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Pulled chicken is one of our favorite smoker recipes because it’s healthy, inexpensive, and cooks up in less time than other smoked meats… and our kids will eat it! With an easy homemade slaw and a bit of your favorite barbecue sauce, this smoked pulled chicken recipe makes a fantastic BBQ sandwich!
I’m just going to say it… chicken is one of the most bland and boring meats that there is. So you may be a bit underwhelmed at the thought of piling pulled chicken on a bun for a sandwich without slathering it in barbecue sauce.
But our recipe combines a quick homemade sauce with the natural pan juices of the smoked chicken for extra flavor that isn’t overpowered by a sugary sweet sauce. So you can use this pulled chicken to make a wide variety of meals, from shredded chicken enchiladas (use our leftover turkey enchiladas recipe but sub chicken!) to buffalo chicken wraps, or even add a bit of mayo and whip up a smoked chicken salad.
If you love pulled pork, then this smoked pulled chicken is a succulent and flavorful alternative to try! And be sure to check out another favorite pulled barbecue recipe – these bbq pulled chuck roast sandwiches.
Smoked Pulled Chicken (from a Whole Chicken)
Equipment
- half size aluminum foil pan
Ingredients
- 3½ – 4 lb whole chicken, giblets removed
- Texas-style rub
- barbecue seasoning, *We used 'Que That Rub and Seasoning
- 3-4 stalks celery or carrots
- barbecue sauce, optional
For the Pan Sauce:
- 3 tablespoons butter
- ¼ onion, finely diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- juice of 1 lemon
- ½ cup apple juice
- 1 tablespoon Italian dressing
- ½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- 1-2 tablespoons brown sugar, *See notes
Instructions
- Heat the pellet grill or smoker to 300℉ with your choice of wood or pellets. *See notes on cooking temps.
- Prepare the chicken for the smoker. Pat the skin of the chicken dry with paper towels. Then season the whole chicken with Texas-style rub first. Next add a layer of your favorite barbecue seasoning.
- Place large pieces of celery and/or carrot in the bottom of a half size foil pan, lining them up flat for the chicken to rest on top. *This keeps the chicken elevated off the bottom of the pan to allow more air circulation, and it allows you to catch the drippings to be used for the sauce. Place the seasoned chicken on top of the bed of vegetables.
- Smoke the chicken on the pellet grill or smoker at about 300°F until the internal temperature reaches about 155-160°F. *About 2 hours for us, but cooking times will vary. Always cook to the correct internal temp, not a certain time.
- While the chicken is cooking on the grill, prepare the pan sauce. Add finely diced onion and butter to a small saucepan and heat over medium low heat until onions are tender. Then add the remaining sauce ingredients, reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Once the chicken reaches about 155-160℉ internal, add the pan sauce to the aluminum foil pan with the chicken. Then put back on the smoker and continue to cook until the internal temperature reaches about 175-180°F. *NOTE – Your chicken is technically done when the internal temp of the thickest part of the chicken breasts reaches 165°F, but for pulled chicken I like to cook to a higher temp to make the meat easier to shred.
- When the chicken is done, transfer to a cutting board or large baking sheet to rest for about 20 minutes. While the chicken is resting, pour the pan juices and sauce from the foil pan into a bowl. Allow the fat to come to the top of the liquid, then skim off with a spoon and discard.
- Use two forks or your hands to shred and pull the chicken, discarding any gristle or unpleasant bits as you shred. Then spoon some of the reserved pan juices over the shredded chicken, mixing everything together. *We added about ⅓ cup of the juices, but you can adjust to your preference.
- Add a drizzle of barbecue sauce (optional) and serve the pulled chicken on buns for a pulled barbecue chicken sandwich, or use the shredded chicken as desired for other recipes.
Video
Notes
- Adjusting the sweetness of the pan sauce – The amount of brown sugar needed will vary based on what BBQ sauce you’re using and your personal preference. If you’re serving your pulled chicken with a sweeter bbq sauce, use less brown sugar so your chicken is overly sweet.
- Cooking at a different temperature – I prefer to cook my smoked whole chicken at a higher temperature because I love the crispy skin. You can follow the steps above but adjust the smoking temperature down to 250°F if you wish. Cooking times will need to be adjusted as well.
- Cooking to temp NOT time – Different grills maintain heat differently, and the grill temperature can vary drastically (by 50 degrees or more) from where your grill’s thermometer is versus where you place the chicken on the grill grates – top or bottom grate, middle or end of the grill, etc. The times in the recipe are a guide only. You should always cook your meats to the proper internal temperature, not to a specific time.
The Secrets to Juicy Pulled Chicken
If you’ve ever had pulled chicken, then you know that the shreds tend to dry out quickly, especially with the chicken breasts. But here are some of the secrets that keep our pulled chicken extra juicy and flavorful:
- Allow the meat to rest before pulling – You need to rest the chicken until it cools down to about 150°F internal temp. This helps keep the meat juicy, and it also makes it easier to handle for the pulling process.
- Smoke the chicken in a foil pan – The pan method allows you to catch the drippings as the chicken cooks. The extra moisture in the pan creates steam, keeping your bird juicy while adding extra flavor. *This is similar to the idea of using a water pan in your smoker.
- Use a whole chicken – The extra fat content from the chicken thighs and legs helps to keep the smoked pulled meat moist.
- Toss the pulled meat with a pan sauce – After shredding the smoked chicken, toss the shreds with the sauce made from the drippings. This helps to flavor the otherwise bland meat, and it makes for extra juicy pulled chicken – I’ve done similar methods will pulled pork shoulder and had great success!
