Marinade for chicken before smoking. The best recipes for home smoking chickens. For this you will need

Smoked chicken is a popular delicacy. It can be consumed either as a separate second course or as a meat filling for sandwiches, salads or even soups. It is quite easy to prepare it with your own hands, especially if you have a competent recipe.

Chicken, like any other product, is smoked in two ways: cold or hot smoking. Before this, it must be pickled or salted to add additional flavors and aromas. All kinds of marinades, in addition to enriching the final taste of the product, also soften it, making it even more tender. This procedure is especially necessary when using longer-term cold smoking.

Let's look at traditional ways to marinate chicken for smoking. Chicken marinades are prepared, as a rule, based on vegetable oils, red wine, soy sauce, and a variety of fermented milk products. The basic liquid base is enriched with all kinds of spices, herbs, pieces of fruit and vegetables to impart bright aromas.

If the bird is tough, use wine vinegar, mustard or citrus juice for additional softening. To give the chicken an appetizing crust, use honey or brown sugar.

Proper selection and preparation of chicken before smoking

Of course, it is better to choose a large, fresh carcass. It’s even more interesting if it’s homemade and not from the supermarket. You can also smoke chicken, individual parts of the chicken, such as legs or wings. You should not waste time on specimens with blue skin, an unpleasant odor, or too slippery to the touch.

Before cooking, a whole chicken must be cleaned of feathers, fluff, and then gutted. It is effective to do this using boiling water, this way the plumage is removed easier and faster. Then the bird should be carefully singed, preventing the skin from burning. This can reduce the quality and taste of the chicken. Then rinse well, then remove the insides.

Cutting a carcass is usually done simply - in half. Then you can beat it a little, soften the main joints

Now you can start preparing the brine or marinade for smoking.

Recipes for making brines and marinades

Ginger plus coriander

Option for subsequent hot smoking. If you marinate the bird correctly according to this recipe, it will end up surprisingly juicy and tender.

You will need:

• three liters of water;
• 50 g coarse salt;
• 40 ml vinegar (3%);
• three cloves of garlic;
• four bay leaves;
• several juniper berries;
• a handful of sugar, salt;
• a teaspoon of ground coriander, ginger powder;
• ground black pepper to taste.

First you need to boil water. Then add crushed juniper berries, sugar, salt and spices to boiling water. Pour in vinegar, add garlic crushed through a press. Cook for 10 minutes, then remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Marinate the chicken in this mixture under pressure for three days in the refrigerator. The carcass or individual pieces should be turned regularly to ensure even marinating.

The poultry prepared in this way must be dried and then immediately cooked in a smokehouse.

Universal option

The proportions are given for a chicken carcass weighing 2 kg.

You will need:

• four liters of water;
• 60 g salt (preferably coarse);
• five cloves of garlic;
• two tablespoons of any dried herbs;
• half a teaspoon of cumin.

Wash and dry the chicken carcass before marinating. Prepare brine from all ingredients. When the liquid boils, reduce the heat to low and keep on the stove for another 10 minutes to saturate. Then cool.

Soak the bird in the cooled brine and put it in the refrigerator. Exposure time is two days. Clean the marinated chicken from the marinade with napkins. After which you can smoke.

Kefir marinade

A popular marinating method that is also suitable for other types of meat. Fresh mint and garlic go well with fermented milk drink.

You will need:

• two glasses of kefir;
• 50 ml olive oil;
• two cloves of garlic:
• some fresh mint leaves;
• ground black pepper, salt.

This marinade is prepared like this. First you need to chop the garlic using a press, mash or finely chop the mint leaves.

Mix all ingredients until completely homogeneous. Add salt and ground black pepper for spiciness.

Soak the prepared chicken pieces in the marinade so that each piece is thoroughly saturated with it. Next, the container with meat needs to be covered and placed in the refrigerator. Leave for eight hours. After which this chicken can be smoked cold or hot.

Marinade for cold smoking

Cold smoked chicken comes out much denser, more compressed, and can be stored much longer than hot smoked chicken.

Marinating for cold smoking lasts longer

First, the bird must be salted dry, and then kept in brine for several days. The proportions are indicated for three kilograms of chicken meat.

You will need:

• one and a half kilograms of salt (coarse);
• three tablespoons of sugar;
• two dozen black peppercorns;
• three bay leaves;
• 20 g ascorbic acid;
• nine liters of water (three for every kilogram of meat).

