Stove Top Smoker Mesquite Chicken Recipes

Steps:

• Soak the applewood chips in cold water for at least 30 minutes. Drain before using.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the salt, pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, oregano, ground mustard, and brown sugar.
• Add the chicken drumsticks to a large bowl and pat dry with a paper towel. Season the chicken with the dry rub and toss to coat evenly. Set aside while you build the stovetop smoker.
• Line a Dutch oven or large, heavy-bottomed pot with a lid with 2-3 sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Spread the drained applewood chips in an even layer in the bottom of the pot and place the steamer basket on top.
• Place the pot over high heat. Once the wood chips start to lightly smoke, add the chicken drumsticks to the steamer basket, place another sheet of foil on top, and cover with the lid. Smoke the chicken over high heat for 8-10 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium-low and continue cooking for another 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the chicken to sit in the smoker, covered, for an additional 10 minutes. The internal temperature of the chicken should register between 165-170°F (74-78°C).
• Arrange a rack in the upper third of the oven. Turn the broiler on high. Remove the chicken from the smoker, place on a rimmed baking sheet, and broil for 5-7 minutes, until the chicken has crisped and charred in spots. Serve immediately.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• PREPARATION:.
• To make marinade, whisk together lemon juice, honey, vinegar, olive oil, thyme leaves, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, and 1 tablespoon kosher salt until combined.
• Place chicken breasts in a large freezer zip-top bag. Pour in marinade, squeeze out all the air, and seal. Toss to coat chicken thoroughly with marinade and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.
• Sprinkle mesquite chips over the bottom of the smoker. Place drip pan over chips. (Line drip pan with foil for easier clean-up, but make sure the foil is pressed tightly to the pan so you don't disrupt the air-flow of the smoke.) Spray wire grill rack with vegetable oil and place in drip pan.
• Remove chicken from marinade and place skin-side up on grill rack in smoker. Sprinkle with additional kosher salt and paprika.
• Place smoker over stove-top burners as evenly as possible and offset lid so it is not tightly closed. Turn burner heat to high. When wisps of smoke begin to come through the opening, re-position the lid so it is tightly closed and turn heat to medium-low. Cook about 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the thickness of the chicken breasts, until center tests 180°F with an instant-read thermometer.
• If you are serving the chicken with the skin on, you may wish to place the chicken under the broiler for browning. Invert the lid of the smoker and place the cooked chicken on the raised grate in the bottom of the lid. Place the chicken 6 inches from the broiler and brown 2 to 5 minutes. Let rest up to 10 minutes before serving.
• Serve hot or refrigerate for use in chicken salad.
• Yield: 6 servings (about 1/2 chicken breast per person).
• Notes: This recipe is designed to be used with an indoor smoker. Adapt at will. The wood chips are specially designed for indoor cookers. They are like roughly-ground sawdust, not the large The wood chips used on traditional outdoor smokers. Seldom are more than 1-1/2 tablespoons of chips used. Follow manufacturer's recommendations.
• When using this product on ceramic stove-tops, be very careful to lift the pan instead of dragging. The bottom of the cast iron pan may scratch the cooktop. The smoker is cast iron and very heavy. Use caution when moving the pan. If you drop it, you risk breaking a ceramic stove-top.
• If you are following a low-fat diet, simply remove the skin from the chicken after cooking, but do leave them on during the smoking process to help retain moisture.

Steps:

• Read through the recipe carefully before you start. Some recipes require seasoning or marinating the food in advance; other recipes suggest you brine the food or take them to room temperature before smoking.
• Make sure the smoker parts are clean and dry before you start.
• Sprinkle the amount and type of wood chip you have chosen over the center of the bottom of the smoker, covering an area roughly the size of your burner.
• Put the drip pan in place. Always line the drip pan with a single layer of aluminum foil. This cuts cleanup time in half.
• Arrange whatever item(s) you are smoking on the rack. Newer smoker models have nonstick racks; older racks should be sprayed with vegetable cooking spray to prevent sticking and make for easier clean up.
• Be sure to leave space between items on the rack and between the food and the sides of the smoker.
• Close the lid about two-thirds of the way and center the smoker over a burner. Turn the heat to medium.
• When you see the first signs of smoking rising from under the drip pan, close the lid securely and start timing.
• Check the food for doneness at the time suggested in the recipe. Wear oven mitts or protect your hands with sturdy pot holders, grasp the handles firmly with one hand and slide the lid off with the other. Test the food as quickly as possible (with an instant-read thermometer or other methods suggested in the recipe) and slide the lid closed quickly if it needs more cooking time.
• When the food is ready, turn off the heat and remove the lid of the smoker, unless a recipe directs you to leave it on for a specified amount of time.

