss & season

    ~10 min

    Tuck the wing tips, tie the legs together. Pat the skin bone-dry, then rub all over.

  3. 3. Smoke (high heat)

    → 165°F · ~165 min

    325–350°F pit, light cherry or apple wood. Breast-side up. ~2.5–3 hr for a 4 lb bird. Pull when the thickest part of the breast hits 162°F (carryover to 165); thighs will be 170–175°F.

  4. 4. Rest

    ~12 min

    Tent loosely with foil 10–15 min so the juices redistribute.

Rub
Kosher salt + baking powder (4:1) + black pepper + paprika
Minimum rest
12 min

📐 Scale for guests

Target weight
3.0 lb
0.75 lb/guest
Cuts needed
1
~4 lb per cut
Cook time / cut
14h 55m
+ 12m rest

Each cut cooks at its own rate — even if you double up, plan the same hours. For very large crowds, run multiple cuts in parallel and stagger by 30 min.

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