This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please see the disclosure for more information.
There’s no reason to be intimidated. Easy smoked whole chicken on the Weber Smokey Mountain smoker really is easy. That’s not just a sales pitch. For the best results, you start with a flat-as-possible chicken. Might look a little intimidating, but it’s a really big key to success. Keeping the bird whole and well, round, makes smoking it evenly more challenging. We don’t want challenging here. We want easy.
The first time I spatchcocked a whole chicken it looked so sad I was embarrassed to even look at it. I let the intimidation part get to me and I should not have. I researched more, and found an excellent tutorial online at one of my favorite Weber smoker-related sites, the Virtual Weber Bullet. My next attempt came out absolutely fantastic. And all the times after that came out great too! It’s really quite simple, and you always end up with a perfectly evenly cooked, very tender and juicy bird, which is exactly why you go through the ‘trouble’ of spatchcocking. And I find it looks rather… impressive, too!
Spatchcocking Vs Butterflying
All of that spatchcocking got me to thinking: what’s the difference between spatchcocking and butterflying? Well, the answer is that when spatchcocking you remove the backbone. Butterflying involves cutting something into two parts but keeping them connected, without removing anything. I feel smarter already! Well, either way, spatchcocking makes this easy smoked whole chicken on the Weber Smokey Mountain look even cooler! But that’s not the real reason for doing it. Spatchcocking (or butterflying) gives you a better result!
How Much Wood Could A Wood Chuck Chuck?
I don’t know why that saying came to me. This post has nothing to do with wood chucks. Wood chunks, though, are important. You don’t want a super-strong wood here. You want subtle smoke flavors. I recommend fruit woods, especially for your first few attempts!
- Pecan wood chunks
- Provides a rich & Sweet flavor
The technique for smoking a whole chicken on the Weber Smokey Mountain can also be used for a whole turkey.
Also try my awesome smoked chicken thighs.
Easy Smoked Whole Chicken on the Weber Smokey Mountain
Ingredients
- 1 large whole chicken butterflied (see post text)
- 1 bottle Italian salad dressing
- Kosher salt
- ground black pepper
Instructions
- Place the chicken into a large resealable bag or container.
- Add all of the dressing.
- Seal the container and gently flip to coat the chicken.
- Refrigerate, turning every hour so, for 6 hours.
- Fire up your smoker to cook from 225 – 250 F. Use any wood you like. I prefer a lighter wood so that my chicken doesn't overpower whatever dish I use it in. I tend to use fruit woods or hickory.
- Remove the chicken from the container and shake off any excess dressing.
- Season the chicken well with salt and pepper and transfer to the smoker.
- Smoke for 3-4 hours or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 F as measured in the thickest parts.
- Remove and let rest at least 15 minutes before carving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional values are approximate.
- 【BILLOWING SMOKE AND BIG CAPACITY】 The pellet…
- 【UNFORGETTABLE FLAVORS FOR HOT AND COLD…