Smoked Chicken Maryland

I like roasted, fried, grilled, and smoked chicken. It is a very adaptable protein that may be prepared in a variety of ways.

I enjoy this easy way of smoking Chicken Marylands, and I’m sure you will as well.

The best part is that you can experiment with various tastes by using any rub and sauce combination you have on hand.

You may use a salty rub and then finish with a sweeter sauce for a glaze.

Every time I prepare, I end up with juicy, mouthwatering chicken.

What is Chicken Maryland?

Traditional chicken Maryland consists of a fried complete chicken leg, including the drumstick and thigh. It began in the state of Maryland, as you would expect.

Served with gravy and, depending on where you lived in Maryland, a variety of different garnishes such as banana, pineapple, and hush puppies.

Like most recipes, geography is an important factor in how it is made, and what the cuisine is like in your region greatly influences how the dish is prepared.

Chicken Maryland is a butcher’s cut of the complete chicken leg with drumstick and thigh in Australia, where I reside.

Despite the fact that it is normally fried, I am smoking it for this recipe. I like fried chicken, but I’m constantly seeking for new methods to prepare something that’s been done a thousand times before.

Items that will help you cook these are:

• A 22 Weber Smokey Mountain
• Heat proof gloves
• Lump charcoal
• I used a ThermoWorks Smoke X4 thermometer with an ambient temperature probe.
• Jaccard

Smoked Chicken Maryland

When you smoke any dish directly over burning charcoal, you add another layer of flavor to it. When the chicken fat begins to render and drop through the grilling grate and into the hot embers, your meal is met with a smoke kiss unlike any other.

The taste of rendered fat transformed into smoke is extremely distinctive and must be experienced. Every neighbourhood in Australia has at least one charcoal chicken business, occasionally two or more. They may use various seasonings, but their cooking methods are the same: directly over lump charcoal because they know the key ingredient is render fat, which is converted into delicious smoke.

Back it up with some smoking wood, and you’re in for a real treat. I chose cherry wood because it is light enough not to overshadow the natural taste of the chicken and sweet enough to complement the rub and sauce I used for this cook.

What type of rub to use

Now, nothing beats producing my own rubs and sauces.

Having said that, there are so many commercial rubs and sauces on the market these days that I like to experiment with them from time to time. Especially when I keep hearing positive things about them.

Today I’m trying out the Meat Mitch Rub. Before applying a rub, I prefer to sample it right out of the container. This isn’t always a complete representation of how they’ll taste after being exposed to the protein, heat, and smoke, but it will tell you if they’re sweet or savory, and whether they’re spicy.

This one has a fantastic savory flavor, which is just how I prefer my rubs.

Nothing in the Meat Mitch Ruband was overbearing. I couldn’t distinguish one element from another. These are excellent indicators of a well-balanced seasoning, so I was eager to try the finished result.

If you wish to manufacture your own rub, we recommend our Smoked Chicken & Turkey rub.

But before we add any seasoning, I prefer to puncture the skin all over with a jaccard. Chinese cooks often use this to prepare meat. By drilling microscopic holes all over the skin, we can render down the fat under the skin while simultaneously allowing our rub and sauce to reach the flesh.

It is generally a good idea to use some oil before seasoning your chicken. It not only acts as a binder to help your spice stay, but it also helps brown the skin throughout the cooking process.

When you start seasoning the chicken once it has been covered with oil, ensure sure it is skin side down. Why? Because when you turn it over and reveal the skin, that’s what you’ll see when you plate it up, so make this side seem better. So, while eating the meal last, season the side you wish to see.

I like to cover each item with a thick layer of rub. I usually hold my rub shaker about a foot above my meal, which enables the rub particles to come out and separate completely before hitting the protein, reducing clumping and guaranteeing uniform coverage, ensuring each mouthful tastes the same.

The chicken will then be refrigerated until I am ready to use it.

Prepping your chicken

We all know that when you go to your local butcher for this dish, you must ask for chicken Marylands.

I gave my butcher two days’ notice because I wanted the biggest Marylands he could get me.

These ones were just under a pound each.

I believe that if I had used smaller chicken, the possibilities of the flesh drying out would have increased, and the last thing I want is dry chicken.

To begin preparing the chicken, I removed any extra fat and loose skin that was unnecessary.

I then punctured the flesh all over with a jaccard. If you don’t have a jaccard, you may use anything sharp, such as a corn cob holder, toothpicks, or even a sharp knife.

The jaccard holes not only let the fat leach out from beneath the skin, but they also enable the taste of our rub to seep into the chicken’s flesh.

Glazing the chicken

The sauce I chose was a no-brainer. I reasoned that since I was already using Meat Mitch products, I may as well stick with them for this dish.

I made this with some of their Naked BBQ sauce. This sauce had a lovely sweet flavor profile right out of the bottle, and it went extremely well with the savory taste of the rub.

I thinned it down with melted butter. When finalizing a glaze, I feel that this simply adds a little luster to it.

You may also use our homemade barbecue sauce recipe, which is likewise on the sweeter side; just remember to reduce it down with a little butter.

Setting up to smoke hot and fast smoking 

For this dish, I utilized a 22 Weber Smokey Mountain. I loaded the charcoal ring with lump charcoal and lighted a chimney starter three-quarters full of lump charcoal. When it was done, I poured the lighted fuel into the center of the unlit fuel, added a couple of bits of cherry wood, and then attached an ambient temperature sensor to the grill.

Once the smoker has reached 300°F, lay the chicken on the top grill and insert an internal meat probe set to 165°F.

Then, in a small cast iron skillet, combine a third of a cup of sauce and two tablespoons of unsalted butter. Replace the lid and lay that on the grilling grate as well.

When the chicken reached an internal temperature of 165°F, combine the sauce and butter glaze together and spread it over each piece of chicken. Replace the cover and allow the glaze to set for a couple of minutes over low heat.

Remember that the chicken is already cooked, so don’t leave it in for too long; a couple of minutes is all the glaze need.

Then remove the chicken from the grill and let it aside for 5 minutes before cutting into it.

Other Smoked Chicken Recipes to try

• Whole Smoked Chicken on a Pellet Grill
• Smoked Chicken Thighs
• Smoked Chicken With Alabama White Sauce
• Easy Smoked Chicken Breast
• Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich