Smoked Chicken Breast

posted by Michelle Goth on Apr 7, 2020 (updated Oct 9, 2024)

This Smoked Chicken Breast recipe is rubbed in a simple homemade dry rub and slow smoked. Tender and flavorful, perfect for meal prepping!

I have to admit that smoked chicken breast was not really on my radar until a few months ago! But, once I realized how versatile they were, and just how much I could mix them into my recipes, I was sold!

a photo of a smoked chicken breast basted in bbq sauce

We’ve stuck to the more traditional smoked meats, like smoked whole turkey, smoked salmon, smoked turkey breast and smoked chicken quarters and whole smoked chicken. One day we were smoking some pork ribs, and I had a huge tray of boneless chicken breasts in the fridge. I asked my husband if we could make smoked chicken breast along with the ribs, and they turned out great!

This smoked chicken recipe uses my signature smoked chicken spice blend, which contains brown sugar, black pepper, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, chili powder, and several other spices. It has so much flavor and is my FAVORITE rub! Just combine this chicken rub in a small bowl before starting the cooking process. Make sure to pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels before coating them in the spice rub.

This recipe does include a cold-water brine. If you are short on time, feel free to skip this step! It adds tenderness and moisture to your smoked chicken breast but is not essential.

The Best Wood Chips for Smoked Chicken Breast

One of the most common questions I receive is “What kind of wood chips should I use?” Well, that’s very much up to YOU! We love pecan wood, but cherry wood, hickory wood chunks, apple wood and maple wood are all excellent options.

The type of wood that you choose depends on the type of smoke flavor you like! Choosing the wood flavor that you prefer will give you the best results for YOU!

Serving Suggestions for Smoked Chicken Breasts

I used our Smoked Chicken Breast as part of meal prep for the week! There are so many ways to use smoked chicken breast. One of my favorites are these Blue Cheese Chicken Wraps for lunch. Here are a few more ideas:

diced up for chicken tacos
shredded for enchiladas
an easy addition to soups like my white chicken chili or crack chicken noodle soup
served on a bun for an awesome chicken salad sandwich
an easy addition to your favorite pasta dish!
in my delicious chicken stuffing casserole
sliced and served on top of a green salad with olive oil dressing

Luckily, smoking boneless chicken breasts is super simple and can definitely be done alongside other cuts that are typically smoked like ribs and pork butts.

If you’d like to serve this smoked chicken recipe as the main course, you can also smoke your side dishes! I recommend Smoked Corn, Smoked Potatoes or Smoked Mac and Cheese.

How long does it take to smoke chicken breasts at 225?

For cook time, you will need about 1 hour if you are smoking the chicken breasts at 225 degrees Fahrenheit.

Of course, there can be some variation for smaller breasts, which need a bit less cooking time, or large chicken breasts, which may add 5-10 minutes extra time to your

Your ultimate test of the chicken being done is when an instant read thermometer finds the internal temperature reads 165 degrees F. Insert the temperature probe into the thickest part of the chicken breast when gauging the temperature of the meat.

Before cutting into the meat, allow to rest at room temperature for about 10 minutes. This will give the juices time to redistribute throughout the cut of chicken.

Do you flip chicken when smoking?

Short answer, no! You do not have to. You can, but it is not necessary. The chicken breast will cook evenly without flipping.