Smoked Chicken Breast 3 Ingredients

Love smoker recipes? Try my smoked leg of lamb, smoked corned beef, smoked mac and cheese, and smoked pork loin next. Getting a Traeger grill has been a game-changer for my cooking arsenal. It allows me to recreate BBQ-style meats with barely any effort, and it’s really changed up my family’s mealtime routine. We eat chicken breast several times a week, and smoking it has been a welcome and delicious change to our dinners.

Why I love this recipe

Beginner-friendly. If you’re new to smoking chicken, my simple 3-ingredient recipe is a great place to start. It’s seriously easy, and everyone will be impressed with your skills! Amazing taste. The smoker infuses the meat with a mouthwatering, rich, and smoky flavor that you can’t get from grilling or baking. Versatile. Customize this recipe for your tastebuds! By playing with the type of wood chips, dry rubs, seasonings, sauces, and marinades, you can create an entirely different dish ((I’ve provided tons of options below!). Smoker-free option. Now, I know not everyone owns a smoker, so I’ve tested this recipe using the oven, too.

Ingredients needed

Chicken breasts. Use boneless skinless chicken breasts. Olive oil. Coating the chicken with a thin layer of oil prevents it from sticking and gives it a beautiful golden-brown crust on the surface. Chicken rub. Either buy a store-bought chicken seasoning blend or mesquite blend or make your own using brown sugar, smoked paprika, kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. If you like spice, add cumin and chili powder or cayenne. The spice mixture in my smoked chicken wings would also be delicious.

How to smoke chicken breast

I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Arman’s recipe tips

Don’t overcrowd the smoker. Overcrowding the smoker with wood chips leaves little room for the heat and smoke to circulate. It can also produce too much smoke and overpower the flavor of the chicken. When choosing wood chips for the pellet grill, opt for fruit wood like cherry, apple, pecan, or hickory. To check for doneness, insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the breast to ensure the internal temperature has reached 160°F (71°C). It will continue to rise as the chicken rests off the heat. Let the smoked meat rest. After smoking, tent the chicken breasts and let them rest for 5 to 10 minutes. This gives the juices time to redistribute while the internal temperature rises to 165°F (74°C). If time allows, brine the chicken for 30 minutes before smoking. This extra step adds moisture and even juicier meat. To brine, soak the chicken in room-temperature salt water.

Storage instructions

To store: Place the leftover chicken in an airtight container or wrap it tightly with plastic wrap, then store it in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. I know not everyone owns a smoker, so I’ve tested my recipe using an oven, and while a little more time-consuming, it yields identical results. To smoke chicken breast in the oven, preheat the oven to 225°F and season the chicken with olive oil and the chicken spice rub. Prepare a foil packet with wood chips, poke holes in it, and place it in the oven to start smoking. Place the chicken on a wire rack over a foil-lined baking sheet and smoke for 1 1/2 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. I love experimenting with different flavors for the chicken, so here are some of my favorite dry seasonings, sauces, and even some marinades.

Dry seasonings. After lightly coating the chicken with oil, swap the chicken BBQ rub with classic pork BBQ rub, Montreal, poultry, Cajun, blackening, or Jerk seasoning blends. Sauces. Brush the chicken breasts with BBQ sauce, teriyaki sauce, bulgogi sauce, buffalo sauce, or eel sauce during the last 30 minutes of smoking to develop a sticky glaze and lightly caramelized edges. Marinades. Add more flavor to the chicken by letting the breasts soak in my 4-ingredient chicken marinade or chicken drumstick marinade up to 12 hours before smoking.

To freeze: Wrap the cooled chicken breasts in plastic wrap and store them in a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for 2 to 3 months and thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating. To reheat: You can reheat the chicken breasts quickly in the microwave (1 to 2 minutes should do it) or in a 350ºF oven.