Chicken · smoker
Smoked Whole Chicken
Smoked Whole Chicken
cooking times
2 hr 55 min – 3 hr 45 min At the most common temperature, 250°F, a whole chicken in the smoker runs about 2 hr 55 min – 3 hr 45 min at 5 lb. Pick your temperature below for the full chart. Done is always 165°F internal.
When is it actually done?
165°F internal The USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperature for this cut is 165°F, followed by a rest of about 10 minutes. The clock estimates; the thermometer decides. Every time on this page is a planning range, not a doneness test.
Worth knowing before you start
- Chicken skin turns rubbery below about 275°F. Many cooks smoke at 250°F then finish the last 15 minutes hot, or simply run the whole cook at 300°F.
- Poultry takes on smoke fast — 45 minutes of smoke is plenty of flavour; the rest of the cook is just heat.
- Spatchcocking (removing the backbone and flattening) cuts these times by roughly a third and evens out breast vs thigh.