Steps:

• The richer flavor of chicken thighs benefit from more flavorful woods like hickory, corn cob or mesquite. Use about 2 tablespoons of any of the above per batch.
• Trim off all the skin and cut away excess fat from the thighs before seasoning them. Or, leave the skin on and crisp the skin in a hot pan after smoking, about 3 minutes.
• Season each thigh with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Smoke over medium heat until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh near the bone registers 170ºF, 25 to 30 minutes after closing the smoker lid. Check for doneness with the thermometer about 15 minutes into the cooking time.
• Serve right out of the smoker with salsa and your favorite coleslaw or use in another recipe.
• Note: Six chicken thighs will yield about 3 cups shredded cooked meat.

Steps:

• Trim any excess skin from the neck end of the chicken and pull out the giblets and any pockets of fat from the cavity.
• First brine your birds. Put the chicken(s) in a stockpot or Dutch oven. Pour in cold water, one quart at a time until the item is completely covered. Lift out the bird and stir in 3 tablespoons sea or kosher salt for every quart of water you have added. Return the chicken to the brine. Set the container of chicken and brine in the refrigerator. Brine for 1 1/2 hours per pound (minimum of 3 hours). Dry the chicken, and rub some freshly ground black pepper inside, also add some whole cloves of garlic and a few lemon wedges to the cavity.
• Start the chicken(s) breast side up on the smoker rack with the smoker on the stove top. Use 2 1/2 tablespoons cherry or oak wood chips OR 1 1/2 tablespoons hickory wood chips. Instead of the smoker cover, tent the smoker with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Smoke 40 minutes over medium heat.
• After the chicken(s) have been smoking 30 minutes, set the oven rack in the center position and preheat the oven to 425ºF. When the chickens are done smoking, remove the aluminum foil and roast the chicken in the oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh near the hip joint registers 170ºF, 30-60 minutes, depending on the size and quantity of the chicken(s).
• After they have rested for 5-10 minutes, serve hot or at room temperature. Leftover smoked chicken is delicious in chicken salad, casseroles, and sandwiches.

Steps:

• Chicken wings can take more assertive woods, like hickory or mesquite, but also work well.
• with mellower choices like alder or cherry.
• Trim the wings into sections, discarding the tips.
• Season 1 1/2 pounds of wings with 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt and a generous 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
• Smoke over medium heat until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part.
• of the drummie registers 170ºF, 20-25 minutes from the time the smoker lid is closed. Check for doneness after 20 minutes into cooking time.
• After closing the lid of the smoker, slice about 1 1/2 tablespoons butter into a heatproof mixing bowl. Set the bowl on top of the smoker to melt the butter as the wings smoke.
• When the wings are done, toss them in the butter, seasoning them with as much of your favorite hot red pepper sauce as you'd like. That, and a lot of napkins is all you need-skip the celery/blue cheese thing.

Steps:

• Trim any fat from the breasts before seasoning them. If you're leaving the skin on in preparation for serving the crispy-skinned version, trim any overhanging skin and smooth the skin into an even layer over the chicken. If not, remove the skin before smoking the chicken.
• Boneless chicken breasts absorb a lot of flavor and watch well with a wide variety of wood. Use less of the more assertive wood like hickory or mesquite, or more of the milder wood chips like alder or cherry. Use 1 1/2 Tblsp hickory or mesquite OR 2 to 2 1/2 Tblsp alder or cherry wood chips.
• Season the chicken breasts with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and a scant 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper each, adjusting that amount to your taste. Or rub a generous amount of your
• favorite rub into both sides of the chicken.
• Close the smoker lid and smoke the chicken breasts until an instant read thermometer registers 170ºF, 18-22 minutes for 6-oz/3/4-inch thick breasts, 22-25 minutes for 7-oz/1-inch thick breasts; 25-30 minutes for 8-oz, 1 1/4-inch thick breasts. Check for doneness with the instant read thermometer about 4 minutes before the end of the time.
• outlined above.
• For crispy-skinned chicken breasts, choose a nonstick pan large enough to hold the number of breasts you are serving. Heat it over medium-high heat a few minutes before the chicken breasts are done smoking. Lift the chicken with tongs from the smoker and lay them skin.
• side down in the pan. Cook until the skin is crispy and deep golden brown, about 3 minutes.
• Serve immediately.
• Note: Four 7-oz chicken breasts will yield about 3 cups shredded chicken meat.