Convert the Rub to Marinade<\/strong>: You may as well combine the smoked chicken rub with a splash of olive oil and lemon juice to create a marinade. You can also shake things up by adding a splash of apple cider vinegar or Worcestershire sauce to the marinade. Let that chicken soak up the flavors in the fridge for a few hours before smoking.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nWhen Do You Put Dry Rub on Chicken?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n The chicken rub here is unlike barbecue sauce that’s applied during or after the cook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It’s always ideal to apply the chicken dry rub on your chicken around 30 minutes before smoking time. <\/strong>That’s enough time for the spices to meld in. <\/p>\n\n\n\nNow, if you’re looking for flavorful meat, go all out! I like to slather that smoked chicken rub on a few hours or even overnight<\/strong> before smoking chicken. Just remember to keep it chilling in the fridge to stay fresh and safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How Do You Smoke Chicken So It’s Not Dry?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\nBrine it Up<\/strong>: Brining is the secret to juicy smoked chicken. Soak those chicken pieces in a simple brine of water, salt, and dark brown sugar for a few hours before smoking. It locks in moisture and adds a flavor boost.<\/li>\n\n\n\nGo for Skin-On<\/strong>: You may also keep that skin on when smoking chicken. It acts as a tasty shield, keeping the meat moist and locking in flavors. Plus, you get that crispy skin with caramelized crust as a bonus.<\/li>\n\n\n\nCook Low and Slow<\/strong>: Take it easy with the heat. Smoke that chicken at a nice and slow temperature range of 225\u00b0F to 250\u00b0F. Slow and steady wins the race to juicy goodness.<\/li>\n\n\n\nUse a Water Pan<\/strong>: Don’t forget to pop a water pan in your smoker. The water creates a moisture-rich environment that keeps your chicken from drying out. It’s like a spa treatment for your poultry. <\/li>\n\n\n\nBaste and Spritz<\/strong>: Show your chicken some love during the smoking process. Give it a good basting with some apple juice, broth, or a buttery herb mixture. This keeps the juices flowing and adds flavor to the party.<\/li>\n\n\n\nWrap It Up (If You Want):<\/strong> To amp up the moisture factor, consider wrapping up your chicken in aluminum foil or butcher paper during the later smoking stage. It’s the “Texas crutch” technique that locks in the juiciness. Just know that the skin won’t be super crispy. But the tenderness is worth it!<\/li>\n\n\n\nDon’t Overcook<\/strong>: Keep a close eye on that temperature. Don’t let your barbecue chicken overcook! When it hits a perfect 165\u00b0F (74\u00b0C) in the thickest part, it’s time to rescue it from the smoker.<\/li>\n\n\n\nRest and Relax:<\/strong> Give that grilled chicken a few minutes to chill and relax before you dive in with your knife. This resting time allows the juices to be distributed evenly. So you won’t have soggy and dry spots. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nConclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n I hope you can now see making your homemade smoked chicken rub recipe is quite simple. For the most basic chicken rub recipe, what you need is a few tablespoons of regular or smoked paprika for the smoke flavor, spices for the heat, and then salt, brown sugar, and some honey for sweetness. This is a good mix for that perfect smoked chicken thighs, chicken wings, chicken legs, chicken breast, or whole chicken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now that you’ve got the secret blend of flavors, it’s time to level up your grilling game. Whether you’re throwing a backyard bash or just craving some good chicken, this dry rub recipe is your ticket to flavor town. It’s what you need for that delicious and oh-so-juicy smoked chicken. But remember, cooking is an art, so don’t be afraid to put your own spin on things.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Tired of shelling out cash for store-bought rubs that never quite hit the mark? What if I tell you with just a few simple ingredients from your kitchen, you can whip up a killer homemade smoked chicken rub that’ll have you saying, “Holy smokes!”? I’ve been making BBQ chicken for as long as I can […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":20046,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"table_tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pitmastercentral.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20043"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pitmastercentral.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pitmastercentral.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmastercentral.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmastercentral.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20043"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/pitmastercentral.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20043\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20121,"href":"https:\/\/pitmastercentral.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20043\/revisions\/20121"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmastercentral.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20046"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pitmastercentral.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20043"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmastercentral.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20043"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmastercentral.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20043"},{"taxonomy":"table_tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmastercentral.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/table_tags?post=20043"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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