Maple-Smoked Bone-In Chicken Breasts

Name: Maple-Smoked Bone-In Chicken Breasts
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 4 h
Total time: 4 h 5 min
Yield: 3 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup Apple Chips; 1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar; 1 tsp Black Pepper; 2 tbsp Brown Sugar; 4 lb Chicken Breast; 0.25 cup Coarse Salt; 0.5 tsp Garlic Powder; 0.5 tsp Onion Powder; 1 tsp Paprika; 1 tsp Salt; 4 cups Water

Dinner 🍽️Lunch 🥪 American High-Protein 💪Low-Sodium Gluten-Free Paleo 🦴Carnivore 🥩Halal 🕌Kosher ✡️Comfort-Food

Maple-Smoked Bone-In Chicken Breasts deliver gentle sweetness and deep wood-fired aroma, with juicy meat beneath crisp, seasoned skin. A light brine and balanced rub keep every bite tender and well-rounded, ideal for weeknight dinners or slicing for salads, tacos, and sandwiches. Serve warm off the smoker or chilled for meal prep.

Prep5 mins
Cook4 hrs
Serves3
DifficultyMedium

1

Gather all ingredients.
2

Make the brine: In a large bowl, combine water, kosher salt, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar, and stir until the salt and brown sugar dissolve.
3

Place the chicken breasts in the brine, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
4

Preheat an electric smoker to 225 degrees F (110 degrees C) according to the manufacturer's directions, using maple wood chips.
5

Remove the chicken breasts from the brine and rinse them under cold water.
6

Pat dry and set aside.
7

Make the rub: In a bowl, combine brown sugar, salt, black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder.
8

Sprinkle the dry rub all over the chicken breasts, place them skin-side up on a grill rack in the preheated smoker, and set a drip pan underneath.
9

Smoke the chicken breasts in the preheated smoker until they are no longer pink and the juices run clear, about 4 hours, adding maple wood chips as needed to maintain continuous smoke.
10

Check with an instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone; it should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).