Smoking is a key component of traditional BBQ. The genuine stuff is meat that has been slow-cooked over live coals and then finished with hardwood to give it that mouthwatering smoky flavor. If you have a smoker or a kettle grill, you can learn how to smoke chicken on a charcoal grill?
As for grilling, it’s all about the marinade. You want to get as much flavor into your meat as possible, so you need to add plenty of it. Most recipes call for 1 part liquid to 4 parts meat. For example, if you’re cooking a whole chicken, you’d marinate it in a mixture of equal parts water and white wine.
The longer you marinate your meat, the more flavor you’ll get. And remember: The marinade is your best friend when it comes to grilling. Keep reading to know the steps to smoke chicken on a charcoal grill.
Smoke Chicken on a Charcoal Grill
Among all the grills charcoal grill is the best to give deep smokey flavor to the food, mostly chicken as it is low in fats which makes it best for smoking as smoking needs indirect heat. It contains less saturated fats as compared to red meat which is the main reason nutritionist recommends poultry products mostly as they have low cholesterol compared to red meat. The best taste from poultry products can only be obtained through grilling.
1. Lay Coals for a Slow Cook
For the most part, smoking is a low-temperature process over an extended time. Keep the fire going for lengthy periods by using indirect coal arrangements and a mix of lighted and unlit coals. the lighted charcoal will cook the food through direct and indirect heat while the unlit charcoals along with the wood chips will produce smoke that will give you the smokey flavor of the food.
2. Place a Hot Pan
The grill should have an empty middle, so be sure to light a full charcoal chimney and pile it up on each side, with no coals in the middle. Place a hot water-filled foil pan in this void to keep the temperature stable and add moisture to the grill.
3. By Using a Charcoal Snake
Smoking in a kettle grill can be done using this method for a long time. Unlit briquettes should be laid out in two rows, three-quarters of the way around the grill’s perimeter. Some people think it looks like a snake, so the name was coined for the shape formed by the two rows.
A Smokey flavor can be added by placing soaked wood chips or chunks on the coals. Place a foil pan filled with boiling water in the middle of the snake. Afterward, ignite six or eight briquets in a fireplace chimney.
How to Properly Clean a Charcoal Grill?
Build a charcoal snake by piling all of the lighted coals at the head when you’re ready. For hours on end, the coals will gently burn their way down the line. For a long, leisurely smoke, add your meat after a few minutes. You may always add additional briquets to the end of the snake if you need extra time.
4. The Smoker’s Burn-Down Method
The burn-down technique is a terrific way to cook low and slow if you have a smoker. Only a few light coals should be placed on top of the unlit coals in the charcoal bed. The coals on the top will take some time to fire and burn down the coals below them.
5. Smoke The Meat for About an Hour at 225°F To 250°F
Smoking is all about maintaining a consistent temperature 225°F to 250°F is the best temperature range for most smoking. To keep an eye on internal temperature, you may hang a meat thermometer from the grill’s top vent. This will allow you to see how hot the air within the grill is.
To lower your temperature, shut the vents if your temperature is over 250°F. Suppose your body temperature falls below 225 degrees Fahrenheit. In that case, you should open all of your vents to let in more oxygen and raise your body temperature.
6. Adding Smoked Wood to The Mixture
Try smoking your BBQ with some wood to enhance the taste. Larger pieces of wood or pre-soaked Kingsford Chips ‘n Wood Chunks may be used. Various kinds of wood give off various aromas.
When smoked or grilled, Hickory, mesquite, and oak woods taste foods like beef and pig. It is best to use apple, cherry, or other light fruit woods for smoking pigs or poultry.
7. Leave The Fire Burning.
Adding extra coals is usually required to smoke ribs, brisket, and pulled pork for a long period. When it comes to adding coals, you choose two approaches.
Adding additional unlit coals, which you may do when temps begin to drop, is one option. Place unlit coals on top of already lighted ones to begin the process of lighting.
To rapidly raise the temperature when it falls below 225°F, the second technique is to add burning coals. Use tongs to gently add additional coals to your stove, or place them in the chimney with the help of a funnel.
8. Don’t Try to Remove The Lid and Look.
Lifting the lid may be the most difficult aspect of smoking. Every time you peek, you lose heat and smoke. It’s better not to succumb to temptation; instead, we advise you to have a beer and play cornhole while you wait.
How to Cook on a Charcoal Grill?
Keep the lid on to prevent temperature changes and premature coal exhaustion. When checking the internal temperature of the meat or adding additional coals, open the cover only when necessary.
Why The Water Pan Is Important
In most smokers, a water pan is included. A foil pan filled with hot water is essential for smoking on a kettle grill. Alternatively, if want to be experimental, you may use beer, apple juice, or wine in the pan.
To smoke, you must have a hot, damp atmosphere. A further significant benefit of using a water pan is that it helps maintain consistent temperatures, preventing the drastic swings in temperature that might occur when smoking over a kettle.
How Long Does it Take to Smoking a Chicken Breast?
A lot of people don’t know how to smoke a chicken breast. There are a few reasons for this: First, it’s not something you see in every restaurant. Second, you might be intimidated by the thought of it. And finally, you might not know how to do it.
It all depends on the size of the chicken breast you’ve purchased. For a fairly good piece of breast cut, it approximately takes 3 to 5 hours when the temperature of the smoker is between 200 to 225°F.
Conclusion
Grilling chicken seems to be complicated, but it’s not. Try out our easy recipe and add value to your dinner. Our step-by-step method is super easy to implement. But while cooking, you have to take care of the temperature to have the best-cooked chicken. You can refrigerate the chicken for later use, which is great.
Happy Cooking 🙂