Tag: Smokers
Smoked Chicken Tacos
Smoked Chicken Tacos
Tacos are always a great idea when thinking of what to eat. I happened to have some chicken thighs and felt that it was taco time. I wanted to do a little more then just chop the thighs up and sauté them. So I smoked them. They don’t need to be brined, but I recommend marinating the thighs overnight for optimal flavor. Smoke the thighs at 250 degrees for 2 hours until the thighs reach 180 degrees internal temperature.
Equipment
- Electric Smoker
- Probe Thermometer
Ingredients
- 3 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
Dry Rub
- 1 tbsp guajillo chili powder
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp Mexican oregano
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp black pepper
Smoked Chicken Tacos
- corn tortillas
- white onion/green onion/cilantro mix
- smoked salsa
Wood Chips
- mesquite wood chips
Instructions
- Mix the dry rub ingredients together.
- Coat the chicken thighs in vegetable oil. Season with all of the dry rub. Marinate overnight for best result.
- Let the chicken thighs rest at room temp for an hour before smoking.
- Preheat your smoker to 250 degrees. Smoke the chicken thighs for 2 hours until they reach an internal temperature of 180 degrees.
- Let the thighs rest for 15 minutes before chopping.
- Dice the chicken thighs.
Smoked Salsa
Why not smoke the ingredients that go into a salsa? If I’m making smoked carnitas tacos, I have plenty of time to smoke jalapeños, tomatoes, onions, and garlic. I think I’ll keep smoking and continue to come up with these great ideas. Smokedy, smokedy, smokedy…Also, this salsa will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Equipment
- Electric Smoker
- food processor
Ingredients
- 5 Roma tomatoes
- 1 head garlic left whole
- 1 medium white onion peeled; sliced in half horizontally
- 4 jalapeños
- 1/4 cup cilantro
- 4 tbsp vinegar
- 1/2 tsp salt
Wood Chips
- hickory wood chips
- pecan wood chips
Instructions
- Arrange the vegetables on the smokers rack.
- Preheat the smoker to 225 degrees according to the manufacturer’s directions. Place the rack in the smoker.
- The garlic and onions will take 2 hours to smoke. The tomatoes and jalapeños will take 4 hours. Let cool before pureeing.
- Place all of the ingredients in a food processor. Make sure to peel the garlic.
- Blend until it reaches the consistency of your liking.
Smoked Pork Loin and Sirloin
Smoked Pork Loin and Sirloin
I wanted to smoke some Salvadoran inspired pork to go with my curtido and rice, so I brined a pork loin and sirloin for a day. I made a dry rub consisting of paprika, guajillo chili powder, garlic, oregano, and black pepper. The pork roasts got rubbed nicely. They were thrown into a 250 degree preheated smoker. At the 2 hour mark, I probed them with a thermometer. You want the internal temperature of pork to be 150 degrees before you pull it. It took another 15 minutes to reach that. I let the pork rest for 15 minutes before slicing.Now to compare the textures of both the loin and sirloin. The pork loin is leaner, but nothing short of juicy. The sirloin has a little more fat to it, but is still fairly lean. It turned out juicy and tender as well. Both cuts were 3lbs and took the same amount of time to smoke. You don’t even have to have a dry rub with the pork. It will be plenty flavorful from the brine. Or you can season it with any specific flavor you want.
Equipment
- Electric Smoker
- Probe Thermometer
Ingredients
- 3 lbs pork loin or sirloin
Brine
- 1/2 gallon water
- 1/2 cup sea salt
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 medium white onion sliced
- 1/2 tbsp black peppercorns
- 1/2 tbsp white peppercorns
- 4 bay leaves
Dry Rub
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp ground guajillo chili powder
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp black pepper
Wood Chips
- hickory wood chips
- pecan wood chips
Instructions
- Mix all of the brining ingredients together. Add the pork to a gallon sized storage bag. Pour in the brine. Brine for 1 day.
- Let dry on a rack in the refrigerator for a couple of hours before smoking.
- Mix together the dry rub spices.
- Rub the pork on all sides. Let rest at room temperature for an hour before smoking.
- Preheat your smoker to 250 degrees according to the manufacturer’s directions. Place the pork in the smoker and maintain the smoke for 2 hours.
- At the 2 hour mark, temp the pork with a probe thermometer. Continue to smoke until the internal temp reaches 150 degrees. It was another 15 minutes for the 3lb pork roasts.
- Let the pork rest for 15 minutes before slicing.
Smoked Dry Rubbed Chicken Wings
Smoked Dry Rubbed Chicken Wings
Chicken wings are an easy item to smoke. They take on any flavor you season them with. I’m not a fan of pre-made spice blends, except for one: Tony’s Creole seasoning. This is a staple if you are from the south. It goes on just about anything. Marinate the wings for 2 hours in the refrigerator. Let them sit out at room temp for an hour before smoking.Preheat your smoker to 250 degrees according to the manufacturer’s directions. I wanted a smokey and sweet flavor from the wood chips; so I used mesquite and peach wood. You can really use just about any type of wood for smoking chicken. That’s really up to you. The wings will take about 2 hours of steady smoke to heat to an internal temperature of 180 degrees. Let rest for 15 minutes before serving. No dipping sauce required.
Equipment
- Electric Smoker
- Probe Thermometer
Ingredients
- 3 lbs whole chicken wings
- seasonings of your choosing
Wood Chips
- mesquite wood chips
- peach wood chips
Instructions
- Season the chicken wings with the seasonings of your liking. Marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
- Arrange the wings on a rack. Let sit at room temp for an hour before smoking.
- Preheat your smoker to 250 degrees. Smoke the wings for about 2 hours, or until they reach an internal temperature of 180 degrees.
