A juicy, smoky chicken breast with a perfectly crispy exterior, topped with a rich, tangy shallot BBQ sauce that elevates the flavor profile to gourmet status.

Chicken breast is often the unfortunate victim of blandness and dryness, but not in this recipe! Here, we elevate the humble chicken breast into a competition-worthy masterpiece with a few clever techniques. The wet brine locks in moisture, while a Korean fried chicken – inspired potato starch dredge ensures a crisp, golden crust. After searing, the chicken takes on a smoky kiss in the smoker, resulting in a tender and juicy interior. Finally, we slather it with a luxurious shallot BBQ sauce, which adds richness, tang, and complexity.

If you’re a BBQ enthusiast looking to make show-stopping poultry at your next competition or backyard cookout, this recipe delivers in both flavor and presentation!

Step 1: Wet Brine the Chicken

Ingredients for the Brine:

• 6 cups water

• 1 cup onion, chopped

• 1/2 cup celery, chopped

• 1/2 cup carrots, chopped

• 1/3 cup kosher salt

• 1/4 cup sugar

Method:

1. Prepare the Brine: In a blender, combine the water, onion, celery, carrots, kosher salt, and sugar. Blend until smooth and fully emulsified.

2. Brine the Chicken: Place your bone-in, skin-on chicken breast in the brine. Ensure it is fully submerged and refrigerate for 2 hours. Meat brines via diffusion based on the time, temperature, and salt concentration, so don’t brine more than 2 hours based on this recipe. If you need to brine overnight I would do an equilibrium brine at 1.5% salt by weight. If you don’t know how to do that, cut the salt down to 1/4 cup if you intent to brine it overnight. 

3. Why Brining Works:

   • The salt penetrates the meat and allows the chicken to retain more moisture during cooking.

   • The sugar balances the saltiness and helps with browning by promoting caramelization.

   • Aromatics like onion, celery, and carrot add subtle layers of traditional flavor. 

Why bone-in skin-on breast?

I like bone-in skin-on breast because chicken breast is a very lean cut of meat that needs all the help it can get to stay moist and tasty. The skin provides a much-needed layer of fat, both for flavor and to lock in moisture. The rib cage bone on the other side of the breast similarly locks in moisture during cooking (more-so from the membrane attached to it than the bones themselves). That being said, it’s totally ok to use boneless skinless chicken breast if that’s what you have! I like to buy whole chickens from Costco and butcher them myself, and it’s a lot faster and easier to keep the ribcage on the breast, so that’s one more reason I like it. 

Step 2: Dredging and Searing

Ingredients for Dredge:

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/4 cup potato starch

Method:

1. Pat Dry the Chicken: Remove the chicken from the brine and thoroughly pat it dry with paper towels. Drying helps the starch adhere better and creates a crispier crust.

2. Dredge in Potato Starch: Mix the kosher salt and potato starch in a bowl. Lightly coat the chicken breast in the starch mixture, shaking off any excess.

3. Sear the Chicken: Heat a pan over high heat with a small amount of oil. Sear the chicken breast skin-side down until golden brown and crispy, then flip. About 3-4 minutes per side. Don’t worry if the skin starts to shrink up. If it does start shrinking way too much, simply sear the other side and move on to the next step. 

4. Why This Step Matters:

   • The potato starch creates a delicate, crispy crust that holds up well during smoking and provides a nice texture when you bite into it.

   • Searing first develops a flavorful, golden-brown crust through the Maillard reaction, enhancing the chicken’s depth of flavor.

Pro Tip: Potato starch produces a crispier coating than flour, making it a game-changer for fried or seared meats.

Step 3: Seasoning and Smoking

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp Smoke Trails BBQ “Let’s Gow” General Purpose Rub (or your favorite BBQ rub)

Method:

1. Season the Chicken: Lightly dust the seared chicken breast with Smoke Trails BBQ’s LET’S GOW General Purpose BBQ Rub (or your favorite BBQ rub).

2. Smoke the Chicken: Preheat your smoker to 250°F. Place the chicken breast on the smoker and let it smoke until the internal temperature reaches 150°F.

3. Why Smoking Matters:

   • Smoking at a low temperature allows the meat to slowly absorb the wood smoke, enhancing the overall flavor.

   • Cooking to 150°F ensures the chicken is tender and juicy without overcooking.

Pro Tip: Letting the chicken rest for 10 minutes after smoking allows the juices to redistribute, keeping the meat succulent.

Step 4: Making the Shallot BBQ Sauce

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)

• 2 shallots, roughly diced

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped

• 1/2 cup water

• 1 tbsp Better Than Bouillon Chicken

• 1/2 tsp ground lemongrass (optional)

• 1/2 cup BBQ sauce

Method:

1. Sauté the Aromatics: Heat the ghee in a pan over medium heat. You can use butter or oil if you don’t have ghee or clarified butter (which are basically the same thing). Add the shallots and garlic, sautéing until they are browned and fragrant, about 10 minutes.

2. Deglaze and Simmer: Add the water to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in the Better Than Bouillon chicken paste, lemongrass and BBQ sauce. Lemongrass (if used) adds a subtle citrusy brightness. Simmer for 5-7 minutes.

Step 5: Glazing and Serving

1. Plate the Chicken: Place the smoked chicken breast on a serving platter.

2. Top with Sauce: Generously ladle the shallot BBQ sauce over the chicken.

3. Garnish: Sprinkle with finely chopped green onions for color and freshness.

Pro Tip: Serve with grilled vegetables or a tangy coleslaw to balance the flavors.