The smoked chicken recipe is a favorite dish among chicken lovers for its unique and exotic flavor and taste. The smoking process uses an indirect heat source to cook chicken at a lower temperature.
The result is beautifully cooked tender chicken with a rich aroma. You may add wood chips such as apple, cherry, or hickory to enhance the smoked chicken’s flavor.
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How Long To Smoke Boneless Chicken Breast In Electric Smoker Per Pound?
An electric smoker has made the process of cooking smoked chicken so easy and convenient. You need to season the chicken breasts with a spice rub and seasonings of your choice and put them in the smoker.
Smoked chicken is a perfect dish for big outdoor gatherings. It is a crowd-pleaser that you can cook without putting in much effort, allowing you to enjoy the party as much as your friends.
You can either use a charcoal smoker or a pellet smoker for the smoking process. If you enjoy having smoked chicken, buying a smoker of your choice is a good idea.
Chefs prefer smoking boneless chicken breast as it enables uniform cooking of the chicken pieces. This ensures that much flavor is packed through the meat.
Cooks focus more on the internal temperature of the chicken than on the time it takes to smoke a pound of boneless chicken breast. For a perfectly smoked chicken breast, the ideal temperature is 165F.
In case, you do not own a smoker, you can cook delicious smoky chicken on your gas grill too. You need to barbecue the best chicken breast at a low temperature slowly and add smoke to it for that unique smoky aroma.
If you set the smoker temperature at 250 F, it will take 30-45 minutes for a pound of chicken breast to be perfectly cooked. You must take care, however, that if kept for a longer time, the chicken will become dry.
For an electric smoker, fired to 225 F, the cooking time is approximately an hour. This is how long it takes for the chicken to reach the internal temperature of 160 F.
Many cooks prefer taking the chicken out at 160F instead of 165F. The hot steaming chicken is then covered with aluminum foil and allowed to rest at room temperature.
Smoking Chicken Breast In Masterbuilt Electric Smoker: How Long in Minutes?
The time it takes to smoke chicken breast in Masterbuilt Electric Smoker depends on a number of factors such as:
- size of the chicken breast pieces
- whether they are boneless or with bones
- whether they are with skin or skinless chicken breast
- the number of times you open the door of the smoker to check on the meat
- the temperature conditions outside, especially the humidity level
In a Masterbuilt electric smoker, the temperature can be set to a maximum of 275 F. Smoking boneless skinless chicken breasts may take nearly 90 minutes.
In the absence of the bones, the smoke travels faster through the meat and also allows uniform cooking. Bones obstruct the passage of heat and smoke through the chicken breast, and it takes longer to cook.
Most cooks, however, do not completely rely on the time factor. Instead, they constantly monitor the internal temperature of the chicken breasts while they are being smoked.
For the temperature probe, they use a digital thermometer. An instant-read thermometer is equally effective to check the accurate temperature of the cooked chicken breasts.
The smoked pieces of chicken that you finally eat are soft and have a melt-in-the-mouth texture. The experienced can be made even more enjoyable by adding your favorite BBQ sauce over the chicken.
As soon as the thermometer indicates 165 F, it is the perfect time to take out the breasts from the smoker. If the chicken pieces are smaller, then you must take them out at 160 F.
Unlike dark meat cuts of chicken such as drumsticks and chicken thighs, white meat cuts like chicken breasts and chicken wings do not require to be cooked beyond 165 F.
How Long To Smoke Chicken Breast At 225 F?
Chicken breasts take less time compared to other cuts of chicken in being perfectly smoked, The size of the chicken breast also matters.
The larger their size, the more time it will take for them to be cooked perfectly. Typically, if you set the smoker at 225 F, it will take around an hour and a half for the meat temperature to reach 165 F.
165 F is considered the benchmark for chicken breast smoking. Irrespective of the temperature setting of your smoker, as soon as the chicken temperature reaches 160 F, you must take it out.
