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smoke fried chicken ready to serve
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4.50 from 36 votes

Smoke Fried Chicken Recipe

Crispy chicken smoked over hickory wood and steeped in zesty flavors for an easy, healthy take on this classic Southern dish.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
Total Time1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Southern

Ingredients

Chicken

  • 5 lbs chicken thighs and drumsticks bone-in and skin on
  • 1½ cup buttermilk
  • 1 tbsp kosher salt
  • cooking spray
  • parsely for garnish
  • 3 tbsp honey optional

Wash

  • 3 large eggs
  • ½ cup buttermilk

Seasoning

  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 cup semolina flour
  • ⅓ cup corn startch
  • 4 tbsp paprika
  • 2 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp mustard powder
  • 1 tbsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp celery salt
  • 2 tsp dried thyme
  • 2 tsp dried sage
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • ¼ tsp sumac

Instructions

  • Place your chicken in a sealable plastic bag and add buttermilk and salt. Allow to marinate for at least 2 hours; overnight is preferable.
  • Light your grill and set it up for two-zone cooking, establishing your grill’s temperature at 400°F.
  • While your grill is preheating, whisk the wash ingredients together in a mixing bowl. In a second mixing bowl, whisk together all of the seasoning ingredients. Remove the chicken from the buttermilk brine and allow any excess buttermilk to drip off.
  • One piece at a time, place the chicken in the seasoning mix to coat it, then transfer to the wash to coat evenly, then back to the seasoning for a second coat. Next, place the chicken on a wire rack, leaving at least one inch of space between pieces. Allow the chicken to sit for about 20 minutes, until the moisture from the wash has soaked into the seasoning.
  • Add one chunk of hickory wood to the hot coals and place the chicken on the grill over indirect heat. Close the lid and allow to cook for 15 minutes. Open the lid, spray the chicken with a light coating of cooking spray and turn chicken over. Close the lid and allow the chicken to cook for another 15 minutes.
  • Open the grill and spray with another light coat of cooking spray. Turn the chicken. Close the lid and allow the chicken to cook for 10 minutes. 
  • Repeat step 6, and after a total of 50 minutes, your chicken should be at an internal temperature of about 180°F–185°F.  
  • Plate chicken and dress with parsley and an optional drizzle of honey.