This hot honey smoked BBQ chicken is infused with smoke as it cooks to tender, juicy perfection and slathered with a spicy, sweet hot honey BBQ sauce to create a chicken dish perfect for all your favorite sides.
BBQ is the classic summer food. From backyard parties to gameday get-togethers, dishes like barbecue chicken nugets and Hawaiian BBQ chicken sliders are always guaranteed to make any summer party better.
You’ll notice that both of our examples were chicken. That’s because we’re big fans of chicken recipes, as well. It’s such a classic protein, and its mild flavor and meaty texture make the perfect combination for barbecuing.
Our new hot honey smoked BBQ chicken takes that meaty, mild flavor that makes chicken so good and kicks it up several notches by combining hot honey with sweet BBQ sauce, slathering it onto meaty chicken breasts, and smoking them until they’re tender, juicy, and infused with a ton of flavor.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple Ingredients: You’ll find everything you need in one quick, in-and-out trip to the grocery store.
- Easy: It only takes a few minutes of prep and about 2 ½ hours in the smoker. So it’s extremely easy to make.
- Tons of Sweet and Hot Flavor: The combination of smoke, hot honey, BBQ sauce, and zesty seasonings creates a chicken dish that explodes with big, sweet flavor and a nice kick of heat.
- Versatile: You can serve this chicken as a main with sides or slice it up for sandwiches, wraps, salads, or pasta dishes.
- Meal Prep: This is a freezer-friendly recipe, making it easy to prepare extra and save it for later.
Ingredients
See the recipe at the bottom of the post for a full list of ingredients and their exact amounts.
Variations
- Chicken: Chicken thighs can be used in place of breasts.
- Other Meats: You can use pork or beef for this recipe. You can even use shellfish. Just adjust your smoking time accordingly.
- Mild: Omit the red pepper flakes and use regular honey for a mild version.
- Extra Spicy: Top the chicken with sliced jalapenos before smoking it for even more heat.
- Tropical: Add pineapple chunks for a sweet and hot tropical vibe.
- Wood: Use your favorite wood for smoking the chicken. They all add their own vibe to the dish.
How to Make Hot Honey Smoked BBQ Chicken
Step 1: Place two long sheets of foil on a baking sheet. Spread a layer of BBQ sauce on the center of the foil.
Step 2: Coat the chicken evenly with the seasonings.
Step 3: Place the chicken on the BBQ sauce and top with hot honey and pats of butter.
Step 4: Fold up the first piece of foil to enclose the chicken. Then, wrap the second piece of foil around the first.
Step 5: Smoke for 1 ½ to 2 hours at 275°F. Then, transfer it directly to the grill and increase the heat to 400°F.
Step 6: Brush with additional BBQ sauce and smoke for an additional 30 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
Tips
- Always wash your hands after handling chicken to avoid cross-contamination.
- Heavy-duty foil is best for this recipe. It resists tearing as you wrap it around the chicken, ensuring the heat, moisture, and sauce don’t escape.
- If you’re using traditional woodchips, be sure to soak them for a minimum of 30 minutes to ensure they smoke rather than burn.
- Use a meat thermometer to ensure your chicken is fully cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees. This is especially important for smoked chicken, as the smoke can often impart a pink hue to the meat.
Hot Honey Smoked BBQ Chicken FAQ
Hot honey can be put on chicken both before and after cooking. The initial application imparts flavor and adds moisture, while adding more after the meat is cooked further enhances the flavor.
Hot honey is so much more than just honey and hot sauce. Hot honey is made by infusing honey with chili peppers for a deep, complex flavor that is both sweet and spicy. Some recipes also include ingredients like apple cider vinegar to balance the sweetness and add more flavor complexity.
Wrapping the chicken in foil traps heat and moisture for even cooking. Although the chicken is wrapped, the smoke still makes its way into the packet. In the last 30 minutes, the chicken is smoked uncovered to impart more smoky flavor.
More Delicious Chicken Recipes
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Hot Honey Smoked BBQ Chicken
Ingredients
- 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 ½ cups BBQ sauce, divided
- ½ cup hot honey
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons Slap Ya Mama seasoning
- 3 tablespoons garlic salt
- 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Preheat the smoker to 275 degrees.
- Take two long pieces of aluminum foil and place them lengthwise over a baking sheet.
- Spread a layer of BBQ sauce on the foil where the chicken breasts will be placed.
- In a small bowl, mix all the seasonings together.
- Coat each piece of chicken into the seasonings coating all sides.
- Place on top of the BBQ sauce.
- Pour the hot honey over the chicken and add pads of butter randomly on top of the chicken.
- Fold up one piece of foil first, enclosing the chicken. Next, do the same thing with the second piece of foil.
- Place back on the baking sheet and place in the smoker.
- Smoke chicken for 1 ½ – 2 hours then remove the baking sheet and chicken off the grill.
- Carefully open the foil, and using tongs, place the chicken breasts directly on the grill of the smoker, turn the smoker to 400 degrees, and brush with BBQ sauce.
- Smoke for another 30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
Notes
- Refrigerate for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
- Freeze for up to 3 months in an airtight, freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bag with as much air removed as possible.
- Defrost overnight if frozen. Then, microwave at 1-minute intervals until heated through.
- Always wash your hands after handling chicken to avoid cross-contamination.
- Heavy-duty foil is best for this recipe. It resists tearing as you wrap it around the chicken, ensuring the heat, moisture, and sauce don’t escape.
- If you’re using traditional woodchips, be sure to soak them for a minimum of 30 minutes to ensure they smoke rather than burn.
- Use a meat thermometer to ensure your chicken is fully cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees. This is especially important for smoked chicken, as the smoke can often impart a pink hue to the meat.
Thank you for the delicious recipe. God bless.
Thank you so much. We hope you enjoy, and thank you so much for the 5-stars! That means so much to us.