If you’re looking for juicy, smoky chicken that’s easy to handle and full of flavor, smoking half chickens is the way to go. It’s my go-to method, faster than cooking a whole bird, easier to manage than spatchcocked.

I’ll walk you through exactly how to halve a chicken step-by-step, then share the same injection, rub, and mop process I refined cooking thousands of half chickens on the competition circuit, now adapted for your backyard smoker.

Why I love smoking chicken halves

I’ve been smoking half chickens since I first got into barbecue, starting on the IBCA competition circuit back in 2014. Unlike KCBS contests, where you can turn in thighs or wings, IBCA requires a fully-jointed half chicken, no exceptions.

I’ve cooked thousands of chicken halves and they’re still one of my favorite things to throw on the smoker:

• Faster, more manageable cooks – Halves cook quicker than a whole bird and are easier to move on and off the smoker than a spatchcocked chicken.
• Even flavor and texture – The halved cut takes on smoke beautifully, and the injection, rub, and mop ensure every bite stays juicy and seasoned.
• Versatility – Use different rub or sauce on each half (great for fussy kids), or serve one half hot off the smoker and save the other for weeknight meal prep.

Ingredients you’ll need

• Whole roasting chicken: I recommend a bird that weighs between 5 and 6 lbs, but any size will work.
• Homemade poultry injection – I used my homemade chicken injection, which is made up of butter, chicken bouillon, and seasonings. You can substitute your favorite store-bought injection or marinade.
• Homemade chicken rub – This recipe uses our homemade chicken rub, but you can substitute any store-bought poultry seasoning. If you are making this recipe for meal prep, use salt, pepper, and garlic, as it’s a bit more versatile.
• BBQ mop sauce—This recipe uses my East Carolina Vinegar Mop Sauce as the mop. It’s tangy and spicy, and while it’s commonly used for pork, I’ve found that it tastes fantastic on chicken.

Equipment you’ll need

• Saucepan/pot – You’ll need a small saucepan to make the injection and another to make the mop sauce (unless you are prepping ahead of time).
• Poultry injector – You can get any of the cheap ones from Amazon  
• Seasoning shaker – Makes storing and applying the homemade poultry rub much easier.
• Smoker/Pellet grill – I used my Grilla Grills OG pellet smoker. This recipe will work on any pellet smoker, smoker, or charcoal grill as long as it can maintain a steady temperature of 275°F.
• Wood/Pellet blend – I recommend oak, hickory, or pecan for smoking chicken because their flavors pair nicely without overpowering the chicken’s flavor.
• Mop or basting brush
• Instant-read thermometer – One of these makes your life much easier when it comes to determining when it’s time to mop and when your chicken is done cooking. I used my Thermoworks Thermapen One for this.

How to break down a chicken into halves

Breaking down a whole chicken might seem intimidating at first, but I’ll walk you through it step-by-step. Once you’ve done a few, you’ll be splitting birds in just a minute or two. It’s easier than you think once you get the hang of it.

1. Slice guide lines

With the chicken breast-side down, use a boning knife to slice the skin along each side of the backbone. These guidelines help keep your cuts straight and prevent your shears from snagging on the skin.

2. Remove the backbone

Using sharp poultry shears, cut along the guidelines through the ribcage on both sides of the backbone.

Once you’ve cut up both sides of the backbone, you should be able to pick it up and lift it right out of the chicken.

3. Remove organs and neck

Depending on the chicken, the neck and organs may be inside the cavity. Remove and discard them.

4. Flatten it

The chicken needs to be flattened to make the final cut easier.

Flip the chicken over so the breast is facing up, and pull the legs out as far as they will go.

Now, pretend you are trying to bring the poor bird back to life and give it a good push with both your hands to flatten it.

You now have a spatchcock chicken!

5. Slice a guideline down the breast

I also like to slice a guideline down the center of the breast. I find this one to be more important than the guidelines around the backbone because you want to ensure the skin is cut evenly for a better presentation.

6. Halve the chicken

Using your shears, cut along the breastbone, following your guideline. Cutting through the breastbone takes a little more pressure than the backbone, but with sharp shears, it comes apart easily.

Now you have two, fully-jointed half chickens. Well done.

How to make Smoked Half Chicken

Now, this is not my competition-style half chicken recipe. It is a great recipe for backyard cooking or feeding your family.

Competition-style barbecue tends to be super rich because the judges only get to try a bite or two, but it’s not really something you want to sit down and eat for dinner if that makes sense. This is how I like to smoke my half chickens when I’m cooking at home, but with a few twists from my competition background.

1. The injector

I’m a big fan of injecting my chicken, especially when I’m smoking the whole bird. I find that a good injection can add so much flavor right into the meat, as well as help keep the chicken juicy during the cooking process.

I like to start with the breasts and inject in three to four places, then move down to the thighs, legs, and wings.

I also like to rub a bit of the injection liquid on the outside of the chicken to act as a binder for my seasoning. If you have any leftover injection liquid, you can save it in the fridge or freeze it for your next cook.

