Dr Pepper Smoking Chicken

I have been smoking chicken for many years and do pretty well but this recipe is hands down the best I have ever done. I smoked some drumsticks the other day the for some friends and WOWZA, it was great. Juicy, tasty, smokey, and great a few days later even. I didn't get any complaints when I served it up the first time, so I am keeping this in the books.

I will say this recipe takes awhile with about 1 hour prep time, 2 hours for the brine process, and 4 hours for smoking. Pretty much an all day smoke day is required but the results are incredible. If your gonna smoke all day you might as well load up the grill too, right?

This recipe serves 8

Ingredients

• 8 - chicken drumsticks with skin on
• 1 cup - brown sugar
• 1- cup Morton salt
• 1- liter Dr Pepper
• 1- Jack Daniels Hickory Barbecue Sauce
• Country Boy Ole #1 All Purpose seasoning
• Chef Geoffrey Michael's Spicet
• Grill Mates Brown Sugar Bourbon Seasoning

Part One - Preparation

When I smoke a chicken, I always brine it first. This will ensure that the meat stays moist and juicy while smoking it for long hours at a time. I highly recommend you learn the process of how to brine. If you google it you will get a variety of methods. Choose one or create your own. I keep it simple and easy and get really great results.

Get your smoker going with charcoal then add hickory and mesquite wood chunks. Get your heat to a steady 200-225 F by controlling the vent door and smoke stack.

In a large plastic or glass container, not metal, large enough to cover the amount chicken you are preparing, mix water and 1 cup Morton salt and 1 cup brown sugar together. Boil the mixture a few minutes to dissolve the salt and sugar. Let the mixture sit to room temp before using. Add thawed chicken, skin on, and cover in the container then refrigerate for 2 hours right before smoking.After 2 hours in the brine, remove the chicken and rinse and pat down the chicken with a paper towel to dry.

Part Two - The Rub
Using Chef Rico's Kicken Chicken Rub, rub the chicken legs down for added flavoring. 1 cup Spicet, 1 cup Brown Sugar Bourbon Seasoning. While holding the drumstick by the leg, push your finger under the skin to pull it away from the chicken forming a pocket if you will. Add a small amount of rub and push it under the skin all over the chicken leg. Then pull the skin back up over the leg.

Part Three - Coating
Now take the drumsticks and coat them with the Jack Daniels Hickory Barbecue Sauce coating all around and up the leg to the end. Coat well! I use a rib rack to place the chicken legs head down for smoking so that the smoke goes all around the leg. Sprinkle the legs yet still with the Country Boy Ole #1 Seasoning lightly for added salty tasting chicken.

Smoke the chicken at 225F for 4 hours using hickory and mesquite wood chucks or small logs.

Part Four - Mopping
Mopping your meat while smoking adds more flavor and keeps the meat from drying out while smoking long periods. For this I used Chef Rico's Dr Pepper Mop Sauce. In a large bowl, mix the rest of the Jack Daniels Hickory Barbecue Sauce and add Dr pepper to it. You want your mixture fairly thin so it covers well. I don't have a measurement for this, I just add and stir until the sauce is watery and thin. Every hour, open the smoker and mop the chicken legs all over from the top down. This is another reason I stand my legs up in a rib rack, so that the mop sauce runs down all over the legs.
Do this the whole smoking time.

Don't under-cook and serve meat of any kind. Always use a thermometer to get the inside of the meat the right temp. Chicken should cook to 165F.

Remove from the grill after 4 hours and place in a foil tray and wrap tight with foil and place in the oven at the around 200F to keep warm until you are ready to serve.


Comments? Suggestions?