We made this recipe for Christmas and many times since. It's definately one of our favorites! We tend to smoke a lot at a time, so we have leftovers or are feeding a large crowd. Sliced, 1 chicken breast will usually feed 2 people. It's also great on salads or on a croissant for sandwiches.
Chicken breast
Water
¼ cup sea salt
2 Tablespoons sugar
4 sprigs fresh thyme (I’ve also sprinkled in dried thyme if I didn’t have fresh)
½ Tablespoon black peppercorns
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon oregano
¼ teaspoon thyme
6-8 Tablespoons butter, melted
To create brine, bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. Stir in salt and sugar until it’s dissolved. Place chicken breasts in a large bowl. Pour boiled water mixture over the chicken breasts. Add cold water to the bowl until the chicken breasts are covered completely. Add thyme sprigs and peppercorns. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight (Sometimes we forget to do it overnight and it only sits in the brine a couple of hours.)
To create the rub, combine the brown sugar, paprika, sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, ground cloves, oregano and thyme. Mix well. I usually make up at least 4 – 5 batches of the rub at a time and store in a mason jar. That way there is enough depending on how much chicken you decide to smoke.
When you are ready to smoke, heat the smoker to 250°. Remove the chicken breasts from the brine, rinse with cold water and dry with paper towels. Rub the chicken breasts with the prepared rub. We use a foil pan or foil wrapped up on the edges on top of the smoker rack to contain the juices. Place the chicken on the foil. Place the chicken in the smoker for 2 – 4 hours until the internal temperate reaches 165°. Remove from smoker and cover with foil. Place the covered chicken in a non-heated oven to rest for 30 minutes. Remove and cut into slices. Place slices into a serving dish and pour the juices over top to serve.
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