- Use a meat thermometer – The secret to most smoked meats is cooking the meat to the proper internal temperature, and you can’t do that without the help of a good meat thermometer. I prefer a wireless thermometer that allows me to consistently monitor the internal temp of whatever I’m smoking, but an instant read probe thermometer will work also.
VIDEO: Pulled Chicken on the Smoker
More of a visual learner? Watch me make this fantastic pulled whole chicken on my pellet grilling YouTube channel here:
Ingredients
- whole chicken – We recommend starting with a whole chicken because it will retain more moisture during the smoking process due to the combination of dark meat and the added skin and fat.
- Texas-style barbecue rub – You can grab our homemade Texas seasoning rub recipe here. Just a simple blend of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and seasoned salt.
- barbecue seasoning – We used our own ‘Que That Barbecue Rub and Seasoning which has some nice sweet notes. Use your favorite rub for chicken, or you can just use the all-purpose Texas rub for regular pulled chicken that isn’t barbecue flavored.
For the Chicken “Mop Sauce”:
- brown sugar – *NOTE: The amount of brown sugar needed will vary based on what BBQ sauce you’re using.
- Italian dressing
- Worcestershire sauce
- butter
- apple juice – Or you can use apple cider vinegar instead if you wish.
- mustard
- hot sauce
- lemon juice
- finely diced onion and minced garlic
Prepping the Chicken for the Smoker
The best smoked whole chicken starts with the proper prep work. I personally love the crispy skin so before I season my bird, I pat it dry with paper towels to remove the excess moisture. This helps the seasoning to stick, and it also helps to create that fantastic crispy outer skin.
If I were making a regular smoked chicken, similar to a rotisserie-style bird to slice and serve, then I would remove the excess fatty pieces that hang near the cavity. But for this pulled chicken recipe, those extra bits help to create more “pan juices” as the bird cooks, keeping your chicken moist and flavorful. It’s completely based on personal preference if you leave on the excess fat or trim it off before seasoning.
How to Make Smoked Pulled Chicken on the Smoker
Step 1: Season the whole chicken. Start with a base coat of Texas-style rub, a simple blend of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and seasoned salt. Then add your favorite barbecue seasoning on top. You can also omit the bbq rub altogether if you prefer. This smoked chicken recipe will still be fantastic.
Step 2: Smoke the chicken on the pellet grill or smoker. Place the seasoned chicken in a half-size aluminum foil pan on top of a bed of celery and/or carrots. This keeps the chicken elevated off the bottom of the pan to allow more air circulation, and it allows you to catch the drippings to be used for the sauce. Then smoke the chicken on the pellet grill or smoker at about 300°F until the internal temperature reaches about 155-160°F. *About 2 hours for us, but cooking times will vary.
Step 3: Make the pan sauce. While the chicken is smoking, make the all-purpose “mop sauce” by sautéing finely diced onions with melted butter in a small saucepan. Then add the other sauce ingredients and simmer on low for about 10-15 mins.
Step 4: Continue cooking the smoked chicken until done. When the chicken reaches about 155-160°F, pour the sauce into the pan with the natural juices. Then put back on the smoker and continue to cook until the internal temperature reaches about 175-180°F. *NOTE – Your chicken is technically done when the internal temp of the thickest part of the chicken breasts reaches 165°F, but for pulled chicken I like to cook to a higher temp to make the meat easier to shred.
Step 5: Pull the smoked whole chicken. Use a fork or your hands to pull and shred the meat. As you’re shredding the chicken, discard any gristle or other unpleasant bites.
Step 6: Add the sauce to the pulled chicken. While the chicken is resting, transfer all of the pan juices to a small bowl, or I like to use a glass Pyrex measuring cup. Allow the excess fat to come to the top of the liquid, and then use a spoon to skim it off. Then pour some of the sauce over the pulled chicken, and mix it well.
Serving Smoked Pulled Chicken
Because our pulled chicken recipe isn’t overly barbecue-flavored, you can serve the meat a wide variety of ways. Here are some of our favorite suggestions:
- Add the pulled chicken to a hamburger bun with barbecue sauce and top with homemade coleslaw for a fantastic barbecue pulled chicken sandwich. This is our go-to coleslaw recipe with onions and apples – perfect for sandwiches and bbq meats!
- Make pulled chicken tacos with your favorite tortillas and Mexican toppings. Or go for a barbecue chicken taco with barbecue sauce, slaw, and pickle.
- Use the smoked pulled chicken to make smoked white chicken chili.
- Use the leftover chicken for easy chicken quesadillas.
- Add a few tablespoons of barbecue sauce or pizza sauce to store-bought pizza dough, top with the shredded chicken, mozzarella cheese, and your favorite toppings for a homemade pizza.
You can use a hand mixer to quickly and easily shred the smoked chicken. But for this recipe, I just like to use my hands. When the chicken is cooked to a slightly higher internal temp, it becomes much easier to shred. You should be able to pull off a chunk of the breast and squeeze it in your hand to start the shredding process – like you see the pitmasters do on YouTube with pulled pork shoulder.
This is largely based on personal preference, but I have found that the type and quality of pellets that you use makes ALL the difference when it comes to pellet grilling. I personally use and recommend Smokin’ Pecan pellets made from pecan shells, but other recommendations include Bear Mountain Gourmet blend and B&B Championship Blend (for a less expensive option).
In general, apple, pecan, cherry, and hickory are a great match for the more delicate flavors of chicken.
Store the leftover pulled smoked chicken in its juices in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This helps to keep the shredded chicken juicy when you reheat it.
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