SOUTHERN BBQ WHOLE CHICKEN

INGREDIENTS:

• 5-6 -pound chicken
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1  teaspoon Kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• Paprika
• 1teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt

• 1Tablespoon brown sugar
• 1teaspoon chili powder
• 2medium cloves garlic, minced
• 5cups BBQ sauce

3 chunks Applewood hardwood, soaked in water for 30 minutes

DIRECTIONS:

1)   PREPARE: Remove giblets from chicken and trim any excess skin and fat. Loosen the skin over the breast and thigh meat. Rub oil, salt and pepper under the skin onto the breast meat and leg meat and rub a little on the skin and inside the cavity.

2)   SEASON: Combine garlic salt, brown sugar, black pepper, chili powder, and garlic in a small bowl and massage into chicken.

3)   MARINATE: Let marinate for 2-4 hours if time allows.

4)   POULTRY RACK: Hold the chicken upright and fit the opening of the cavity over a vertical poultry rack. Using a basting brush, brush the chicken with BBQ sauce.

5). APPLEWOOD HARDWOOD CHUNKS: Place 3 wood chunks in the bottom of halftime smoker (inside the metal drip pan)

5)   COOK: Place Poultry rack (with chicken on it) onto bottom rack of the Halftime Smoker. Grill for about 1-1.5 hours or until the chicken’s internal temperature at the thickest part reaches 165 degrees F.

6)   REST: For a juicy chicken, it should be wrapped in butcher paper or covered with foil for 20 minutes before slicing.