The salt must be immediately divided into two unequal parts. Set aside half a glass for dry pickling, the rest will be used for brine. Do the same with sugar - one spoon first, two spoons later.

Rub the existing pieces of chicken thoroughly with salt and sugar. Mix with peppercorns and crushed laurel leaves. Place everything in a saucepan, cover and set aside in the refrigerator. Leave for two days.

Then prepare the marinade. Place ascorbic acid and the remaining sugar and salt in a saucepan with water. Wait until it boils. Make sure that the sugar and salt are completely dissolved. Then cool.

Pour the chilled brine over the poultry pieces. Marinate for 10 days. Then remove the marinated chicken, rinse and dry. Additionally, dry in the refrigerator for about six hours.

Now you can begin the smoking phase.

Express marinating

If you are short on time, you can quickly marinate the bird using a honey-based marinade. The chicken meat will be additionally saturated with sweetness, resulting in an interesting delicacy with unexpected flavor tones.

Ready-made smoked chicken can be used on sandwiches, prepared as pasta with hard cheese, or used as a meat ingredient for salad

You will need:

• half a glass of honey;
• two larger lemons;
• 100 ml vegetable oil (mustard, linseed);
• three cloves of garlic;
• four tablespoons of spices (a mixture of peppers and any others).

Start by squeezing the juice from both lemons. Mix all ingredients in a glass container. Coat chicken wings or legs generously with the resulting spicy-honey mixture.

Place all the meat in a plastic bag and put it in the refrigerator. Leave for one night. Then remove the chicken pieces, remove excess spices and marinade and start smoking.

A good option is to make homemade shawarma with pickled cucumbers, a rich yogurt sauce and pickled onions.

Smoked chicken has become one of the main decorations of the table recently; it can be served both as an independent dish and as an addition to the main course. Many people buy it in stores, thinking that it takes a lot of time to prepare. But using a quick marinade to smoke chicken, cooking it will not be difficult.

The best option is poultry, but not everyone can afford it, so most often it is purchased in the store. You should only buy from trusted manufacturers, and it should be chilled meat, not frozen. You can smoke both the whole carcass and its individual parts. In this case, you need to use only a proven brine recipe for smoking chicken.

The chicken must be washed thoroughly. If there are feathers on the carcass, they are removed. It's easy to get rid of them by burning them over a gas stove. If there are only a few of them, then a regular lighter will do the job. To prevent the skin from getting burned, you can spray it with flour.

When cooking a large bird, cut it in half. The prepared chicken must be beaten between two boards. This preparation makes the bones softer and the meat more tender. If there is a large amount of internal fat, the lard is cut off, since there is no benefit from it, and during preservation it will be rendered. That's it, the preparatory stage is complete, now you can prepare the marinade for smoking the chicken.

Pre-salting

To speed up the process, you can salt the chicken before smoking. To do this, boil 1 liter of water, add 50 g of salt, several bay leaves and 20 allspice peas. The brine for smoking chicken is ready. All that remains is to cool it and you can pour it.

There are two options for smoking poultry - hot and cold. In both cases, the meat turns out very appetizing, but the cooking time is significantly different. With the first method, the time costs are lower, but there are differences in taste. In this case, you will still have to marinate the chicken both for cold smoking and for hot smoking.

1. Hot method. Initially, you will have to make a marinade for smoking the chicken. Upon completion of marinating, it is smoked with hot smoke, the temperature reaches 100 degrees. The result is soft baked meat with a pronounced taste.
2. Cold way. If you choose this method, it will take more time. You will also have to salt the chicken for cold smoking; at the end of its aging in brine, smoke begins, which sometimes lasts several days, but in the end you will get a very tasty meat delicacy.

Marinades for hot smoking

The choice of marinade for smoked chicken depends on the preservation method. But traditionally, such marinades include salt, oils, spices, vinegar or wine.

Let's look at some marinade recipes for hot smoked chicken.

Fragrant spicy marinade

When meat is cooked using this marinade, it turns out unusually juicy and aromatic due to herbs and spices. Poultry can also be cooked in this way, but it must first be beaten between two cutting boards to soften the joints and bones.

First, prepare the brine for smoking hot smoked chicken. You should boil one and a half liters of water, pound six juniper berries in a mortar and place them in boiling water. Boil for a couple of minutes, then add 50 g of salt and a teaspoon of granulated sugar. In addition, add half a teaspoon of ginger and coriander and 2 cloves of garlic, passed through a press, pour in 20 ml of vinegar (3%), add a little black pepper. Boil the brine for smoking chicken in a smokehouse for 10 minutes, then leave to cool.

