Smoked Boneless Traeger Chicken Breast Recipe
Without a doubt, a smoked boneless chicken breast is one of the best things that you can make with a grill. Tender, juicy and incredibly flavorful, this way of cooking chicken produces excellent results consistently.
Servings: 4
Calories: 191kcal
Equipment
- Traeger grill.
- Wood pellets.
- Basting brush or large spoon.
- Instant-read thermometer
- Chimney starter
- Old newspaper.
Ingredients
- 6 pieces of boneless and skinless chicken breast.
For The Chicken Brine
- 2 quarts of water.
- 1/2 cup of table salt.
- 1/2 cup of white sugar.
- 1/4 cup of soy sauce.
- A small amount of lemon juice.
- One tablespoon of olive oil.
For The Chicken Rub
- 2 tablespoons of paprika
- 2 tablespoons of chili powder
- 1 tablespoon of thyme.
- 1 tablespoon of garlic powder.
- 1 tablespoon of onion powder
- 2 tablespoons of cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon of kosher salt.
- 2 tablespoons of freshly-cracked black pepper.
Instructions
- First, pour two quarts of cold water in a bowl or large container.
- Then, add half a cup of table salt and half a cup of white sugar.
- Then, pour a bit of olive oil into the liquid.
- Mix well using a large spoon.
- Make sure that both the sugar and the salt dissolve completely in the water.
- Additionally, you may add a quarter of a cup of soy sauce and a bit of lemon juice.
- Now, you have your brine mixture ready. Set it aside.
- Next, take your boneless chicken breasts and put them into the large bowl or container with the brine.
- Make sure that all the pieces are fully covered by the liquid.
- Then, without covering it, place the container in a place where it won’t be disturbed.
- If you can, leave the chicken brining overnight so it can absorb as much flavor and moisture as possible.
- If you don’t have the time, however, you can brine the chicken breasts for as little as 30 minutes.
- While your chicken is brining, make the rub that will be used later.
- In a small bowl, place the paprika, chili powder, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, kosher salt and black pepper.
- Then, simply mix the ingredients with a fork until the rub is homogeneous and consistent.
- That quickly, your rub is ready to be used.
- At this point, you are ready to apply the rub to the boneless chicken breasts.
- Take the chicken pieces out of the brine and dry them individually with paper towels.
- Try to remove as much moisture as possible in order for the rub to stick to the chicken properly.
- Put the chicken pieces on a baking sheet and use a spoon to cover it with the rub.
- Then, using your hands, rub the spices into the meat.
- Rub thoroughly and vigorously until all the pieces are completely covered in the rub.
- At this point, your chicken breasts are ready to be smoked.
- If the grill isn’t ready yet, however, put them back in the refrigerator until it is.
- It’s important to know that, in order for this smoked chicken breast to recipe properly, the Traeger grill needs to be properly readied.
- That means that you should fire your grill up at least half an hour before putting the chicken in it.
- Before getting it going, though, make sure that your Traeger is perfectly clean.
- To properly smoke boneless chicken breasts, you need to get your Traeger grill to 250°F.
- Use your thermometer to make sure this is the case.
- Once you reach the temperature and you see that it’s stable, put the chicken pieces in the grill.
- Close the lid and leave everything be for 45 minutes. It’s important not to lift the lid during this time.
- After 45 minutes of grilling, check the interior temperature of your Traeger grill.
- Ideally, it should be at least 165°F. If it isn’t, make sure to elevate it to around 200°F.
- After that, close the lid again and let the chicken grill for an additional 15 minutes.
- After that time has elapsed, you are ready to take the chicken pieces out of the grill.
- Don’t be too quick to slice the pieces open, though, as this will cause the internal juices to escape and the meat to dry.
- Instead, wait for a good five to ten minutes.
Nutrition
Serving: 100g | Calories: 191kcal