Bourbon Smoked Chicken

Step 2

Preheat your smoker to 135°C. Fill and place a water pan on the charcoal tray. Preheat the smoking wood and add to the fire about 15 minutes before you’re ready to cook. HOT TIP – Using a water pan to add moisture to the smoke chamber is optional and can increase condensation under the smoker lid. Adding spices, beer or wine to the water pan can be used to infuse an added layer of flavour into your food.

Step 3

Place the chicken on a cutting board, breast side down. Using a sharp knife or poultry shears, remove the chicken’s backbone. Flip it over and firmly press down on the centre of the breast, cracking the rib bones and flattening the chicken.

Step 4

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Lightly coat with canola oil and season the entire chicken with BBQ rub, including the back side. HOT TIP – High-temp cooking oil is oil that has a high smoke point, the temperature at which the oil starts to smoke. Peanut, canola and avocado oil are high-temp cooking oils.

Step 5

Place the chicken on the smoker grate, over the water pan, with the thighs and legs positioned closer to the heat. Cook until the internal temperature of the breasts reaches 70°C in the breasts and 80°C in the thighs, 3 to 3½ hours.

Step 6

Mix together ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, apple jelly, bourbon, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, BBQ rub, garlic and cayenne pepper in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk until the ingredients combine. Bring the sauce to a simmer and stir occasionally for 5 minutes.

Step 7

Combine BBQ sauce and apple juice to make the mop sauce. Stir in BBQ rub. When the chicken has cooked for 2 hours, lightly mop the top of the chicken. Mop again in 30 minutes.

Step 8

Remove the chicken from the smoker and let it rest on a cooling rack for 10 minutes.

Step 9

Serve with the remaining bourbon BBQ sauce on the side.