The bird should be marinated for three days in chicken brine for smoking, pressed down with pressure on top. At the same time, it must be turned over regularly. Then the carcass is dried and smoking begins immediately. Bon appetit!

Kefir-based marinade

A very interesting marinade for hot smoking chicken in a smokehouse using fermented milk products. To marinate a small carcass you will need:

• Kefir - 500 ml.
• Olive oil - 50 ml.
• Garlic - 2 cloves.
• Salt and pepper.
• Mint.

It doesn't take long to make a marinade for smoked chicken. Peeled garlic cloves are passed through a press, and mint leaves are kneaded in your hands, all components are thoroughly mixed. Place the chicken into the resulting mixture so that it is completely covered with brine. But it is better to take small pieces of meat. Keep the kefir chicken in the refrigerator overnight and only then begin the smoke treatment.

Marinades for cold smoking

Many people think that the best brine for cold smoked chicken according to GOST, but others are no worse. On the contrary, each version has its own flavor and the meat acquires different flavors.

Below are some delicious cold smoked recipes.

Wine preservative

This marinade recipe for cold smoked chicken suggests preparing a whole carcass; it must be marinated for at least 12 hours.

For a large carcass for salting you will need:

• Salt - 0.5 cups.
• Sugar - 1 tbsp. l.
• Garlic - 3 cloves.

Garlic cloves are crushed and mixed with granulated sugar and table salt. Rub the carcass with this paste and leave it for salting. This will take 4 hours. And don’t forget that large birds must first be beaten between cutting boards.

While the brining is going on, it's time to prepare the brine for smoking the chicken. It contains: 1.5 cups of table salt, 2 tbsp. l. granulated sugar, 200 ml of red wine, 5 liters of water, several bay leaves and a teaspoon of peppercorns. Boil all ingredients, cool the brine for cold smoking of chicken. All that remains is to put the chicken in it.

When the meat has been salted for the specified time, it must be cleaned of salt and garlic, rinsed, placed in a container with marinade and left in this brine for 12 hours. All that remains is to dry the bird and put it in a cool place for another 5 hours, maybe in the cellar.

As you can see, although the process takes quite a long time, preparing brine for smoking chicken is not difficult.

Ascorbic filling

Initially, you will have to salt the chicken for smoking. This recipe for marinating chicken for smoking is designed for a large carcass up to 3 kg. The meat is rubbed with a mixture of 100 g of salt and 25 g of sugar. Add bay leaf and black peppercorns. The bird should be marinated in this thick sauce for two days.

Upon completion of salting, the meat is placed in the marinade. The marinade recipe for cold smoked chicken is as follows:

1. For 3 liters of water take 500 g of salt, 20 g of sugar, 65 g of ascorbic acid.
2. Boil everything until the components are completely dissolved. After this, cool and place the salted chicken in the marinade.
3. So it should marinate for 10 days.
4. The marinated meat is washed, dried with paper towels and placed in the refrigerator for 5 hours.
5. During this time, the meat will dry out a little and you can begin the main process.

Express marinating

There is not always time to wait several days while marinating lasts. Then a quick honey-based marinade for hot smoked chicken comes to the rescue. The meat will be surprisingly aromatic and slightly sweet. Taste shades depend on what kind of honey is used.

Ingredients:

• Honey - 0.5 cups.
• Lemon - 2 pcs.
• Flaxseed oil - 100 g.
• Garlic.
• Pepper mixture - 4 tbsp. l.

First, prepare the base of the thick sauce. A glass container is used for this. Honey and chopped garlic are mixed in it, juice is squeezed out of lemons and all other ingredients are added. Coat the chicken with the resulting mixture, place it in a bag and leave to marinate in a cool place for 10 hours, preferably overnight. In the morning you can cook smoked chicken. As you can see, a quick marinade for smoking chicken in a smokehouse can be a real godsend.

Universal marinade

In the case when you haven’t fully decided on the type of smoking, the best option is to salt the chicken for hot smoking with a universal marinade, which is used both for cold smoke preservation and for hot processing. The chicken turns out juicy and nutritious, easily digested by the cells of the human body.

