Stove Top Smoker Boneless Chicken Breasts (with Or Without Skin)

Total Time: 35 mins Preparation Time: 5 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 4 (8 ounce) boneless chicken breasts (this amount will fill up the smoker rack at one time) or 6 (6 ounce) boneless chicken breasts (this amount will fill up the smoker rack at one time)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons wood chips
• kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

Recipe

• 1 trim any fat from the breasts before seasoning them. if you're leaving the skin on in preparation for serving the crispy-skinned version, trim any overhanging skin and smooth the skin into an even layer over the chicken. if not, remove the skin before smoking the chicken.
• 2 boneless chicken breasts absorb a lot of flavor and watch well with a wide variety of wood. use less of the more assertive wood like hickory or mesquite, or more of the milder wood chips like alder or cherry. use 1 1/2 tblsp hickory or mesquite or 2 to 2 1/2 tblsp alder or cherry wood chips.
• 3 season the chicken breasts with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and a scant 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper each, adjusting that amount to your taste. or rub a generous amount of your
• 4 favorite rub into both sides of the chicken.
• 5 close the smoker lid and smoke the chicken breasts until an instant read thermometer registers 170ºf, 18-22 minutes for 6-oz/3/4-inch thick breasts, 22-25 minutes for 7-oz/1-inch thick breasts; 25-30 minutes for 8-oz, 1 1/4-inch thick breasts. check for doneness with the instant read thermometer about 4 minutes before the end of the time.
• 6 outlined above.
• 7 for crispy-skinned chicken breasts, choose a nonstick pan large enough to hold the number of breasts you are serving. heat it over medium-high heat a few minutes before the chicken breasts are done smoking. lift the chicken with tongs from the smoker and lay them skin.
• 8 side down in the pan. cook until the skin is crispy and deep golden brown, about 3 minutes.
• 9 serve immediately.
• 10 note: four 7-oz chicken breasts will yield about 3 cups shredded chicken meat.