Smoked Chicken Breast on a Pellet Grill at home

Smoked Chicken Breasts are satisfying and made in an electric pellet smoker. Even if you’re new to smoking on a pellet grill, this recipe is straightforward and quick to make. Well-balanced for parties, weeknight dinners, and part of a healthy meal!

Smoked Chicken Breast Recipe on Pellet Grill

Another great recipe to try on your smoker is smoked Chicken breast. It is so straightforward to cook and turns out juicy and smoky.

It’s no secret that we love our electric smoker.

Whether we're making a whole Beer Can Chicken, Smoked Chicken Thighs Or Smoked Burgers, if our smoker is running outside, we get excited because we know dinner is going to be good.

This recipe was one of the first ones we tried when we got our pellet smoker, so we can assure you firsthand that you can make this even if you are new to cooking on the smoker! We feel like it’s some of a house favorite chicken breasts we've ever had.

It’s so good served alongside grilled corn on the cob and Pasta salad Or a Green bean casserole.

Why You’ll Love Smoked Chicken Breast

There are so many reasons to love smoked chicken breasts.

• Smoked chicken breasts are straightforward to cook.
• It’s a quick recipe. They are ready in an hour!
• The chicken comes out so juicy and soft and it tastes smoky and flavorful.
• It makes for excellent meal prep! You can serve it up in a variety of ways that go evenly in whatever chicken meal prep recipe you’re making.

We love this recipe because it’s equally straightforward for a weeknight supper or a summer barbecue.

It is a great one for a dinner party, too. You can pop the chicken in the smoker while you prepare all the sides. The smoking process is pretty hands off.

What you’ll need for smoking Chicken Breast on Pellet Grill

Here’s what you’ll need to grab at the grocery store to make this recipe:

• Boneless skinless chicken breasts – we always say get a house favorite quality meat you can afford. If needed, you can substitute boneless chicken thighs, but it will affect the cooking time.
• Avocado oil – Feel free to substitute the avocado oil for another neutral-tasting oil such as olive oil. You can also use other binders like mustard or mayonnaise.
• Smoked chicken rub – we've included our favorite recipe below, but feel free to play with other seasonings. Fajita seasoning Would be satisfying as would Greek seasoning.

Rub for Smoking Chicken Breast

A flavorful spice rub will make a big difference and give a house favorite results.

Having fresh spices that aren’t expired are key to this flavorful rub. Remember, spices typically have a shelf life of about 6 months. If they’re older than that, it’s probably time to replace them.

• Brown sugar – Light brown sugar and dark brown sugar both work well
• Smoked paprika – Smoked paprika has a deeper flavor than regular paprika, but they both work well in this
• Salt – Sea salt or coarse kosher salt are our go-to’s when cooking
• Garlic powder – Be sure to use garlic powder that’s fresh and not expired for a house favorite flavor
• Onion powder – Even if you aren’t a fan of onion, be sure to include onion powder for a house favorite results
• Ground mustard – See more about this ingredient below!
• Ground black pepper – Pepper from a pepper grinder is going to give you the strongest and best flavor

Also known as dry mustard or mustard powder, ground mustard is probably the only one on this list that you might not have on your spice rack, but we highly recommend you add it. You can Order it online Or buy it at the grocery store.

It is made from ground mustard seed, which is the same seed used to make the mustard you know and love for burgers. In recipes, it adds a hint of mustard flavor. We love it in these Honey mustard pretzels.

A from-scratch dry rub isn’t required. If you prefer, you can use a store-bought seasoning blend or your favorite rub. Make sure it’s packed with great flavors.

Best Pellets for Smoking Boneless Chicken Breast

When making Traeger chicken breast, it’s important to have the right kind of wood pellets to get a house favorite flavor.

For a strong, smoky flavor, use a competition blend, mesquite, or oak.

For a sweeter smoke flavor, cherry or apple pellets will offer a milder taste.

Competition blend pellets

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Mesquite pellets

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Cherry pellets

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Apple pellets

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How to Smoke Chicken Breast on Pellet Grill

Making pellet-grilled chicken breast is straightforward. If it’s your first time using your smoker, have no fear — we promise you can do it!

