Pellet Grill Chicken Breasts
Tender, juicy pellet grill chicken breasts will spice up dinner and weekend family cookouts. The savory seasoning blend, mouthwatering smokiness, and set-it-and-forget-it ease thanks to the pellet grill deliver a simple entree with endless possibilities for weekly meal prep.
I’m all about finding the simple way to do things. That’s why I love my Traeger pellet grill not only for family cookouts, but for planning meals ahead. While this recipe offers four servings, I usually get two packs of chicken breasts and smoke them all at the same time.
We’ll swap out seasoning blends so we don’t get bored of the same old, same old. A few ethnic blends like Creole, Mexican, Italian, and my beloved spicy African blends give us variety; then we fill the smoker with both breasts and thighs.
Which Wood Goes Best With Chicken
The milder, fruitier woods like apple and cherry are a perfect pairing for chicken. Pecan is a little nuttier, and hickory gives thighs (it’s a little too strong for breasts) those delicious BBQ vibes. My family’s preference for chicken breast is a mild fruit wood blend.
How to Smoke Chicken Breasts on a Pellet Grill
Load the pellets, season the chicken, and smoke it. It’s that easy.
Recipe Notes
- Chicken absorbs smoke a whole lot faster than beef and pork, so go light on the chip flavors so you don’t overpower the meat.
- Feel free to adjust the seasoning to your taste or use a different seasoning blend. Creole, all-purpose, taco, and Italian seasonings are all good choices.
Make-Ahead and Leftover Makeovers
Go ahead and smoke breasts a day or two ahead for stress-free meal prep. They will last 3-4 days in the fridge or 3-4 months in the freezer.
They make amazing sandwiches, salad and pizza toppings, casserole additions, and soups.
What Pairs With Smoked Chicken Breasts
Take advantage of the smoker space with potatoes and cabbage. A refreshing salad on the side with mashed sweet potatoes and gravy is also a great choice.
More Succulent Smoker Recipes to Try
By Imma
Pellet Grill Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1½-2 pounds)
- 2 teaspoons (10g) salt
- 1 tablespoon (8g) onion powder
- 1 tablespoon (9g) garlic powder
- 1½ teaspoons (2g) dried thyme
- 1½ teaspoons (2g) dried oregano
- 1½ teaspoons (1g) rubbed sage
- ½ tablespoon (3-4g) freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon (1g) cayenne pepper (optional)
- ½ teaspoon (1g) mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon (3g) paprika
- 1 teaspoon (2g) celery seeds (optional)
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) olive oil
Instructions
- Wash and pat dry your chicken breasts, trimming excess fat if needed. Sprinkle them with salt and set aside. Let them dry brine for about 30 minutes in the fridge if you have time.
- Combine onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, oregano, sage, black pepper, cayenne, mustard powder, paprika, and celery seeds in a small bowl.
- Rub the chicken with olive oil, then generously coat them with the seasoning blend.
- Optionally, let the chicken breasts marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Lightly oil the smoker grates and preheat to 225℉ (107℃).
- Place the cold chicken breasts directly on the grates. Close the lid and smoke them for 45-90 minutes. The actual time will depend on the individual smoker and size of the breasts.
- Pull the chicken breasts off the smoker at 160℉ (71℃) and tent them loosely with foil until the residual heat cooks them to the safe internal temperature of 165℉ (74℃) or about 10 minutes. Enjoy!
Tips & Notes:
- Cold chicken smokes better because the cold meat holds onto more smoke, and it’s safer.
- An instant-read meat thermometer will let you know more accurately that the chicken breasts reach a safe internal temperature of 165℉ (74℃).
- The instructions are for a Traeger pellet grill, so if using a different brand of pellet grill, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for preheating and grilling times.
- Please remember that the nutritional data is a rough estimate and can vary immensely based on the products used in the recipe.
This recipe is pure yum! We used my favorite harissa paste to season them, and they were amazing.