Smoked Chicken Pieces
by Sommer Collier — last updated on May 25, 2024 
This fabulously easy Smoked Chicken Pieces recipe makes the most moist and delicious smoked chicken breast, thighs, or even a whole chicken with barely any effort!
This Smoked Chicken Recipe Makes Juicy Chicken Every Time
Why just grill chicken, when you could smoke it?! Smoking chicken creates an intense depth of flavor that accentuates the juicy sweetness of the meat. Plus, it’s so easy to do!
This recipe allows you to smoke boneless or bone-in chicken breast and thighs, or even a whole chicken. Coat your choice of pieces in a simple but incredibly flavorful spice blend (with only 5 ingredients!) and cook to tender and moist perfection in under an hour… Boneless and skinless chicken is ready in less than 30 minutes!
Sommer’s Recipe Notes
We love to use this smoked chicken cooking method all spring and summer long. It’s great for barbecues and backyard get-togethers, or even casual weeknight meals!
Serve this perfectly smoked chicken with your favorite comforting side dishes for a dinner that is sure to please!
Why You’ll Love These Smoked Chicken Pieces
- Simple ingredients – All you need to make this delicious chicken dish is just a handful of simple pantry spices.
- Great for meal prep – Make batches of this smoked chicken and enjoy throughout the week on salads, in sandwiches or whichever way you like.
- Easy to make – Pop these spice-rubbed chicken pieces in the smoker and in under an hour they’ll be ready.
This recipe for Smoked Chicken Pieces is a guaranteed crowd-please and a bbq hero!
Ingredients and Tips
- Chicken – Use boneless or bone-in chicken breasts and/or chicken thighs.
- Olive oil – I love to use olive oil, but you can use any other high-quality and high-heat cooking oil, like avocado or canola oil.
- Paprika – Enhance the smoky, sweet flavor of the chicken with smoked paprika.
- Garlic powder – Garlic powder gives this dish an earthy and fragrant flavor.
- Onion powder – Get a slightly sweet twist from onion powder, which pairs perfectly with garlic powder.
Recipe Variations and Dietary Swaps
- Heat – Add some cayenne pepper into the dry rub for added spiciness.
- BBQ – Brush the chicken with your favorite bbq sauce for a sweet and saucy finish.
- Thyme – Swap the paprika with dried thyme and drizzle some freshly squeezed lemon juice for a Mediterranean flavor.
How To Make Smoked Chicken Pieces
To make this juicy smoked chicken, prep your smoker and use any smoking wood you prefer. Personally, I love to use Hickory for chicken!
Find the full Smoked Chicken Pieces recipe with detailed instructions and storage tips in the printable form at the bottom of the post!
Storage Notes
- Storing Leftovers – Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- Reheating Leftovers – Reheat in the oven at 300 degrees Fahrenheit or in a skillet over medium heat.
Serving Suggestions
I mean really, what *can’t* you serve with juicy chicken breast or thighs? There are so many options!
Here are a few of our top side dishes to enjoy with smoked chicken:
- Instant Pot Baked Beans
- Classic Potato Salad or French Red Potato Salad
- Famous Corn Pudding or simple Grilled Corn on the Cob
- Mashed Potatoes or Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- Southern Coleslaw
- Stewed Okra and Tomatoes
Leftovers are also great! Or you can even make extra for meal prepping. Enjoy pieces cold in a smoked chicken sandwich or wrap, or chop and add in a salad.
Frequently Asked Questions
Apple wood, cherry, pecan, hickory, or mesquite are the most popular woods for smoking meats. Any of these will work! For smoked chicken recipes, I personally like to use a blend of mesquite and apple.
Absolutely! Place a whole bird on the smoker and allow it to cook at 350°F for approximately 35 minutes per pound. If you spatchcock the chicken and lay it flat on the grates, it will cook in approximately 45 to 60 minutes total.
Boneless and skinless pieces cook for approximately 20 minutes.
Bone-in chicken with skin cooks for approximately 45 minutes.
This simple smoked chicken is done when it is cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F! If you aren’t sure if the chicken is cooked through, you should use a meat thermometer to check the temperature of the thickest part of at least two of the pieces of chicken.
Yes! Flip the pieces about halfway through cooking. This ensures that they cook thoroughly and evenly.
Keep the heat to a low 350°F and do not overcook. Use an internal meat thermometer to check the temp at the low end of the cook times.
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Ingredients
- 3 pounds boneless chicken breasts and/or thighs 5 lbs. bone-in chicken
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- Preheat the smoker to 350°F. Prep the smoker with necessary wood chips or wood pellets. You can use any smoking wood you prefer, but I like Hickory best for chicken!
- Place the chicken pieces on a large rimmed baking sheet. Pat the pieces dry with a paper towel. Then rub them on all sides with olive oil.
- In a small bowl mix together the salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder. Sprinkle the spice rub over both sides of the chicken pieces.
- For boneless chicken breast and thighs: Place the chicken pieces on the smoker and close the lid. Smoke for 10 minutes. Flip and smoke the chicken an additional 5 to 10 minutes depending on the size of the pieces. The internal temperature should read 165°F on a meat thermometer.
- For bone-in chicken pieces: Set the chicken pieces on the smoker and close the lid. Smoke the chicken for 25 minutes. Then flip the chicken pieces over and smoke another 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reads 165°F.
The flavors in this chicken are amazing. We served it with a big salad and everyone loved it!
Can’t get enough of this smoked chicken! Perfectly seasoned and cooked. So addicting!
This smoked chicken had such amazing flavor! I was surprised at how quickly the chicken was ready. We will be having this many times over the summer!
this is the most perfect post, I had some chicken in the fridge and had no clue what I wanted to do with them, and this landed in my lap! the best homemade chicken ever!