For 1 small chicken you will need:

• Water - 4 l.
• Salt - 4 tbsp. l.
• Garlic cloves - 5 pcs.
• Dried herbs - 4 tbsp. l.
• Allspice.
• Caraway.

First you need to prepare the chicken, rinse and dry. The next step is to prepare brine for smoking chicken at home. To do this, boil water with all the ingredients; from the moment it boils, turn down the heat and leave for another 10 minutes. As soon as the brine for pickling chicken for smoking reaches room temperature, put the chicken in it and put it in a cool place for a couple of days. You can add bay leaf to the brine. As soon as the time allotted for marinating has expired, the carcass is removed from the marinade, dried and smoked.

As you can see, making brine for smoking chicken is not difficult; you can delight your loved ones with a tasty and healthy dish.

Smoked chicken with its subtle aroma and spicy taste is a special delicacy for the holiday table and beyond. It is consumed both as a separate dish and with side dishes or vegetables. You can prepare the marinade and smoke the meat yourself if you know how to do it correctly. In this article we will look at chicken marinade recipes.

General rules

1. It is important to know that the principle of a successfully prepared marinade lies in the correct mixing of all ingredients.
2. Chicken marinade can be prepared with sour cream, balsamic sauce, wine or water. Properly selected spices also play an important role.
3. To soften the meat, food acids are added, namely vinegar or lemon juice.
4. Adding granulated sugar or bee nectar gives the chicken not only a sweetish taste, but also a beautiful golden crust.
5. For long-term storage of smoked products, food saltpeter is added to the marinade. The meat is also pre-soaked in a saline solution or sprinkled with salt for 24 hours. After this procedure, the chicken is washed very well.
6. When the meat has been marinated, it must be dried by hanging it in a draft, and only after that proceed to hot smoking.

Inventory preparation

First of all, you will need a special smoking apparatus. You can purchase it at the store and build it yourself. If you decide to make a smokehouse yourself, you should know that the seams must be sealed.

You will also need a sharp knife and cutting board, a deep enamel pan, and an ax. Hardwood firewood is suitable, namely oak, linden, maple or fruit trees.

Preparing Ingredients

1. Beforehand, the chicken should be thoroughly cleaned of its entrails and washed well.
2. Cut it in half and beat it. This procedure is done like this: place the carcass between two cutting boards and begin beating the meat with a homemade hammer. This is done to soften the bones and joints.
3. Prepare the brine. Bring a liter of water to a boil and pour in a glass of salt and the rest of the spices according to the chosen recipe.
4. Place the chicken in a deep pan, completely fill it with saline solution and leave for 24 hours.
5. After a day, hang the carcass and let it air out to dry completely.

This recipe is considered universal. For one carcass (no more than two kilograms) you need to prepare:

• four liters of water;
• a couple of cloves of garlic;
• 5 grams of cumin;
• 30 grams of greens (dried);
• one hundred grams of salt.

Marinade for hot smoking chicken (preparation process):

1. Pour water into a deep container, add all the spices and place on high heat.
2. When the liquid boils, cook it for fifteen minutes over low heat.
3. The resulting brine is allowed to cool, then the meat is poured in and placed in a cool place for 48 hours.
4. After this time, the carcass should dry out, and you can start smoking.

Marinade for hot smoked chicken in a smokehouse using mineral water

Rub the pre-prepared chicken with salt (a tablespoon) and set aside for an hour. Excess salt is removed and the meat is filled with brine for 24 hours.

One glass of mineral water is poured into a deep saucepan, 30 grams of acid (citric acid), a tablespoon of paprika and salt are poured into it. A couple of onions are chopped into thin half rings and placed in the marinade.

Wine marinade

For one carcass weighing up to two kilograms you will need the following ingredients:

• a tablespoon of spices for chicken;
• one hundred milligrams of wine, it is better to take white sweet;
• 50 grams of granulated sugar;
• three tablespoons of salt.

Step by step instructions

Pickling. The carcass is washed well, cut in the breast area and small punctures are made there. All ingredients for the brine are mixed and the meat is thoroughly rubbed and left for five hours.

Smoking. According to the recipe, oak chips are pre-soaked in water and dried naturally. It is best to line the smokehouse tray with foil. The carcass is placed with the cut part down. The smoking process takes place on hot coals, periodically it is necessary to add wood chips. Smoking time until the meat is completely cooked is about an hour.

