This easy Smoked Boneless Chicken Breast on Pellet Grill recipe only takes one hour as no marinating or brining is required. The chicken breasts are tender, juicy, and flavorful, thanks to the delicious dry rub.
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This smoked chicken recipe is perfect any time of year. The outside of the meat is crispy, and the inside is tender and juicy. It always amazes me how the meat never dries out!
For other delicious smoked chicken recipes, check out Smoked Chili Lime Chicken Breasts, Crispy Smoked Chicken Wings, Smoked Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs, and Smoked Chicken Legs.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Versatile: Smoked chicken breasts can be served as is or used in sandwiches, salads, wraps, and pulled for tacos.
- Hands-off cooking: Making smoked chicken breasts is simple and easy - the smoker does all the work!
- Flavorful: These pellet smoker chicken breasts have a delicious smoky flavor.
- Great for meal prep: Make a big batch of chicken breasts and reheat them for an easy lunch or dinner!
Ingredient notes
Smoked chicken breasts are an easy smoker recipe made with simple ingredients.
- Chicken breasts. I used boneless skinless chicken breasts. You can definitely use skin-on chicken breasts if you like. You could also use bone-in chicken, but it will require extra time to cook.
- Olive oil. The olive oil is used to help the spice rub stick to the chicken breasts.
- Homemade Dry Rub For Smoked Chicken. This seasoning blend contains 8 everyday pantry ingredients. Feel free to use your favorite rub.
For exact measurements and a complete list of ingredients, see the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to make smoked boneless chicken breasts on pellet grill
Step 1: Preheat your pellet grill to 225 degrees F. I used my Pit Boss pellet grill for this recipe, but I have also made this chicken with my Traeger pellet grill. Any type of smoker will work.
Step 2: Make the dry rub by combining brown sugar, garlic powder, Roasted Garlic and Peppers seasoning, paprika, onion powder, chili powder, seasoning salt, and black pepper in a small bowl.
Step 3: Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Apply olive oil to them with a brush or your fingers (Image 1).
Step 4: Apply dry rub liberally on the chicken. Ensure the rub covers all parts of the chicken breast: top, bottom, and sides. Use your fingers to push the rub into the meat (Image 2).
Step 5: Once the smoker comes up to temperature, place the seasoned chicken breasts directly on the grill grates. Feel free to add a little more rub (Image 3). Insert a meat thermometer, horizontally through each side into the thickest part of the breast.
Step 6: Close the lid and smoke the chicken until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. Flip the chicken halfway through the cooking time to get grill marks. If you like, brush chicken with your favorite BBQ sauce during the last few minutes of smoking (Image 4).
Step 7: Remove the juicy chicken breasts from the grill, cover with aluminum foil, and rest for 5 minutes to allow the juices to reincorporate into the meat. Serve with your favorite side dishes.
Dishes that use smoked chicken breasts
Variations
- Spicy - A chili pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to the spice rub.
- Saucy - Add your favorite barbecue sauce during the last few moments of smoking time.
- Sweet - Add extra brown sugar to the spice rub for a sweeter taste.
- Herbs - Season the smoky chicken with fresh herbs for amazing flavor.
Related Recipe: Traeger Smoked Chicken Thighs
Top Tips
- For best results, cook by temperature, not by time. I use a digital thermometer to monitor the temperature of the meat closely.
- Large chicken breasts will take longer to cook than smaller breasts.
- Flip chicken breasts halfway for even cooking.
- Make extra chicken breasts!! The leftovers are so good; you can use them in meal prep, lunches, or quick meals throughout the week, or in Smoked Chicken Noodle Soup!
Side Dishes
What are the best wood pellets for smoking chicken?
Some of my favorite wood pellets are cherry, applewood, maple, pecan, and hickory. I also like the Competition Blend by Pit Boss; it has a combination of maple, hickory, and cherry.
Recipe FAQs
I love smoked chicken breasts served cold, but if you want to reheat them, place them in a microwave for 1-2 minutes on low heat, or in an air fryer on the reheat function for 1-2 minutes. You can also place them in a skillet over low to medium heat on the stove, or bake in the oven at 350 degrees F until heated through.
I recommend smoking chicken breasts at a temperature of 225-250 degrees F.
Store leftover chicken breasts in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3-4 days. If you have lots of leftovers, wrap the chicken in plastic wrap, place it in a Ziploc bag, and pop it in the freezer for meal prep, school, or work lunches. It will keep for up to 2 months in the freezer.
No, it is not necessary - only if you want grill marks on the chicken.
Yes, you can smoke bone-in chicken breast, but you will need to increase the cooking time.
If you liked this Pellet Grill Chicken Breast recipe, please take a moment to leave a rating 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 and comment below!
Printable Recipe
Smoked Boneless Chicken Breast on Pellet Grill
Equipment
- Meat Thermometer
- Pellet grill
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts boneless, skinless
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Dry Rub for Chicken The recipe below makes 9 tbsp; save the extra the next time you make chicken.
Dry Rub For Smoked Chicken
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons Roasted Garlic and Peppers Seasoning a Club House seasoning
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the pellet grill to 225°F.
- Use paper towels to pat dry the chicken breasts.
- Apply olive oil evenly over the entire chicken breast.
- Apply the dry rub over the chicken breasts and ensure it covers all parts; top, bottom, and sides.
- Place the seasoned chicken breasts directly on the grill grates of the preheated grill.
- Close the lid and smoke until the internal temperature of the chicken breast, measured in the thickest part of the meat, is 165 degrees F. This will take about 1 hour. Flip the chicken halfway through the cooking time to get nice grill marks.
- If you like BBQ sauce, apply it during the last few minutes of cooking time.
- Remove the smoked chicken breasts from the grill, cover with aluminum foil, and let them rest for 5 minutes.
- Serve with your favorite side dishes.
Video
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Notes
- For best results, cook by temperature, not by time. I use a digital thermometer to keep a close watch on the temperature of the meat to ensure it is always cooked to a safe internal temperature.
- Large chicken breasts will take longer to cook than smaller breasts.
- Flip chicken breasts halfway for even cooking.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
The provided nutrition information is automatically calculated. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Lara M says
The chicken breasts were absolutely perfect! The cooking time was spot on. I’ll definitely be using this recipe again & again!
Jeri Walker says
Lara, thank you so much for your kind words! I'm so happy you liked the smoked chicken breasts! Thanks for taking the time to come back to leave a comment! 🙂
Mama Maggie's Kitchen says
This dish looks so deliciously good. I wish I could eat that right this minute!
nancy says
can't wait to try this recipe on the weekend. it looks so tasty and flavourful!
Jerika says
Can't wait to try this Smoked Chicken Breast Recipe!:) YUM!:)
Giangi Townsend says
I need to give the smoker a closer look. Simple and sounds super delicious recipe. Thank you for all the easy tips that you are sharing.
Jeri says
The smoker is so easy to cook with! Everything is super easy and tastes delicious!