2. Season each half

I like to start by flipping each chicken half over so that the skin side is facing down and the interior is facing upward.

Season the inside of the chicken, ensuring to get between the legs and thighs.

Flip it over so that the skin side is facing upward, and season liberally. Lift the wings when you’re seasoning the top side of your bird to ensure flavor in every bite.

Once seasoned, you can let it rest at room temperature while you fire up the smoker. If you plan to wait longer, you can also store it in the fridge.

3. Smoke your chicken halves

Preheat your smoker to 275°F.

I smoked this chicken on my Grilla Grills OG pellet smoker. It’s one of my favorite smokers for cooking chicken or pork. The firebox is located directly beneath the grates, and the heat comes straight up, speeding up the cooking time while also ensuring that I get plenty of smoke flavor on my chicken.

Once your smoker or grill is fully preheated, you can place the chicken halves on the grates with the skin-side facing upward.

You don’t need to flip or rotate the chicken at all during the smoking process, so be sure to place it in a place that you can easily access to check its internal temperature and mop it towards the end of the cooking process.

4. Mop

After about 1-½ hours, your chicken should be around 140°F to 145°F in the thickest part of the breast.

When the chicken reaches around 140°F to 145°F, you can start mopping it in the East Carolina Vinegar mop sauce (or your mop sauce of choice). This will add flavor during the last 20-30 minutes of cooking time and also prevent the chicken skin from burning.

You can use a BBQ mop or a basting brush and mop the sauce over the entire surface of your chicken (hence the name “mop sauce”).

For the best flavor, repeat the basting every 10 minutes until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160°F to 163°F in the thickest part of the breast.

Once it hits 160°F-163°F internal, it’s done and ready to be removed from the smoker. While the USDA safe-cooking temperature for poultry is 165°F, the chicken will continue to carry-over cook while it rests and will reach a safe temperature before you slice in.

Let the chicken rest for at least 10-15 minutes, tented in foil to allow the juices in the meat to redistribute. Then you can carve it up, and it’s time to enjoy delicious smoked half chickens!

To store

Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to four days. To freeze, wrap the halves tightly in foil, then vacuum seal or place in a freezer bag.

Reheat gently in a low oven or on the smoker, wrapped in foil.

What to serve with smoked chicken halves

Creamy Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

Smoked Balsamic Brussels Sprouts

Twice-Smoked Loaded Baked Potatoes

Southern Style Coleslaw

Smoked half chickens aren’t just a backyard showstopper; they’re incredibly practical, too. The flavor is off the charts, but the real beauty is in the versatility. You can serve one half fresh off the smoker and freeze the other for later, making this an excellent option for meal prep or busy weeknights.

If you master the whole bird halving technique and love it as much as we do, let us know in the comments below and give it a five-star rating. It will help others find the best recipes.

Print

Juicy Competition-Style Smoked Chicken Halves

Half chickens are injected with a rich, savory blend, seasoned with a homemade poultry rub, slow-cooked, and slathered at the end with a tangy vinegar mop.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Breanna Stark

Ingredients

• 5-6 lb whole roasting chicken halved as per instructions above
• ¼ cup homemade chicken injection or injection of choice
• 2 tbsp smoked chicken rub or poultry rub of choice
• ½ cup BBQ sauce mop

Instructions

• Using poultry shears and a sharp knife, cut your whole chicken into two fully-jointed halves. (See the step-by-step guide with photos above for detailed instructions.
• Inject the chicken in several spots across the breasts, thighs, legs, and wings to distribute the flavor evenly. Then rub any leftover injection over the skin to act as a binder for your seasoning.
• Season the chicken on all sides with the poultry rub and let it sit at room temperature while you preheat the smoker.
• Preheat your smoker to 275°F.
• Once fully preheated, place your chicken on the grates with the skin-side facing upward.
• Let them smoke for 1-½ hours (or until it reaches 140°F to 145°F in the thickest part of the breast), then apply the mop sauce every 10 minutes until the chicken reaches 160°F to 163°F – approximately 20-30 minutes more.
• Remove the chicken from the grill and let rest, tented in foil, for 10-15 minutes. The carryover heat will bring the chicken safely past 165°F before carving.

Notes

Injection – If you don’t have time or can’t be bothered to make your own, use a store-bought injection or marinade. I’ve had great results with the entire Tony Chacheres injection line (the roasted garlic and herb one is my favorite!), as well as competition-style injections from pitmasters like Bill Purvis with Chicken Fried BBQ and Kosmos Q.

Wood -I recommend using wood (or pellets) with a milder flavor profile. Oak, hickory, and pecan are some of my favorite options for smoking chicken, but fruit woods work well. I would avoid harsher woods like mesquite when cooking in an enclosed smoker because the flavor can really overpower the chicken. 

Cook time -If you have a smaller bird than the size I recommended, you will need to check the internal temperature earlier, around the one-hour mark.