Preparing an already smoked chicken can seem intimidating, but it’s actually quite simple! Smoked chicken is delicious, flavorful, and low maintenance. It makes a fantastic entree or addition to salads, sandwiches, pizza and more. With just a few easy steps, you can have tender, juicy smoked chicken ready to eat or incorporate into recipes.
What equipment do you need to prepare a smoked chicken?
Preparing a smoked chicken doesn’t require any special equipment. All you’ll need is:
- A cutting board and chef’s knife to carve the chicken
- Tongs or a fork for shredding the meat
- Storage containers or zip top bags if storing leftovers
Optional items that can be helpful include:
- Kitchen shears for cutting through bones and joints
- Meat claws for pulling and shredding
- A instant read thermometer to check doneness
As long as you have a good chef’s knife, cutting board, and tongs or fork, you’ll have everything you need to get started.
How to Prepare a Whole Smoked Chicken
Preparing a whole smoked chicken is simple:
- Remove any packaging and residual marinade from the smoked chicken.
- Place the chicken on a clean cutting board. Use kitchen shears or a sharp chef’s knife to cut the chicken into pieces by separating:
- Wings from the breasts
- Leg quarters from the thighs
- Breasts from the back/rib cage
- Use a knife to slice the breast meat from the bone, if desired.
- Use forks or meat claws to shred and pull the chicken into smaller pieces, if desired.
- Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
That’s all there is to it! You’ll end up with boneless breasts, wings, thighs, legs, and back meat ready for any recipe.
How to Prepare Just the Breast Meat
If you only want to use the breast meat, follow these simple steps:
- Remove any packaging and residual marinade.
- Place the chicken breast-side up on a cutting board.
- Using a chef’s knife, slice down along one side of the breastbone.
- Cut down the other side to remove the entire breast half.
- Repeat on the other side.
- Slice the breast meat from the bones.
- Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
This leaves you with quick access to the lean, tender breast meat perfect for recipes like chicken salad, sandwiches, wraps and more.
How to Prepare Just the Leg Quarters
Preparing just the leg quarters couldn’t be easier:
- Remove any packaging and residual marinade.
- Place the chicken breast-side up on a cutting board.
- Using kitchen shears or a chef’s knife, cut through the skin between the breast and thigh.
- Bend the leg away from the body to pop the hip joint.
- Slice through the hip joint to remove the whole leg quarter.
- Repeat on the other side.
- Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
This leaves the flavorful, juicy leg quarters ready for the grill, slow cooker, or any recipe that benefits from dark meat.
How Long Does Prepared Smoked Chicken Last?
Properly stored, prepared smoked chicken will last:
- Whole chicken or pieces – Up to 4 days refrigerated
- Shredded or chopped chicken – Up to 4 days refrigerated
- Frozen chicken pieces or shredded – Up to 2-3 months
For best quality and food safety, use refrigerated smoked chicken within 4 days. Freeze any extra pieces or shredded chicken for longer term storage.
Tips for Prepping Smoked Chicken
Follow these tips for easy smoked chicken prep:
- Use a sharp chef’s knife and kitchen shears for easy cutting.
- Slice breast meat away from bones before chopping or shredding.
- Pull dark meat into larger pieces before shredding for better texture.
- Save bones to make smoked chicken stock.
- Refrigerate in air-tight containers within 2 hours.
- Label storage containers with date and contents.
- Avoid rinsing pieces, as this can cause cross-contamination.
- Freeze shredded or chopped chicken in recipe-sized portions.
How to Use Prepared Smoked Chicken
Prepared smoked chicken is extremely versatile. Here are some great ways to use it:
- Chopped in chicken salad, wraps, sandwiches
- Diced and mixed into pasta salads or casseroles
- Shredded over pizza, nachos, tacos
- Added to soups, stews, chili
- Used in smoked chicken dip or quesadillas
- Added to omelets, frittatas, scrambles
- Used in smoked chicken fried rice or stir fry
- Pieced or shredded over green salads
- In smoked chicken salad sandwiches
- Mixed with BBQ sauce for sliders or sandwiches
Get creative and add prepared smoked chicken to your favorite recipes or eat it on its own. The smoky flavor pairs well with so many dishes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is smoked chicken already cooked?
Yes, smoked chicken has already been fully cooked through the smoking process. It can be eaten immediately after preparing and removing any marinade or rub. There is no need to cook it further. Simply heat through if desired.
Can you freeze prepared smoked chicken?
Absolutely! Freeze prepared smoked chicken pieces or shredded meat in airtight containers or freezer bags. It will keep for 2-3 months frozen. Thaw in the refrigerator before using.
Can you eat smoked chicken cold?
You sure can. Prepared smoked chicken can be eaten cold in recipes like chicken salad, sandwiches, wraps and more. The flavorful, smoky meat still tastes delicious unheated.
How long can cooked smoked chicken sit out?
For food safety, prepared smoked chicken should not sit out at room temperature for longer than 2 hours before refrigerating. To be extra safe, refrigerate within 1 hour. Discard any chicken left out longer.
Is pink chicken safe after smoking?
Yes, it’s normal for smoked chicken to have a pink or rosy tint, especially around bones and joints. This is from a reaction with smoke, not undercooking. Fully smoked chicken is safe to eat.
Conclusion
Preparing an already smoked chicken couldn’t be easier. With just a few simple tools and quick preparation steps, you can break down a smoked chicken into breasts, wings, thighs, legs, and shredded meat ready for endless recipe possibilities. Properly stored, prepared smoked chicken will stay fresh for up to 4 days refrigerated or 2-3 months frozen. Add flavorful, succulent smoked chicken to salads, sandwiches, pizzas, pasta, and anything else you can dream up.