Main Course
Low and Slow Hickory Smoked Chicken
This low and slow hickory smoked chicken is a favorite here in the south. This recipe can be done with a small pork shoulder too. Just adjust the cooking time as needed, but the concept is the same. If you love barebcue, this is for you. Become the Pit Master of your own backyard.
4 – 5 lb Chicken Broiler or Roaster
Adobo Seasoning or your Favorite Rub
Vegetable Oil
Disposable Aluminum Tray
How to Butterfly a Chicken – To Learn More!
Dry Rub for Chicken – For Recipe!
Lightly oil the chicken, this will help brown and crisp the skin. Sprinkle both side of the chicken with your favorite rub.
To Smoke the chicken inside your grill, place a water tray in the center to collect the drippings. Build an indirect fire as seen in the photos. Make a layer of fresh briquettes and dump hot coals on top of them. Place your grate in the grill and center the chicken over the drip pan. Add wood chips to the coals and close the grill. After the wood chips have stopped smoking, add a second batch of coals to the fire and continue cooking for about an hour. The total cook time will be about 2 hours at 225 degrees.
If you would like to add barbecue sauce, lightly brush barbecue sauce over the chicken during the last 30 minutes of cooking. This will give it time for the sauce to get nice and sticky.
Be careful when picking up the chicken, If its done right it will fall apart. Let it rest for about 10 minutes, then pull the meat from the bone for making the best barbecue sandwiches. In the photo you can se how the sauce got nice and sticky and the skin had pulled back off the leg. It came out juicy and tender.
The hard part about smoking a chicken is waiting. I hope you try this. Let us know how yours comes out.
GO HERE for Dutch Oven Camp Chicken.
Dutch Oven Roasted Camp Chicken
This is an easy recipe for someone just starting to Campfire Cook in a Dutch Oven. This chicken recipe will make you look like a great chef. Put this together, add heat and forget it. Come back later and it is done and it taste good. This is the kind of recipe when “Simple” is “Better”.
4 – 5 lb Chicken Broiler or Roaster
Stalks of Celery
Garlic Powder
Salt & Pepper
Vegetable Oil
To Butterfly a Chicken – Learn More Here
Lightly oil chicken, this will help brown and crisp the skin. Sprinkle both side of the chicken with salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. Cut celery stalks into thirds.
Lightly oil a 12″ Dutch Oven. Add the cut celery in a flat layer on the bottom. The celery will act like a trivet and keep the chicken raised up off the bottom on the Dutch Oven. Lay chicken on top of vegetable and put lid on Dutch Oven. (We used a bakers rack to get more space under the chicken)
Cooking Tip: Position the chicken so it does not touch the lid. If it touches the lid, put a small piece of foil at that point. Do not put charcoals directly on the lid over the chicken where it is touching. This will burn it.
In the oven, bake the chicken at 350° for 1-1/2″ hour, check for doneness (180°) or till the juices run clear. Cooking Outside, add a ring of charcoals around the lid and 3 or 4 in the center next to the handle. Add 5 underneath in a circle towards to outside edge. After about 30 minutes rotate to lid 90° and then rotate the whole oven 90° as this help to even out the heat. Be sure to let the chicken rest for about 10-15 minutes before slicing.
You can see in the final picture how the fat has melted out of the chicken and why it should be raised up. The chicken is very tender and pulls right off the bone, it does not get any better than this.
If you want barbecued chicken, Lightly brush sauce over the chicken during the last few minutes of cooking.
This dish has many variations. Change the spices and / or add salsa for an International flair.
Also, midway through the cook time a few redskins and other vegetables can be added the Dutch Oven.
I hope you enjoy this recipes.