Marinade with honey

In order to prepare a sweet marinade, you will need the following products:

• one hundred milligrams of freshly squeezed lemon juice;
• two tablespoons of liquid bee nectar;
• parsley;
• two cloves of garlic;
• black and allspice pepper;
• 30 grams of spices;
• a teaspoon of salt.

Preparation of marinade for hot smoking chicken:

• All ingredients are combined in a deep container and mixed thoroughly until the salt has completely melted.
• The chicken meat is sent out for 15 hours so that it is well salted. Spices and herbs are removed from the carcass and the smoking process begins.

Marinade with vinegar

1. Two liters of water are poured into the prepared pan, salt (15 grams) and the same amount of granulated sugar are added.
2. When the brine boils, you can pour in two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. They also add spices (bay leaf, a little ginger and coriander, a clove of garlic and pepper).
3. After five minutes, you can remove from the heat and let the marinade for hot smoking chicken cool.
4. The prepared liquid is poured over the meat, placed under pressure and kept for three days.

With the addition of dry mustard

1. In a prepared pan, mix a bottle of sweet red wine, a glass of vegetable oil and one hundred grams of mustard (dry).
2. After mixing thoroughly so that there are no lumps, you can add finely chopped parsley, salt and pepper to your taste.
3. The carcass is prepared and placed in a deep container, poured with marinade so that it completely covers the meat.
4. After ten hours, the carcass is dried and the smoking process begins.

Let's take a closer look at some tips from experienced smokers:

1. Only fresh or chilled carcass is suitable for this process; it is not recommended to use frozen meat.
2. If the skin turns out to be very dark in color, it is best to remove it, as this indicates that it has absorbed a lot of smoke.
3. If you don’t have time to marinate, you can speed up the process as follows. Take a regular medical sealed syringe, fill it with brine and prick the entire chicken carcass. After two hours you can smoke.
4. For benefits, it is best to choose a natural smoking option, so do not use liquid smoke in the process.
5. As for spices, you can use different types of peppers (black, allspice, white, red). The ideal combination is salt, garlic and pepper. It's a matter of taste, but the basic rule must be followed: do not overuse spices.
6. To add new flavor notes to your meat every time, don’t be afraid to experiment with marinades.

The marinade recipes for hot smoked chicken selected in this article are prepared from simple ingredients and do not require much effort.

Smoking products is a process known since ancient times. Ancient people subjected meat to long-term treatment with a mixture of wood smoke and air to provide it with an antioxidant effect, which made it possible to suppress the growth of harmful bacteria in it for quite a long time. In modern society, smoking is used more to give the product a specific taste and aroma.

Gained great popularity among people smoked chicken, which is widely eaten both separately and as an addition to a variety of dishes, because its delicate aroma and spicy taste are combined with a huge number of ingredients. The best part is that this delicacy can be purchased not only in stores, but also prepared at home yourself.

As you know, there are two relatively safe types of smoking chicken: hot and cold. What is their difference? During cold smoking, the chicken or its components are suspended in the smoke of a smoldering fire. The process occurs at a temperature of about 30 degrees for a long period of time - usually several days. And hot smoking is characterized by processing products with the heat of smoke from coals at high temperatures (from 90 to 150 degrees). The process usually takes only a few hours. The texture of the meat becomes less dense and softer.

Smoked chicken - preparing equipment

First you need to get a smoking apparatus, which you can buy in a specialized store or make at home. However, if you decide to build such a device yourself, we advise you to contact experienced welders, since the seams of the smokehouse must be hermetically sealed.

In principle, you can use a large bucket, pan, metal barrel or the body of an old refrigerator as a smoking apparatus, the main thing is that the device closes tightly. Previously, in Rus' a large Russian stove was used for these purposes.

Equipment: In order to prepare chicken for smoking, prepare a clean ax or hammer, a deep enamel bowl (or a basin), a large cutting board, a hatchet for cutting the carcass and a sharp knife.

Smoked chicken - food preparation

The chicken carcass must be cleaned of its entrails, washed, cut in half and beaten thoroughly between two cutting boards with the butt of an ax, a house hammer or any other blunt heavy object. This is done so that the large bones and joints of the chicken become softer. Then heat the water and prepare the brine by adding a glass of salt (per liter of water), bay leaf, garlic, cinnamon, black pepper, sugar, vinegar, etc. In general, there are no specific criteria here, and everything depends on the specific recipe, type of smoking, individual preferences and tastes. Next, put the chicken in a deep bowl and completely fill it with the prepared brine for a couple of days.

