Chicken and Turkey Recipes
Smoked Chicken Breasts
Start with bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts. Without the bone and skin it is almost impossible for chicken breasts to not be dry.
Brine breasts in salt or salt/sugar solution for 1-2 hours before smoking. Prepare charcoal and heat smoker to 250 degrees. Shake Northwoods Seasoning from Penzey’s spices over all surfaces. Rub some of the seasoning under the skin but careful not to loosen skin so much that it falls off during cooking. Skin is necessary to keep the chicken moist. Northwoods is the perfect spice for chicken. Try Northwoods Fire for something with a little heat.
Place the breasts bone side down in the heated smoker and add wood to start the smoke. Smoke for 2 1/2 or 3 hours or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Spray with apple juice every 30 minutes or so after the first hour.
Fruit woods like apple are great with chicken, I like pecan, too.
Notes: Avoid using too much smoke with chicken, a little goes a long way. One or two thumb sized chunks will be plenty for a whole bunch of chicken.
As long as you have the smoker going, make a few extra. Smoked chicken makes a great ingredient in soup or casseroles like the Fiesta Chowder (below) and is great for sandwiches.
More recipes:
Fiesta chowder with Smoked Chicken
Smoked Whole Turkey or Breasts
Indoor Chicken, including Chicken and Sausage with Dirty Rice, Wild Rice Soup and more!
The right way to grill chicken Breasts - Coming soon
White sauce for smoked poultry
- 4 cups mayonnaise
- 2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 T chili powder
- 1 T chili flakes (or 1 t ancho chili powder)
- 1 T black pepper
- 2 t salt
- 1 t garlic powder
- 3 t honey
- ½ t cayenne pepper
- 1 t cinnamon
Blend all ingredients together. Can be used immediately but may be even better if refrigerated overnight. Your old Pal Pete had something similar with smoked quail at a place called the JL Bar Ranch in Texas and if you ever want to shoot a bunch of quail and eat well, that is the place to go.
Usually we have the lovely and gracious Mrs. Pete’s KC-style ‘cue sauce with everything but this white sauce makes a great change of pace with smoked (or grilled) turkey, chicken or anything with feathers although even this stuff won’t make a goose taste good.
Pub Style Chicken Curry
Recipe
As stated elsewhere, the best evidence that your Old Pal Pete can cook is that he can make chicken taste good. So can The Lovely and Gracious Pete’s Mate! This is her recipe, and you ought to give it a try.
We are big curry fans at our house, but I don’t think of Ireland when I think of curry. TLAGPM spent some time in Ireland recently and had a couple pub style curry’s that she really liked.
Here’s our attempt at recreating that great taste, starting with a recipe from greatfoodireland.com and adding a couple personalized touches that made it even better!
• 1t veg oil
• 1t butter
• 4 medium (or 3 big American) chicken breasts, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1 inch cubes
• ½ t table salt or ¾ t kosher salt
• ½ t pepper
• I medium yellow onion, chopped
• 4-5 medium carrots, chopped into ½ inch pieces
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• Red pepper flakes to taste (we used about ½ t, you might want less but me and the missus like it spicy)
• 1 ½ t curry powder
• 2 t mild curry powder
• 2 t flour
• ½ t turmeric
• ½ t ground cumin
• 1 ½ t minced ginger
• 2 cups chicken stock (heated in a microwave or separate pan), we usually use the low sodium stuff
• 1 can (14.5 ounce or so) diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 t mango chutney
• 1 cup frozen peas
• Chopped cilantro for garnish
To do’s
Season chicken with salt and pepper. Use a large stock pot. Heat veg oil over medium high heat, when hot, add butter and add chicken pieces when butter has melted. Cook, turning occasionally, until chicken is white on all sides, 4-5 minutes. Depending on the sizes of your pan and your breasts (chicken), you may need to do this in batches. Remove chicken nuggets and set aside, leave all juices and cooked bits in the pan.
Add onions, garlic and chili flakes, cook (medium heat) until onions are soft (approx five minutes). Stir in tomato paste, return chicken to pot and coat vegetables and chicken, stir to coat everything with tomato.
Toss in curry powder, cumin, turmeric and flour, stir until coating is dry and spices are fragrant (30 seconds or a minute). Add heated chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add diced tomatoes and cream. Bring back to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in mango chutney and frozen peas, cook for 5 minutes and serve.
Best served over cooked rice (Basmati if you have it). Garnish with cilantro (unless you are one of the unlucky people who think it tastes like dish soap). Some naan for dipping is great as well.