Smoked Whole Chicken

Combine ¾ cup (150 g, packed) dark brown sugar, ½ cup Diamond Crystal or ¼ cup plus 1½ tsp. Morton (72 g) kosher salt, ½ cup ground espresso beans, 2 Tbsp. freshly ground black pepper, 2 Tbsp. garlic powder, 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon, 1 Tbsp. ground cumin, and 1 Tbsp. cayenne pepper in a resealable container, cover tightly, and shake well to combine. (Makes about 2½ cups) Do Ahead: Dry rub can be stored, covered, in a cool, dry place for up to 2 months.

If using dry rub: Place one 3½–4-lb. whole chicken on a rimmed baking sheet and lightly coat all sides with ½ cup dry rub (you may not need it all). If using wet brine: Combine 1 cup dry rub with 8 cups water in a large stockpot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring, until sugar and salt dissolve. Remove from heat and add 8 cups cold water to bring mixture to room temperature. Add 1 (3½–4-lb.) whole chicken and refrigerate for 4–8 hours. Remove chicken from brine, pat dry with paper towels, and transfer, breast side up, to a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet. Refrigerate 6 hours more, uncovered.

Prepare smoker by removing any ash or debris; clean the grate. Fill a chimney starter with hardwood charcoal. Loosely crumple a couple of pieces of newspaper and drizzle or spray them with vegetable oil (this helps the paper burn longer and speeds up the charcoal-lighting process). Stuff the paper into the chimney’s lower chamber, place the chimney on the smoker’s top grate, and light it. Let the charcoal burn until the coals are glowing red and coated in gray ash, about 15 minutes. Put on a pair of heavy-duty fireproof gloves and carefully dump the charcoal into one side of the grill—over the bottom air vent if your grill has one—leaving the other half free of coals. Place a disposable aluminum tray on the other side to use as a drip pan.

Place a few hardwood chunks or a foil packet of wood chips over the coals. Add the top grate and arrange chicken over drip pan. Cover grill, placing air vents in the lid over chicken. Open both vents about halfway.

Smoke chicken, maintaining temperature in the smoker between 200°F and 225°F, replenishing the wood chunks or chips as needed, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into both the center of a thigh and the thickest part of the breast registers 165°F, 3–5 hours. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and let chicken rest for 10 minutes.

At this point, you can cut the chicken into quarters or tear the meat into shreds to make pulled chicken. Or, if you want extra-crispy skin, you can briefly roast the chicken in a 450°F oven, or prepare a grill with hot and cool sides, put the chicken over the cool side, cover the grill, and cook for 5–10 minutes.