Smoked Chicken Sandwiches

My new cooking toy for this year is my smoker.  I bought a Brinkman for $38 at a local big box store.  I put it together in less than one hour and seasoned it before the first use by following the directions.  I decided to make a chicken in the smoker as my first food because it takes the least amount of time and the meat is pretty cheap.  I made 2 chickens for 5 people and had one chicken too many.  This is an easy recipe and if you want to try smoking meats, this is a great way to begin.

Serves 5

Ingredients:

1 4-5 lb chicken, whole
1/2 -3/4 cup of your favorite rub mixture (mine is below)
1 large bag charcoal
apple wood chips, soaked
3 beers
1 pitcher of water
1/2 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce (mine is below)
Hamburger buns
Cole Slaw

Rub:
http://homemadeonli.blogspot.com/2011/05/bbq-ribs-with-homemade-bbq-sauce.html

BBQ Sauce:
http://homemadeonli.blogspot.com/2011/05/bbq-ribs-with-homemade-bbq-sauce.html

Here's how:

The day before you are ready to smoke, rub the chicken with the rub and place it back in the fridge overnight.  If you want to do it the same day you can do it a few hours or minutes before.  I just think the seasoning tastes better if it sits.

When you are ready to smoke, take the chicken out of the fridge and let sit at least 30 minutes before placing on the smoker.  You do not want to put cold meat on.

Get your smoker up to temperature, about 250 degrees.  I use charcoal and start it using a charcoal chimney.  Do not use lighter fluid, it will make your food taste like lighter fluid. Place wood chips on the charcoal if you like the flavor.  I used one cup of apple wood chips, soaked for 20 minutes before adding to the coals.   If you have a water bowl for your smoker, fill it with the beers and water, until 3/4 full.

Get your charcoal started

These are the water bowl and grates for the smoker

Smoker, ready to go

Once the smoker is up temperature, place the chicken on the smoker and cook for 4 to 5 hours, until the internal temperature of the meat is 180 degrees. After 2 hours, brush BBQ sauce onto the chicken. You will have to add charcoal every hour to hour and a half to keep the temperature at 250 degrees.  Do not think that it will stay steady the entire time in a small smoker like mine.  Larger ones may be different.  Do not keep opening it or else you will lose smoke and heat.

Remove the chicken from the smoker and let sit for 10-15 minutes so the juices do not run out when you cut into it.

Chicken done

Pull the meat off the bones.

Remove the skin and use 2 forks to pull the chicken into small pieces.  Remove all the meat.

Place the meat onto a hamburger bun, top with BBQ sauce and cole slaw. 

Eat and enjoy.