After the expiration date, we take out the carcasses, make deep cuts in them and stuff them with bacon and garlic. We hang the chicken to dry it, then we can begin the smoking process. In addition to the whole carcass, its components can be processed in the smokehouse: thighs, wings, breast and drumsticks.

Smoked chicken - the best recipes

Recipe 1: Hot smoked chicken

Do you want to cook aromatic and juicy meat without spending a lot of money and a lot of time? Then this recipe is just for you. Below we will describe the simplest existing method of smoking chicken. Before sending the meat into the smoking apparatus for just 40 minutes, we will perform a number of simple steps: generously rub the chicken with spices, pepper, and salt, then dry it and send it to the smokehouse.

Ingredients: whole chicken, salt and black pepper to taste, any spices you like.

Cooking method:

After the chicken is seasoned, we put it in a plastic bag for a couple of hours to give it a good soaking. After this time, we take out the chicken and hang it in the fresh air to dry. Next, we place the chicken in the smoking device, install a tray into which excess fat will drain, and smoke the chicken under intense heat for forty minutes. Be sure to remove the skin from the cooked bird, since during this smoking process it has absorbed all the bitterness and fumes of the wood.

Recipe 2: Hot smoked chicken (option 2)

Ingredients: a glass of salt, three liters of water, bay leaf, three to four cloves of garlic, black pepper (peas), two table. spoons of any spices, for example, for barbecue.

Cooking method:

1. Prepare the brine: to do this, put salt, pepper, bay leaf, garlic and spices into warm water and bring to a boil, keep on the fire for only 3-5 minutes from the moment of boiling, then remove the brine and cool to 20-25 degrees.

2. Wash the chicken thoroughly from the outside, as well as from the inside, cut off excess fat from it (especially in the tail area) and lower it into brine. Place in the refrigerator for 18-20 hours.

3. Then we take out the bird, rinse it under running water, hang it for 1-2 hours so that excess moisture drains from it, then cut it into two halves and tie them with twine.

4. Pour 3 handfuls of sawdust (preferably alder) into the smoking device, place the tray, hang the carcasses and close the lid tightly.

5. We put the smoking apparatus on maximum heat, and after 10-12 minutes we reduce it to moderate and smoke for an hour and a half.

After time has passed, carefully open the lid and take out our delicacy. The taste of chicken prepared according to this recipe will be simply excellent. Bon appetit!

Recipe 3: Cold smoked chicken

For this recipe, you need to take the meat of a young bird, preferably a large breed. Broilers no older than six months of age are perfect.

Ingredients: 1 kg chicken carcass, 200 gr. bran, a tablespoon of salt, a tablespoon of lemon juice, half a teaspoon of pepper.

Cooking method:

We thoroughly gut and wash the chicken, cut it into 2 halves, which we place under pressure in a cool place (2-3 degrees) for two days, having previously rubbed the halves with lemon juice. Immediately before smoking, the chicken must be thickly coated on all sides in a mixture of bran and pepper. Poultry should be smoked at a temperature of no more than 30 degrees for 7-10 days in a cold way. When smoking, it is recommended to use Maple, Oak, and Cherry briquettes. The finished dish can be served with pickled mushrooms or vegetables.

Many have probably heard about the so-called liquid smoke, which is used for “quick” smoking, but this approach to processing products is very harmful to the body, since liquid smoke is equated with the strongest carcinogens. It contains toxic chemicals (phenol, formaldehyde, etc.), which tend to accumulate in the cells of the human body and cause their mutation - healthy cells, under their influence, can transform into cancer cells over time.

In order for our smoked chicken to have a more refined taste, buy it fresh and chilled (not frozen). Give preference to large breeds of poultry that are fairly young.

Smoked chicken is a special delicacy for a holiday table or an outdoor picnic. You can prepare the marinade and smoke chicken meat yourself - it will be safer and cheaper than a store-bought product. Read the article on how to marinate chicken before smoking.

Universal marinade recipe

There is a universal method that allows you to marinate chicken for both hot and cold smoking. The meat will be equally tasty and soft.

Ingredients:

• chicken weighing 1.5-2 kilograms;
• four liters of water;
• three tablespoons of coarse salt;
• five large cloves of garlic;
• two tablespoons of dried herbs (you can take any herbs: parsley, dill, basil, etc.);
• half a teaspoon of cumin.

