Mia Patel
Smoking chicken in a Masterbuilt smoker is a great way to infuse rich, smoky flavor while keeping the meat tender and moist. The Masterbuilt 710 WiFi Digital Electric Smoker is a vertical smoker that offers consistent heat, efficient airflow, and ample space for a whole chicken. Before smoking, the chicken should be cleaned, rinsed, dried, and seasoned. The smoker is then preheated to around 220°F to 225°F, with the upper vent fully open, and the wood chip tray loaded with wood chips. The chicken is placed breast side up on a lightly oiled rack and cooked for 2-4 hours, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. After smoking, the chicken can be crisped up by increasing the temperature to around 375°F for 20-30 minutes.
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What You'll Learn
Brining the chicken
Next, create your brine mixture. In a large container, mix together salt, sugar, and water. A good ratio is 1/4 cup of salt, 1/4 cup of sugar, and 1 gallon of water. You can also add other spices and herbs to your brine for extra flavour. Mix until the salt and sugar have dissolved.
Fully submerge the chicken in the brine mixture and cover the container with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the brining chicken overnight or for at least 8 hours. The longer it sits in the brine, the more moisture the chicken will retain during the smoking process.
After brining, remove the chicken from the brine and rinse it again under cold water. Pat it dry with paper towels. The chicken is now ready for seasoning and smoking.
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Preparing the smoker
Firstly, choose the right wood chips for your desired flavour profile. Wood chips come in various flavours, such as hickory, mesquite, apple, pecan, beech, alder, and cherry. For a bold, smoky taste, hickory is a popular choice, while apple wood adds a sweet, fruity undertone. You can even mix different kinds of wood chips to create your unique blend. Remember, the type of wood chip you choose will significantly impact the flavour of your smoked chicken.
Once you've selected your wood chips, it's time to prepare your smoker. Start by filling the wood chip tray with your chosen wood chips. The wood chips will smoulder and create smoke, infusing your chicken with that delicious smoky flavour. Remember to keep the upper vent completely open to maximise airflow and keep the cooking chamber dry, which helps achieve crispier skin on your chicken.
Now, it's time to preheat your smoker. Set the temperature to approximately 225°F (107°C). This temperature is crucial for slow cooking your chicken to perfection. While the smoker is preheating, you can prepare your chicken by brining, rinsing, and seasoning it with your chosen spices and rubs. This ensures that your chicken absorbs all the flavours while it smokes.
Keep in mind that maintaining a consistent temperature is essential for optimal smoking. Try to limit how often you open the smoker door, as this can affect the temperature and the cooking process. Also, be prepared to replenish your wood chips every 30-45 minutes, depending on the temperature you're cooking at.
Finally, once your smoker has reached the desired temperature and you've prepared your chicken, it's time to place the chicken on the rack inside the smoker. Ensure the chicken is breast side up, as this helps prevent the juices from drying out and keeps the breast meat moist. Close the smoker lid, and let the magic happen!
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Cooking time and temperature
When smoking chicken on a Masterbuilt Pro, the cooking temperature and time will depend on the weight of the chicken and the level of crispiness you want for the skin.
Firstly, prepare the chicken by brining, rinsing, and seasoning it with your preferred rub. Then, preheat the smoker to between 220°F and 225°F with wood chips added. Once the smoker is ready, place the chicken on the middle rack, breast side up.
For a 3-4 pound chicken, smoke the chicken for 2-4 hours at 225°F. Check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer—the chicken is ready when the thickest part of the meat reaches 165°F. If you want crispier skin, increase the temperature to 375°F for the last 20-30 minutes of cooking, turning the chicken occasionally.
It is important to note that the Masterbuilt Electric Smoker only goes up to a temperature of 275°F, so you may need to adjust your cooking time accordingly.
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Choosing the right wood chips
Smoking a chicken on a Masterbuilt Pro is an art that requires attention to detail, especially when it comes to choosing the right wood chips. The type of wood chip you select will significantly alter the flavour of your smoked chicken. Each type of wood imparts its unique flavour characteristics. For instance, hickory has a strong, sweet, and savoury flavour, mesquite is earthy and savoury, and applewood is mild, subtle, and sweet.
You can also mix different wood chip flavours to create a unique smokiness in your food. For example, pairing hickory with a fruitwood like apple can offer a savoury base with a hint of sweetness, enhancing the flavour of chicken. When experimenting with different wood chip combinations, start with small amounts to find the right balance. Keep a record of the combinations and the results so you can replicate your favourite mixes in the future.
Wood chips come in different sizes, with wood chips being the smallest type of smoking wood, wood chunks being larger, and wood splits, or logs, being the largest. Wood chips are best used for electric smokers or to impart quick smoke on your charcoal grill or smoker. Wood chunks are the most commonly used type of smoking wood for low and slow cooking and typically burn for a few hours, making them ideal for larger meats. Wood splits are best for long cooks on offset smokers or charcoal grills that can handle their size.
You may use dry or pre-soaked wood chips in your smoker, but the choice will impact the smoke output and flavour. Dry chips will burn faster and produce more intense smoke, while chips pre-soaked in water for about 30 minutes will burn slower and produce less intense smoke. To generate more smoke in your electric smoker, you can adjust the vent by opening it, allowing the heating element to stay on longer. However, the smoker will not produce smoke unless the heating element is operating at its maximum capacity.
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Crisping the skin
Smoking a whole chicken in a Masterbuilt electric smoker is a great way to infuse it with a rich, smoky flavour while keeping the meat tender and moist. To get that crispy skin, there are a few things to keep in mind during the smoking process.
Firstly, it's important to brine the chicken before smoking it. Brining helps the chicken retain moisture and prevents it from drying out during smoking. You can make a brine by mixing salt, sugar, and water, and submerging the chicken in this mixture overnight or for at least 8 hours. The salt pulls moisture out of the skin, allowing it to dry out before smoking, which will result in a crispier skin.
After brining, make sure to pat the chicken dry with paper towels and then season it generously with your chosen rub. It is recommended to keep the breast side up during smoking to prevent the juices from running out and drying the chicken, which can also affect the crispiness of the skin.
When it comes to the smoking process, set your Masterbuilt electric smoker to around 225°F (107°C). You can use wood chips like hickory, apple, or cherry to add flavour. Remember to keep the upper vent completely open to maximise airflow and keep the cooking chamber dry, which will also help with crisping the skin.
Finally, after the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165°F, you can crank up the heat on your smoker to around 375°F (190°C) to get that crispy skin. Let the chicken cook for another 20-30 minutes, turning it occasionally, until the skin is golden and crispy.
By following these steps, you'll be able to achieve that desirable crispy skin on your smoked chicken while maintaining moist and tender meat.
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Frequently asked questions
You should set your Masterbuilt Pro to around 225°F (107°C). However, some sources suggest preheating to 220°F and then increasing the temperature to 375°F (190°C) for the last 20-30 minutes for crispy skin.
Smoke the chicken for 2-4 hours, checking the internal temperature with a meat thermometer. The chicken is done when the temperature of the thickest part reaches 165°F (74°C).
Mesquite and hickory will give a strong smokey flavour, whereas pecan, apple, beech, alder, and cherry are milder options. You can also mix different kinds of wood chips together.
