This is legit the best way to make smoked chicken breast, aka generously seasoned, and smoked to flavorful and juicy perfection! Great for everyday lunch or dinner, entertaining and meal prep with minimal prep.
Guess what? I have found that it’s actually possible to get delicious, full of flavor, juicy smoked chicken breasts with minimal prep and effort. Yeap, for real.
This recipe has never failed me. Simply, season well, smoke, then for sure rest, slice and serve away. And for the best part? I can have it ready for me and my guests in under 75 minutes! Winner right?
Table of Contents
Why Make This Smoked Boneless Chicken Breast
- Easy. You need a handful of ingredients and minimal prep to make this.
- Flavorful. Bland chicken is no longer a thing. The lower smoking temperature of 225°F allows the smoky flavor to infuse perfectly into the meat.
- Juicy. The meat comes out tender, juicy and perfect every single time.
- All Purpose. These smoked boneless chicken breasts care great for picnics, potlucks, weekly meal prep, pasta, salads, sandwich, taco and wraps.
Simple Ingredients and Other Swaps
- I used 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 7–8 oz each). Do keep the pieces the same size so they cook evenly. Bone-in will need longer cooktime.
- Please use your favorite spice rub. My go-to mix? Smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
- A quick slick of olive oil or canola helps the seasoning cling on to the meat.
- And the wood is purely personal. I use oak because it’s always on hand, but cherry, apple, hickory, maple are all great choices.
- BBQ sauce? Totally optional—serve extra on the side if you like.
Brining The Meat
You don’t have to brine the chicken before smoking, but it does help keep it extra juicy and tender. Try it both ways and see which you like best. If you do brine, just remember to factor in the extra time.
- Make the brine. In a pot, stir 4 cups water with 3 tbsp sea salt flakes, 2 tbsp sugar, half a lemon’s slices, and 2 bay leaves. Optional extra could include onions, rosemary or thyme, smashed garlic and peppercorns. Warm gently until salt and sugar melt, then remove from heat and cool completely.
- Brine the chicken. Submerge fully in cooled brine for 2–4 hours.
- Rinse the chicken. Lift out, rinse well, and pat dry, ready for the next step.
Handy Tip: Use Good Kitchen Tools!
For the best tools to help make your recipe even easier and more successful, check out my collection of the Best Kitchen Tools on Amazon.
How To Smoke Chicken Breast
I really do love how smoking chicken breast is an easy process. Check it out below along with tips and tricks to make it perfectly every single time.
- Preheat your smoker. Preheat your pellet or wood smoker to 225°F / 110°C. This is an awesome smoker by the way.
- Season your meat. Get your chicken (brined or not brined), pat dry, oil both sides and coat with your dry rub and sprinkle on some salt.
- Smoke the chicken. Place the seasoned chicken breasts on the smoker plates, close and cook for about 1-1.5 hours or until the internal temperature of the thickest part (check with a meat thermometer) reaches 160°F.
- Add extra flavor if you want. The chicken is awesome as is. But you can brush on extra sauces eg bbq sauce on the chicken and smoke for a further 5-10 minutes if you want.
- Rest, slice and serve. Feel free to skip step 4, take the meat out of the smoker, and wrap up in foil and let rest till the temperature reaches 165°F. Then slice and serve.
Bintu’s Tips
- I’m forever snagging a bag of boneless, skinless breasts when they’re on sale, portioning them out, and freezing for later.
- Let the breast meat rest for at least 5 minutes, before slicing it against the grain to keep it nice and tender.
- If you want this for meal prep, make sure the chicken is completely cool before slicing to seal in all the juices and keeps it juicy and moist.
Storage
- Store. Refrigerate cooled leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Reheat. Warm in short bursts in the microwave or loosely cover the chicken in foil and reheat in an oven at 350°F oven until meat is warmed through.
- Freeze. Transfer into an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to a month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Other Recipes You May Like
Serving Suggestions
I am a fan of serving this with Foil Pack Grilled Potatoes or these Instant Pot Baby Potatoes, these Marinated Tomatoes as well as Smothered Cabbage and these Smothered Green Beans.
FAQs
Plan for between 60-90 minutes to smoke the meat at 225°F / 110°C. The time will depend on the size of the chicken aka the larger 8oz+ ones will take a little longer to cook.
It is super important that the thickest part of the meat reaches 165°F using a digital thermometer for the chicken to be cooked. One tip is to remove the meat from the smoker at about 160°F and tent it in foil to keep it cooking so that you don’t overcook it.
Did you make this recipe? Then I would love to hear how it turned out. Please leave a comment and star rating below. And I really appreciate you sharing this recipe with your family and friends. Enjoy every mouthful 😊🍲 – Bintu
Get the Smoked Boneless Chicken Breasts Recipe
Smoked BBQ Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 6–7 oz each)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup BBQ sauce plus extra for serving
Instructions
- Pat chicken breasts dry with paper towels.
- Rub with olive oil, then coat evenly with smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Heat smoker to 225°F (107°C) and add wood chips (apple, cherry, or hickory work well).
- Place chicken breasts on the smoker grates. Close the lid and smoke until internal temperature reaches 160°F (71°C), about 1–1.5 hours.
- Brush BBQ sauce over the chicken and cook for another 5–10 minutes, until temperature reaches 165°F (74°C).
- Remove from smoker, tent loosely with foil, and rest for 5 minutes before serving.
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