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Learn how to make a bbq smoked whole chicken dinner on the grill. Buttery green beans, crispy baked potatoes and a fruit galette for the sides.

We’ve enjoyed being home lately and taking things a little slower lately. One of my favorite parts of this is having the whole family home and around the dinner table. In the busyness of life, I’d gotten away from cooking complete meals, but this spring I’ve put dinner front and center again.

There’s not much my family loves more than firing up the wood pellet grill and fixing dinner. As soon as the grill starts and we smell the smoky aroma, worries melt away as we look forward to catching up around the dinner table.

We’ve partnered with the Kingsford Hardwood Pellets on this article to bring you this delicious smoked chicken dinner.

About two years ago we needed a new grill. We had a wood pellet stove in the house and it quickly became the center of where everyone wanted to be. We knew that a wood pellet grill would be the perfect way to spend time together in the summers too!

We’ve loved every minute of learning how to grill, bake and smoke with a wood pellet grill. Today we’re sharing how to make a complete meal…a smoked whole chicken…on your grill. Spoiler alert…this dinner is amazing.

This past year we fell in love with Kingsford Hardwood Pellets. Quality wood pellets is what is going to keep your grill working well and give your food amazing flavor. Kingsford Hardwood Pellets have absolutely no fillers, binders or preservatives. You can use them in any pellet grill and they are made in the USA!

What is the benefit to pellet grilling?

The best thing about pellet grilling is that not only can you bbq and smoke dinner, but because of the even heating, you can also bake. The dinner we’re sharing today is a smoked chicken, but we’re also baking a triple berry galette for dessert. You’re going to LOVE it.

The slow smoke of the wood burning gives the best flavor to meats and other grilled foods. That is why it is so important to choose a high quality wood pellet such as Kingsford. You want to get the best flavor possible!

How to Choose a Wood Pellet Flavor

Kingsford 100% Hardwood pellets come in five flavors:

Classic: Strong & spicy. This pairs well with just about any smoked meat and is great with chicken.
Signature: Bold, sweet and balanced. Also delicious with just about any hearty proteins (think ribs and steaks), but also vegetables.
Maple: Strong, sweet and fruity. Pairs with most proteins, vegetables and especially salmon.
Cherrywood: Delicate, sweet and fruity. Pairs with most proteins, vegetables and especially pork ribs.
Hickory: Classic smoky flavor. Excellent with beef.

We used Cherrywood for our smoked chicken for a delicate flavor.

How to Smoke a Whole Chicken

Before you start, you’ll want to decide whether you want to brine the chicken. Is it necessary to take that step? Well, that’s really up to you! Because chicken is low fat, brining is thought to help keep the chicken moist and juicy. We’ve made this chicken brined and unbrined, and both are fantastic. The brined turkey may have been slightly more juicy and tender. But if you are watching salt intake, skip brining. I think you’ll still be happy with this chicken recipe.

How long does it take to smoke a whole chicken? As a guideline, our fryer chicken was about 6.25 pounds. I started the chicken at 8:30am. We added the baked potatoes and green beans at 11AM. I took the chicken off the grill at 1:35pm. So for the size chicken that I had, it took 5 hours. You can plan for more or less time depending on your chicken size.

Make sure your pellet hopper is full of your favorite flavor of Kingsford Wood Pellets before you begin so it is set for the whole smoking time.

In a small bowl, combine the ingredients together for the dry rub.
If you chose to brine the chicken remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry.
Then rub with the dry rub.
Stuff the cavity with the onion and garlic.
Place the whole chicken directly on the grill.
Set the smoker to “smoke” and smoke for 30 minutes.
Then set Traeger temperature to 225º Fahrenheit.

Smoke for about 5 hours or until an instant-read thermometer reads 160℉ when inserted into the thickest part of the breast. The finished internal temperature will rise to 165℉ in the breast as the chicken rests. Tent the chicken with foil and let rest for 15 minutes before carving. This is important so all of the juice stays in the chicken instead of releasing when you slice.

Side dishes for Smoked Whole Chicken

Just about any classic picnic side dishes would go with smoked chicken. Pasta salads, vegetable salads, fruit salads, baked beans….hungry yet? Our favorites are baked potatoes and fresh green beans. And you can make them right on the grill alongside the chicken.

Crusty Skin Baked Potatoes.

Before you choose baked potatoes, know that the size of the potato will determine how long they take to bake. We chose medium size potatoes which took about 2 ½ hours.

Clean the potatoes and dry them.
Rub them with oil, then salt.
Poke the potatoes 2-3 times with a fork.
Baking these alongside the chicken means the grill will be at 225º Fahrenheit.
Place the potatoes directly on the grill grate and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until soft in the middle when pricked with a fork.

potatoes and green beans on a cast iron skillet

Crispy Butter Green Beans.

Cook fresh green beans on the grill for a crispy, buttery side dish.

Trip and snap the green beans as short as you’d like.
Put the beans in a pile on a cast iron skillet and pour the melted butter over them.
Sprinkle with garlic salt.
Use tongs to toss the green beans with the butter.
Baking these alongside the chicken means the grill will be at 225º Fahrenheit.
We leave the green beans on the grill for about 2 ½ hours, but you can leave them on shorter or longer, depending on how you like them.

They will be crispy green beans, so if you’d like them softer, you could steam them in the microwave for 2-3 minutes after grilling to further soften them.

Triple Berry Galette

Is a dessert a side dish? I mean it’s fruit, right? We make this easy triple berry galette right on the grill too! Place it on after the chicken, potatoes and green beans come off. Then after you’re done eating it will be ready to go, nice and warm. Here’s how to do it:

In a large bowl, mix together 6 ounces raspberries, 6 ounces blackberries, 2 cups blueberries, ½ cup sugar, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, and the juice of one lemon.
Roll a refrigerated pie dough just slightly larger than it is when it comes out of the package (about an inch larger).
Take a grill safe baking pan or 12″ cast iron skillet and place the rolled pie crust in it.
Pile the berry mixture on the center of the pie dough.
Fold the edges of the pie dough into the center. The berries will mostly be exposed, but folding the edges around will help hold the juice inside.
Whisk an egg in a bowl, then brush the egg mixture on the outside of the pie dough. Sprinkle with raw sugar.
Place the skillet directly on the grill grate and bake for 30-40 minutes until the crust is golden brown.

Get creative this summer with your wood pellet grill! Which flavor of Kingsford wood pellets will you try first? And if you’re looking for recipe inspiration, see the Kingsford recipe page for mouth-watering ideas.