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Spicy Smoked Chicken Breast

A brine, a rub, a glaze and a low and slow cook ensures a tasty, succulent and tender chicken breast every time.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
resting time 5 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 15 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Smoked
Servings 4

Equipment

  • Smoker

Ingredients
  

For the Chicken

  • 4 large chicken breast trimmed
  • 1/3 cup Grumpy Habanero Salt

For the Brine

  • 2 qts water
  • 6 tbsp non iodized salt
  • 1/2 cup Brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup liquid smoke
  • 1 lemon and rine juiced
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 tbsp pepper flakes or jalapeno powder

For the Glaze

  • 1 cup Grumpy hot honey or store bought
  • 1 cup apple juice

Instructions
 

For the Brine

  • 1. Put all the wet brine ingredients into a saucepan, only using 1 to 2 cups of the water and leaving the rest aside for now.
    2. Heat over a high heat until the sugar and salt are dissolved.
    3. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely.
    4. Once cooled, add to a container with the rest of the water that was put aside.
    5. Add the chicken breasts to the brine and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours or up to 12.

Smoke the Chicken

  • 1. Se tup your smoker for a temp of 275°F.
    2. Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry with paper towels.
    3. Apply the Habanero salt liberally to the chicken breast
    4. Allow the rub to sit on the chicken for 30 minutes to bind before placing in the smoker.
    5. Place in the smoker and insert an internal temp probe and set it to 130°F. If you don't have a temp probe check the chicken every 45 minutes.
    6. Add all the the glaze ingredients together in a saucepan and place into the smoker with the chicken.
    7. Once the chicken reaches 130°F internally, remove the glaze from the smoker. Put the chicken in a foil tray . Cover the tray with foil and return to the smoker and set a timer for 155°F.
    8. Once the chicken reaches 155°F internally, remove from the pan and place on a wire rack.
    9. Cover each breast with the glaze.
    10. Return to the smoker and set an internal temp of 162°F.
    11. Once the internal temp reaches 162°F, remove from the smoker and cover loosely with foil and rest for 5 minutes.
    12. After 5 minutes of resting the internal temp will be 165°F and the chicken is ready to eat.
    13. Slice and serve
Keyword chicken, smoked