Smoked Citrus Chicken Recipes

SMOKED CITRUS CHICKEN IN BRINKMANN ELECTRIC OUTDOOR SMOKER

Steps:

• Remove just the orange and yellow zest from the fruit and reserve. There should be no white on the zest after removal. Cut the fruit in half and juice. Strain out seeds and excess pulp from the juice using a fine mesh strainer. Mix 1/2 cup juice with 1/2 cup soy sauce. Reserve the remaining juice. Use the juice-soy sauce mixture to inject the chicken all over. Truss the chicken using silicone bands or plain white butcher's twine.
• Soak 6 to 8 chunks (not chips) of hickory in hot water for 30 minutes. The ideal size chunk to use is about 3 to 4 inches long and about 1 inch thick for the Brinkmann smoker. Check the manual if you have a different brand. Remove the lid and body from the smoker. Place 3 to 4 soaked wood chunks on the lava rock in the base of the smoker. Do not allow the wood to touch the heating element. Place the body back on the smoker and put the empty water pan in its place near the center of the body. Fill the water pan about 3/4 full and add the reserved citrus rinds and leftover juice. Place one of the smoker's racks directly over the water bowl. Leave the other rack off. Place a heatproof meat thermometer into the meatiest part of the chicken's thigh. Put the chicken on the rack. Plug the smoker in and put on the cover.
• Smoke for about 1 hour. Remove smoker cover and brush chicken with a good quality barbecue or basting sauce that has a medium-thin consistency. Thin a really thick sauce with a small amount of water. Replace cover and smoke for another 1 hour. Baste again. Cook to an internal temperature of 180 degrees, adding more soaked wood chunks as needed.
• Cooking may take up to 4 hours, depending on how hot the smoker gets, the external temperature and other factors. Test the chicken's temperature frequently to prevent it from getting overcooked.
• Remove chicken from the smoker to a platter or carving board and tent it with aluminium foil. Allow to stand for about 10 minutes. Carve and serve.

SMOKED CITRUS CHICKEN RECIPE

Steps:

• BRINE: Combine the water, orange juice, salt, and white pepper, stirring until the salt is dissolved. Cool the brine to 40 degrees before adding the chicken pieces. Soak the chicken in this citrus brine for two hours, in the fridge. SAUCE: Combine the marmalade, juices, honey, Heinz 57, salt, and black pepper at least an hour ahead of time. As an option, you can add some heat to the mix...cayenne pepper powder or red pepper flakes to taste will warm it well. Remove the chicken from the brine, rinse, drain, and dry with paper towels. Brush the chicken pieces with oil, season with pepper, and put in a 225F smoker. Apple wood is a good choice for smoke here. Plan on smoking the chicken for 2 to 4 hours at this temperature. After two hours, check the internal temperature of the chicken. Remove thighs when they're at 175 degrees F, and breasts at 165F. Cover them and let them rest for twenty minutes. Plate the smoked chicken onto a platter, and drizzle on half of the citrus sauce. Serve the chicken, with the remaining sauce for dipping. Enjoy NOTE: If you prefer chicken with crispy skin, run your smoker a little hotter, between 275-300 degrees. The chicken will be done within a couple of hours at this temperature. Check often, moving the pieces around as needed to prevent burning or overcooking. MY COMMENT: I usually smoke ribs and chicken together. I prepare the ribs and place in smoker for 4 hrs at 225 degrees then remove, baste w/BBQ sauce and WRAP in foil and RETURN to smoker. I increase the temp to 275 degrees and then place the chicken in to smoke with the ribs for 1.5 hrs. Sometimes I'll remove the chicken and place on gas grill at medium temp for 10-15 minutes. Keep an eye on it though because the sugars int he glaze will burn.