My Husband's Fabulous Smoked Chicken and Chicken Wings

So Sunday, while I was pre-making meals and cooking spaghetti squash in the slow cooker, this is what my husband was doing.  This some of the best chicken I have eaten, so if you have a smoker, you should definitely try it.  

He first had the idea to smoke wings when we went apple picking a few weeks back.  We had stopped to eat, and the restaurant had smoked wings.  So, after an internet search, he adapted this recipe from Extraordinary BBQ to fit his tastes, which include a little heat, so one of his modifications included the addition of some jalapeno peppers.  I edited his recipe a bit, but this is mostly in his words.

Smoked Chicken and Wings 
yield:  1 two to three pound chicken and about 40 wings

Brine

1 gal water (16 cups)

1 cup Kosher salt

1 cup Dark brown sugar
1 large jalapeno, seeded and chopped

Combine all ingredients in a very large non reactive pot or bowl.  Submerge the chicken and wings in the mixture and refrigerate.  Let soak for at least two hours or up to two days, but overnight is good.  

After the brine:

1 Tbsp. olive oil plus more to oil the chicken and wings

Salt and black pepper
1 lemon, cut in quarters
1 medium onion, chopped
1 apple, cut in eighths 
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 large jalapeno, cut in half
optional:  red pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, paprika

Rinse chicken and pat dry.  Rub oil over entire chicken and wings.

Sprinkle salt and pepper on outside of chicken and wings.  Combine  1 tablespoon olive oil, lemon, onion, apple, garlic and jalapeno stirring to coat.  Stuff mixture inside the bird.  You may add a light dusting of any, all, or your choice of the optional ingredients.  Paprika adds color and my husband says pretty food tastes better.

Start your coals and bring your smoker temperature up to 250 degrees.  He used both apple wood chips and hickory wood chips for the first 2 hours of cooking.  For the next 1 to 3+ hours just use coal.

Cook the whole bird for 3 to 6 hours. Bear in mind that the larger the bird the longer it takes.  You may also cook on a regular grill (gas or coal) with indirect heat. (coals/burner on one end of the grill bird on the other).

The chicken is done when the internal temperature checked at the Leg is 170 degrees.

For smoking chicken wings the process is much the same except the wings will take roughly 2 hours to cook.  If you are cooking both for the same meal you need to be aware of your timing.  If you want them done in time for the main meal put them on 2 to 3 hours before the bird is expected to be done.  If you are doing appetizers start them 1 hour after the bird goes on, check them at 2 hours.  If they are the "meal" only smoke them for 1.5 hours and do the balance with out additional wood chips

Adapted from:  Extraordinary BBQ.

This recipe was shared on Foodie Friends Friday.