Then, wrap it up in foil and let it rest till it reaches 165 F.
Other factors such as whether the chicken breast that you are using is boneless and skinless are also important. They will take much less time than if they are with skin and bones.
How long to Smoke Chicken Breast in Electric Smoker: Rule of Thumb
Smoking chicken in an electric smoker is the best way to enjoy your chicken especially if you have a group of friends over at home. For best results, you must brine the chicken breast first for a few hours.
You can either brine using the wet method or the dry method. Both are equally effective but after wet brining, the chicken is plumper and juicier.
In wet brining, you put the meat in a salt and sugar solution and refrigerate it. You may also add spices and herbs to enhance its flavors.
Dry brining involves a dry rub of salt on the chicken and refrigerating it. Kosher salt is a better option for dry brining instead of regular salt.
After taking it out of the refrigerator, make sure to pat dry the chicken with paper towels. Then coat the breasts with your favorite rub.
You can make your own seasonal blend. Mix olive oil, chili powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper, brown sugar, and garlic powder in a small bowl.
Apply the mix generously to the chicken, Now, your chicken is set to be smoked. A pre-heated smoker enables proper cooking of the meat.
It takes around an hour or more, to get a perfectly smoked dish of chicken breasts. However, if you plan to smoke a whole chicken, it will naturally take much more time, maybe 3 to 4 hours.
The thumb rule, however, in deciding whether the chicken is perfectly smoked depends not on the time but on the meat’s temperature. 165 F is the thumb rule that all those who smoke chicken breasts regularly swear by.
What Temp to Smoke Chicken Breast if in a Hurry?
Most people who love smoking chicken breasts do so at 225 F. Slow cooking at low temperatures leads to perfectly cooked and flavored smoked chicken breast.
This may, however, take you 90-120 minutes. However, if you are in a hurry and want your smoked chicken quickly cooked, you need to yank up the smoker’s temperature.
Any temperature above 300 F will quickly cook the chicken. If you need your chicken ready in 35-40 minutes, you can increase the temperature to 325-350 F.
How Long to Cook Chicken Breast in MasterBuilt Electric Smoker vs Rangemaster
The criterion that cooks follow while smoking chicken breasts is to check the meat’s temperature. So, whether you use a Masterbuilt electric smoker or the Rangemaster grill, checking the temperature must be your priority.
It may take an hour or even a few hours to get the required 165 F in the smoked meat. Your aim must be to cook chicken that is delicious, moist, and has that wonderful smoky taste.
How Long to Smoke Chicken Breast at 250F?
It usually takes almost an hour if you smoke chicken breasts in a smoker at 250 F. The general rule is 30-45 minutes for a pound of chicken breast.
More than the time-based rule, cooks rely greatly on the temperature-based rule. 165 F is their goal when it comes to the internal temperature of the chicken breast.
FAQ Relating to How to Smoke Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast in Electric Smoker
How Long Does it take to Smoke Boneless Chicken Breast in an Electric Smoker?
The cook time may vary between 35 minutes to an hour and a half to smoke boneless chicken in an electric smoker. It depends on the smoker’s temperature and the size of the chicken pieces.
How Long Does it Take to Smoke Boneless Chicken Breasts at 225?
225 F is considered the ideal temperature at which chicken breasts should be cooked. It can take 60-90 minutes before you get your plate of packed-with-flavors smoked chicken.
How Do You Keep Chicken Moist When Smoking?
Brining is a method that helps the chicken retain its moisture when smoking. However, you must refrigerate the meat for a few hours before smoking.
Another effective way to ensure that the smoked chicken is moist and juicy is to use a smoker water pan. In a charcoal smoker, placing the pan over the charcoal prevents the meat from drying out.
How Long Does it Take to Smoke Boneless Chicken Breasts?
At 250F, it takes 30-45 minutes to smoke a pound of boneless chicken breasts. However, if smoked at 225F, it may take up to an hour.