How to marinate:

1. Wash and dry the carcass;
2. Prepare the brine from the indicated ingredients. To make it more saturated, let the liquid simmer for ten minutes, reducing the boil to low;
3. When the brine has cooled, pour it over the meat and leave it in the cold for two days (a refrigerator or cellar will do);
4. Remove the meat, blot off excess marinade with paper towels and proceed to smoking.

Marinate chicken for hot smoking

There are two main ways to smoke meat in a smokehouse: hot and cold. Hot smoking allows you to get a more tender, soft dish. If you smoke chicken this way, it will turn out deliciously juicy, literally melting in your mouth. Vinegar marinade is best suited for this method. How to marinate chicken for smoking this way?

No special ingredients are required, with the exception of herbs and spices. The amount of ingredients is given for marinating two chicken carcasses in a smokehouse.

Required ingredients:

• one and a half liters of water;
• two tablespoons of 9% vinegar;
• a heaped teaspoon of coarse salt;
• half a teaspoon of granulated sugar;
• one bay leaf;
• ground ginger, black pepper, allspice, coriander to taste (you can take a pinch of each spice);
• a clove of garlic;
• a sprig of juniper or 3-4 fragrant berries.

1. The amount of water needs to be brought to a boil, add sugar and salt.
2. As soon as the water boils, throw in the spices, juniper, spices, and pour in the vinegar. Let the broth boil for literally 1-2 minutes, remove from heat.
3. While the marinade is cooling, prepare the chicken: remove feathers and down, gut, wash, trim fat from the tail. How to properly marinate chicken for smoking? To make the meat softer, you can chop the carcass into pieces, although with the hot smoking method, well-marinated meat will turn out soft even in a whole chicken.
4. When the marinade has cooled, place the chicken on the bottom of the pickling pan and pour the marinade over it. In order for the meat to be better saturated with the aromatic liquid, it is necessary to set pressure, then send the chicken to a cool place. The recipe requires a long marinating period - four days.
5. Dry the prepared carcass or chicken parts by hanging in a draft, and then cook in a smokehouse.

How to Marinate Chicken for Cold Smoking

Cold smoked chicken is denser, with a characteristic fiber pattern on the cut. This product lasts longer compared to hot-smoked meat, despite the fact that the marinade is prepared without vinegar.

Please note that this marinating method takes longer. Before sending the meat to the smokehouse, it will have to be salted in a dry mixture, and then in brine for several days. The amount of curing ingredients in the recipe is indicated for 2.5-3 kilograms of chicken meat.

Ingredients:

• 1.6 kilograms of coarse salt (half a glass for pre-salting, the rest for brine);
• 20 grams of ascorbic acid;
• three tablespoons of white sugar (one for pre-salting, two for brine);
• a tablespoon of black peppercorns;
• three bay leaves;
• nine liters of water for brine.

Cooking sequence:

1. Rub the prepared chicken meat with enough salt and sugar for dry salting, sprinkle with peppercorns, and add a bay leaf.
2. Place the chicken in a high saucepan, cover with a lid, and put in a cool place for two days.
3. Cook the marinade according to the recipe from water, salt, sugar, ascorbic acid. Let the liquid boil, wait until the grains of sugar and salt are completely dissolved.
4. Pour the cooled brine over the chicken meat and leave to marinate for another 10-11 days.
5. Remove the meat from the brine, rinse with cold water, dry and dry on the refrigerator shelf for 6-7 hours.
6. Afterwards, send the dried, cured meat to the smokehouse and cook until a shiny, dense crust separates from the carcass.

How to quickly marinate chicken for smoking

If you don’t have time for long-term marinating, you can use a honey marinade recipe. The meat is quickly soaked in sweet juice, which gives it an excellent flavor. One thing: this option is more suitable for a hot smokehouse.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup honey;
• two large lemons;
• half a glass of vegetable oil (mustard or flaxseed oil is especially tasty);
• three tablespoons of any herbs, spices to taste;
• three cloves of garlic;
• ground allspice, a mixture of hot peppers (about a tablespoon).

Marinating sequence:

1. Chop the carcass into pieces - wings, thighs, back, breast.
2. Squeeze fresh juice from the lemons (you should get about 100 ml).
3. These ingredients must be mixed thoroughly and each piece must be rubbed with a honey-spicy mixture.
4. Place the pieces of meat in a plastic bag and put them on the refrigerator shelf overnight.
5. In the morning, remove the meat, clean it of herbs and spices and put it in the smokehouse.