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What better excuse to barbecue, than keeping the house cool on a hot summer day? I scream nothing!
I love barbecue, and smoked meats, and the smell of wood pellets toasting on a hot summer day.
I love this recipe because it skips the sugar bath, and instead uses a honey butter baste to add sweetness. In fact, it only uses 2 tablespoons of honey for the whole 5 lbs of meat. And that is all the sweetness it needs.
Ingredients & Tools
Honey is the only sweetener this barbecue needs, you can substitute with real maple syrup if desired.
Smoked Paprika adds depth and that beautiful red color. If you don’t have the smoked kind you can use regular.
Apple Cider Vinegar for spritzing! If you are smoking the chicken I recommend spraying the chicken every hour or so to help keep it moist
Spray Bottle for spritzing vinegar
A Meat Thermometer is essential to make sure you reach a safe temperature. Make sure to measure the biggest piece of chicken, all the way in the center.
Methods
Make sure to baste the chicken thoroughly, getting the honey butter on top of and inside of the chicken skin, and the same with the seasoning blend. This helps keep the skin crispy, the inside moist, and every part of the chicken delicious (just in case you aren’t into chicken skin).
Other than that, if you are smoking the chicken I recommend peaking in on it every hour or so, spritzing it with apple cider vinegar to keep it moist.
Honey Butter Smoked Chicken Quarters
Description
Smoked chicken quarters brushed with honey butter and rubbed with savory homemade spice blend. Cooked low and slow for tender meat, and a delicious crispy skin.
Ingredients
For the Smoker (slow)
- Pat Chicken quarters dry
- Stir together salt, garlic, paprika, parsley, mustard, pepper, onion, and oregano seasonings. Set aside in a small dish.
- Melt butter in the microwave for about 1 minute, stir in honey. Baste the chicken underneath, and on top, of the skin. Let the chicken sit for either 10 minutes on the counter, or in the fridge for up to 12 hours.
- Preheat Smoker to 225
- Cook, skin side up, for about 2 hours, or until internal temperature reaches 155F. Spritzing with vinegar every 45 minutes – hour to help keep moist.
- Increase smoker up to 350 and cook for an additional 10 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165F. Let rest for ~5 minutes before serving.
- Follow Instructions 1-3 above while preheating oven to 425.
- In a Dutch oven, or oven-safe skillet, preheat a little oil in the bottom of a pan over medium high heat. Sear chicken, skin side down, until golden ~3 minutes. Flip chicken over so that it is skin-side up and transfer dish into the oven.
- Cook for ~30 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165F.