Smoked Whole Chicken on the Traeger

There are so many ways to cook a whole chicken, but my favourite (aside from rotisserie) is to use the Traeger. This smoked whole chicken doesn’t need any special prep like brining, salting/drying, or basting. All you need is a delicious herb rub and optionally stuffed with fresh herbs. With this recipe (and a 3 lb raw whole chicken), you can have dinner for 4 on the table in just 1.5 hours.

Is it just me or are reputable recipes getting hard to find nowadays? The internet is absolutely flooded with poor recipes, wildly different temperature or time differences, and incomplete instructions. It used to be that you could look up a recipe and find a few good ones that had similar cook times/temperatures. I saw a recipe that recommended cooking a 3 lb chicken for 1 hour at 450F but this chicken took the same time at 75 degrees cooler! Who do you trust nowadays?

When smoking on the Traeger, I’ve found that lower fat meats like turkey and chicken do not benefit from the “low and slow” method with dry heat. Unless you’re religiously basting, I find that the meat becomes chewy and stringy. Chicken does best at a moderate temperature to ensure even cooking without drying out. This chicken has been a huge hit with my husband who previously disliked eating whole chicken because the breast would always dry out and there’d be a lack of flavour throughout. Not anymore!

Consistently I have found that at 375°F, it takes about 1 hour 10 minutes (+ rest) for a 3 lb whole chicken. Whole chicken should cook at a rate of 20-25 minutes per pound.

Tips for the Best Smoked Whole Chicken

• Use fresh herbs when possible for the best flavour, but dried will work just fine!
• Rotate the chicken a couple of times while cooking to ensure even cooking.
• Use an instant-read thermometer to check temps in multiple spots (on both sides) in the last 20 minutes of cooking. This will give you time to rotate your chicken and ensure even cooking. I usually find that one thigh will read 150°F and the other 130°F. I rotate and 15 minutes later, both are reading 160°F. Make sure both thighs and both breasts are reading 160°F when you pull it off.
• Rest the meat after cooking. This will keep the meat from drying out when you cut into it, allows it to finish cooking, and will make sure you don’t burn yourself!
• Do not cook to 165°F. Controversial, I know! But when meat rests after cooking, the temperature will continue to rise (often another 10°F). If you do overshoot while roasting, don’t worry about it and still rest the meat. It will still be deliciously tender.
• Use a pellet mix or poultry-friendly pellets such as Alder, Apple, Apricot, Cherry, Maple, or Oak. See my pellet guide HERE.

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

• Roast a whole chicken without heating the house
• Easy meal prep – A 3 lb chicken can easily make 2-3 meals for 2 (enchiladas, quesadillas, sandwiches, etc.)
• Family friendly – No overwhelming flavours that will throw off the kiddos. It’s an easy dinner for a family of 4.
• Great alternative to a turkey for small family holidays. Plus, no one will fall asleep right after dinner from the tryptophan.

How to Smoke a Whole Chicken on the Traeger

Make the Herb Mixture

In a small bowl, mix together the zest of 1 lemon, 1 tbsp kosher salt salt, 2 tsp paprika (smoked or regular), 1 tsp garlic powder, and 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper.

Destem and finely chop 2-3 stems each of oregano, rosemary, and thyme. Reserve another 2-3 stems of each for stuffing. Add the chopped herbs to the bowl with the zest and spices.

Juice half of the zested lemon and stir it into the herb mixture along with 4-5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil until it forms a runny marinade. Set the other half of the lemon aside for stuffing the chicken.

Either using a basting brush or your hands, brush the herb mixture onto the entire chicken, focusing on using a majority of the mixture on the top of the bird (breast/thighs). Stuff the remaining fresh herbs inside the carcass along with the other half of the lemon.

Use butcher’s twine or cotton string to tie the legs together and truss the chicken. Tuck the wings in. Optionally set it in the fridge for 2-4 hours, uncovered, to marinate or begin the next step immediately.

Smoke the Chicken

Allow the chicken to sit at room temperature while you preheat the Traeger to 375°F. If you marinated the chicken, let it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before cooking.

Add the chicken to the preheated Traeger, drizzling with any accumulated juices. Bake for 1 hour 10 min (3 lb) or 1 hour 30 min (4 lb) or until the rarest part of the chicken (typically the breast) reads 160°F. Optionally drizzle with another tbsp of oil if it looks like it needs it in the last 10-15 minutes of cooking.

Remove the chicken from the grill once the chicken reads 160°F in each thigh and breast. Allow the chicken to rest (no need to cover) at least 5 minutes (10 optimal) to maintain moisture and allow the bird to finish cooking to 165°F.

Looking for More Traeger Recipes?

• Traeger Pepperoni Pan Pizza
• Soy Apricot Chicken with Garlic Rice
• The Best Traeger Mac and Cheese
• Maple Dijon Soy Chicken Thighs on the Traeger
• Saffron Chicken Skewers with Herb Yogurt Sauce