Homemade Hot-Smoked Chicken in a Smoker
Amazingly delicious, golden, aromatic, and juicy. Homemade hot-smoked chicken in a smoker will decorate any festive table. It can also be served for a family dinner. You can make sandwiches with the poultry meat and serve smoked chicken this way for breakfast.
Updated : 02 April, 2026
Easy
More than 1 hour.
Ingredients
Main
2 kilograms
Chicken
Marinade
2 liter
Water
2 tablespoon
Salt
1 teaspoon
Sugar
2
Laurel leaf
4
Cloves
8
Allspice
4
Garlic
0.5
Lemon
to taste
Parsley
to taste
Thyme
4
Juniper Berry
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
How do you make homemade hot-smoked chicken in a smoker? Prepare the chicken carcasses. Of course, the result will be much tastier and better with farm-raised poultry than with store-bought chicken. Pluck the bird, remove the innards, singe off any remaining down and small feathers, then wash the poultry thoroughly in clean water.
Step 2
Remove the fat from the belly and neck area, and also cut off the tail end. Why is this recommended? The chicken is cooked during smoking at a temperature above 100°C (212°F), and the fat may drip onto the coals, which can cause flare-ups.
Step 3
Prepare everything needed for the marinade. Peel the garlic and rinse it together with the bay leaf.
Step 4
Pour cold water into a saucepan, add the salt and sugar, and place everything on the stove.
Step 5
Once it comes to a boil, add the garlic, bay leaf, peppercorns, cloves, and juniper berries. You can leave out any of these ingredients depending on your taste. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the brine for 3 to 5 minutes.
Step 6
Remove the saucepan from the heat and add a bunch of fresh thyme or a pinch of dried thyme to the marinade. Leave the brine to cool to room temperature.
Step 7
Wash the lemon and parsley.
Step 8
Slice half of the lemon into rounds.
Step 9
Place the chicken carcasses into a deep large bowl or pot and pour the marinade over them.
Step 10
Squeeze the remaining half of the lemon over the top, add the parsley crushed lightly with your hands, and add the sliced citrus pieces. You can slice the whole lemon and add all the slices to the marinade, or, if you prefer, squeeze the juice from the whole lemon instead - whichever you find easier and like better. Place a weight on top so that the meat is completely submerged in the brine. Cover the pot with a lid and marinate the poultry in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days. I usually leave it for 2 days.
Step 11
Remove the marinated chickens from the marinade, pat them dry with paper towels, and leave them in a drafty place to air-dry for 3 to 4 hours. It is very convenient to use a special fish-drying net; if you do not have one, you can hang the chickens on cords, wrapping the carcasses in cheesecloth to protect them from dust and insects.
Step 12
Soak the wood chips in cold water. For smoking, it is best to use alder chips or chips from any fruit trees. This time I used cherry wood chips.
Step 13
Line the bottom of the smoker with foil. Light the fire and wait until you have a good bed of hot coals.
Step 14
To help the smoke penetrate the whole carcasses evenly, place sticks inside the cavities. You can use wooden skewers.
Step 15
Squeeze the excess water out of the wood chips.
Step 16
Spread the wood chips over the coals.
Step 17
Place the chickens on the rack in the smoker and close the lid. Smoke the chickens at 100-120°C (212-248°F) for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Step 18
After 1 hour, the carcasses were already more golden-brown.
Step 19
Cool the finished chicken and place it in the refrigerator for several hours, or better yet, overnight. The meat will become even more aromatic and delicious. Enjoy your meal!
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