Smoked Chicken with Alabama White Sauce

This is a recipe I found that was shared from Bob Gibson’s BBQ in Decatur, Alabama. It is absolutely delicious smoked chicken. I often make one or two of these along with my Smoked Pork Ribs with Bourbon Peach Glaze. They can cook at the same temperature and take about the same amount of time (about 2 hours),

Ingredients

1 whole roasting chicken, 4-5 pounds

Coarse ground salt and pepper for rub

1/2 cup Alabama White BBQ Sauce

Directions

• Spatchcock the chicken. That means to remove the back bone with a pair of poultry shears. Then slice down both sides of the breastbone from the back about 1/2 inch deep. This technique will allow the chicken to lay flat which allows it to cook more evenly, presents better, and is easier to carve.
• Rub all sides of the chicken with a little oil (I like toasted sesame oil). Then rub all sides of the chicken with coarse ground salt and pepper.
• Place the chicken lying flat on a cooking grate. Smoke with hickory wood at 230 degrees F until the internal temperature (in the center of the breast) reaches 160 degrees F.
• Remove the chicken and immediately coat it on all sides with a liberal helping of Alabama White BBQ Sauce. (The Bob Gibson method is to dip the whole chicken in a pot of the white sauce).
• Allow the chicken to rest for 10-15 minutes then serve. Provide more Alabama White Sauce to add to the chicken if desired.