1. First, preheat the smoker to 225ºF.
2. Coat all the chicken breasts with avocado oil. You shouldn’t need more than 2 tablespoons. The oil is simply acting as a binder for the seasoning.
3. Then add all of the rub ingredients to a mixing bowl and stir to combine. (Sometimes we make a big batch in a mason jar and then shake it up!)
4. Generously season all sides of the chicken breasts with the rub mixture. Make sure they are coated on all sides.

1. Once the smoker has preheated, place chicken breasts directly onto the grill grates of the smoker.
2. Next is the straightforward part: Smoke the chicken for 1 hour or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165ºF at the thickest part. We recommend using a Digital instant-read thermometer For this part if your smoker does not have a built-in temperature probe.

1. If it’s not ready, keep smoking it and checking the temperature every few minutes. You may need a little longer smoking time depending on the size of the chicken breast.
2. Once the chicken has reached temperature, remove the chicken from the smoker.
3. Let the chicken rest for at least 10 minutes before serving. This helps to release the juices from the chicken, resulting in a super soft cut.

Straightforward Smoked Chicken Breast Recipe Tips & Tricks

• Whether you’re smoking chicken breasts on a Traeger pellet grill or a Pit Boss pellet grill, there are a few tips and tricks you can use to make sure you have juicy chicken every time.
• Before preparing the chicken, be sure to cut off any big pieces of fat, but leave a little behind because fat = flavor.
• We don’t recommend brining pellet grill chicken breasts prior to smoking due to the texture change. A good rub and a binder to make it stick to the chicken are all that you need!
• You can use a store-bought rub in place of from-scratch. This rub Is our favorite one!
• Another great binder rather than avocado oil is Mustard. It adds that tangy, bitter flavor and melts in your mouth.
• Making sure you cook to the right temperature is the key to having soft meat and a house favorite results. An Instant-read thermometer Is a go-to tool in our kitchen.
• If you want to add a hint of spice, you can add Cayenne pepper To the rub.
• About 10 minutes before removing from the smoker grill, you can brush on your favorite bbq sauce.

How to keep Smoked Chicken Breast

For any leftover smoked chicken, allow it to cool completely to room temperature and then place it in an airtight container.

When stored properly, it will stay fresh for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

You can use it cold on your favorite Salad Or shred it to make a smoky Chicken salad. So good!

How to Reheat Smoked Chicken Breast

If you want to reheat it, do this to keep it moist and smoky: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the chicken on a baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the interior has reached 165°F with a meat thermometer.

Tools for Smoking Boneless Chicken Breast

Pit Boss Smoker

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Measuring cups

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Measuring spoons

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Mixing bowls – stainless steel

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Tongs

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What to Eat with Smoked Chicken

Here are some side dishes we love to serve with smoked chicken:

• Smoked Mac and Cheese
• Smoked Baked Beans
• Old Fashioned Potato Salad

What to Serve with Smoked Chicken Breast

Use a seasoning or rub that your family enjoys. You can even season each chicken breast differently with the seasoning that person likes best! Add some Smoked White Queso Dip To the chicken for a kick up of cheesy jalapeno flavor.

Smoking Chicken Breast on Pellet Grill FAQs

Prep 10 minutesCook 1 hourTotal 1 hour 10 minutesMakes 4

Ingredients

• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil

Rub Ingredients

• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon ground mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Method

1. Preheat the smoker to 225ºF.
2. Coat all the chicken breasts with avocado oil. You shouldn’t need more than 2 tablespoons. The oil is simply acting as a binder for the seasoning.
3. To a mixing bowl, combine all of the rub ingredients.
4. Generously season all sides of the chicken breasts with the rub mixture. Make sure they are coated on all sides.
5. Once the smoker has preheated, add the chicken breast directly to the grates of the smoker.
6. Smoke the chicken for 1 hour or until the internal temperature reaches 165ºF at the thickest part. You may need longer depending on the thickness of your chicken breast.
7. Remove the chicken from the smoker and allow it to rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

• We don’t recommend brining chicken breasts prior to smoking due to the texture change
• You can use a store-bought rub in place of from-scratch
• Another great binder rather than avocado oil is mustard