So as I was sitting here thinking what is one the most important items to cover when someone first starts wanting to BBQ and it hit me. It was one of the first concepts that I learned that makes so much sense now I almost forgot all about.
Smoked BBQ is completely different then cooking burgers on your grill, and here is how. Smoked meat (brisket, ribs, etc) is cooked using what is known as indirect heat, where grilling (burgers steaks, etc) is cooked with direct heat. Now I know all of you that have read this before are thinking “Tell me something new”. Well here it is, smoking is baking, and grilling is broiling. Why is this a revolutionary concept? Well once you figure that out, you have a HUGE library of recipes some of which are probably sitting in your wife’s baker’s rack. Any recipe that calls for you to bake, you can do it on your smoker. Once this clicked I was easily able to take existing recipes and do them on my smoker. Now keep in mind your aunt’s tuna tatter tot casserole may not be a family hit on the smoker. Or could it?
The idea with this tip is to think in terms of baking and broiling. This will save you the head ache of throwing things on the smoker that don’t belong or throwing them in wrong. For example have you ever read a recipe that calls for boneless skinless chicken breast to be baked at 350 degrees on the middle grate (not in a pan, covered or in broth)? NO! Everyone knows if you did that you would end up with DRY tasteless chicken, yet I know many people that go out buy a smoker and do just that! They waste time and money and they get discouraged because their chicken is dry as a bone and taste like ash. Now take the same example and think baking, you look up baked chicken breast recipes, you want to find one that does not require the pan to be covered because you want the smoked flavor. Low and behold place breast in a shallow pan and lightly cover with chicken broth or water bake at 350, etc. Now you are thinking in the right terms.
This is a SIMPLE variation of this exact example and an easy first recipe. This won’t win any awards but makes a very tender chicken breast and will boost your confidence if this is your first attempt at baking anything on your smoker.
Nate’s BBQ Chicken Breast
1 – Package of boneless skinless chicken breast
1 – Disposable foil cake pan
1 – Bottle of your favorite bbq sauce
Directions – Take your package of thawed chicken breast and place them in the disposable cake pan. Fill pan with water so the chick is almost completely covered. Lightly drizzle BBQ sauce over the chicken place in smoker at 300 – 350 degrees. Cook until chicken can be broken apart with a fork (turning chicken occasionally).