Hot smoked chicken in a smokehouse

Step-by-step preparation

Cooking time: 2 day 2 hr 30 mins

1. STEP 1

   

   Hot smoked chicken in a smokehouse at home? Prepare the chicken carcasses. Of course, the result from poultry will be much tastier and better than from store-bought poultry. Pluck the bird, gut it, singe off the remaining down and small feathers, and then wash the bird thoroughly in clean water.

2. STEP 2

   

   Remove fat from the belly and neck, and also cut off the tail. Why is this recommended? When smoking chicken, cook at temperatures above 100 degrees, which can cause fat to drip and fall onto the coals, which will contribute to the appearance of fire.

3. STEP 3

   

   Prepare everything you need for the marinade. Peel the garlic and rinse along with the bay leaf.

4. STEP 4

   

   Pour cold water into the pan, add salt, sugar and put everything on the stove.

5. STEP 5

   

   Once boiling, add garlic, bay leaf, peppercorns, cloves and juniper berries. Any of these components can be omitted according to your taste preferences. Reduce the stove to low and cook the brine for 3 to 5 minutes.

6. STEP 6

   

   Remove the pan from the heat and add a bunch of fresh or a pinch of dry thyme to the marinade. Leave the brine to cool to room temperature.

7. STEP 7

   

   Wash the lemon and parsley...

8. STEP 8

   

   Cut half a lemon into slices.

9. STEP 9

   

   Place the carcasses in a deep, large cup or pan and fill with marinade.

10. STEP 10

    

    Squeeze the remaining lemon half on top, add parsley mashed by hand and chopped citrus slices. You can cut the entire lemon into slices and add them to the marinade, or, if desired, squeeze the juice from a whole lemon (whichever you prefer and is more convenient). Set the pressure so that the meat is completely in the brine. Cover the pan with a lid and marinate the bird in the refrigerator for a day or two (I usually leave it for two days).

11. STEP 11

    

    Remove the marinated chickens from the marinade, dry with paper towels and leave in a draft to ventilate for 3-4 hours. It is very convenient to use a special net for drying fish; if you don’t have one, you can hang the chickens on ropes, wrapping the carcasses with gauze (to prevent dust and insects from entering).

12. STEP 12

    

    Soak the wood chips in cold water. For smoking, it is better to use a sliver of alder or any fruit tree (I took cherry this time).

13. STEP 13

    

    Cover the bottom of the smokehouse with foil. Light the fire and wait until there are good coals left.

14. STEP 14

    

    To ensure that the smoke evenly permeates the meat of whole carcasses, place the sticks in the bellies, as in the photo. You can use wooden skewers.

15. STEP 15

    

    Squeeze out the wood chips.

16. STEP 16

    

    Spread the wood chips over the coals.

17. STEP 17

    

    Place the chicken on the grill in the smokehouse and close the lid. Smoke chickens at a temperature of 100-120 degrees for one and a half to two hours.

18. STEP 18

    

    This is what the chickens looked like after 30 minutes of smoking.

19. STEP 19

    

    An hour later the carcasses were already more ruddy.

20. STEP 20

    

    This is what the bird looked like at the end of cooking.

21. STEP 21

    

    Cool the finished chicken and place it in the refrigerator for several hours, or better yet, overnight. The meat will become even more aromatic and tastier. Bon appetit!

Comments on the recipe

Urmida

04.11.2023

4.5

Gorgeous chicken! Thanks for the awesome recipe. Here's another version of cold smoked chicken.

Moderator Ksenia

04.11.2023

4.8

First of all, I want to thank Zhemchuzhinka for this wonderful recipe. The chicken turned out incredibly tasty: soft, very juicy, aromatic. The taste of smoked meat and marinade create an excellent combination. Absolutely all family members liked hot smoked chicken in a smokehouse at home. I was especially pleased that the children were eating the chicken on both cheeks. My chicken marinated for one day. Since I was cooking at home, I put the carcass in a colander to air it out. I smoked the chicken in an electric smoker on the lower level for 1.5 hours. I used alder and pear wood chips for smoking. Once again, thank you so much for the recipe!

Lyalich

04.11.2023

5

Wonderful recipe.