Stove Top Smoker Chicken Tacos Food

EASY CHICKEN TACOS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Season chicken with chili powder mixture. Heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Working in batches, add chicken to the skillet in a single layer and cook until golden brown and cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 4-5 minutes per side. Let cool before dicing into bite-size pieces. Serve chicken in tortillas, topped with pico de gallo, avocado, cilantro and lime.

HOW TO USE A STOVE-TOP SMOKER

Steps:

• Read through the recipe carefully before you start. Some recipes require seasoning or marinating the food in advance; other recipes suggest you brine the food or take them to room temperature before smoking.
• Make sure the smoker parts are clean and dry before you start.
• Sprinkle the amount and type of wood chip you have chosen over the center of the bottom of the smoker, covering an area roughly the size of your burner.
• Put the drip pan in place. Always line the drip pan with a single layer of aluminum foil. This cuts cleanup time in half.
• Arrange whatever item(s) you are smoking on the rack. Newer smoker models have nonstick racks; older racks should be sprayed with vegetable cooking spray to prevent sticking and make for easier clean up.
• Be sure to leave space between items on the rack and between the food and the sides of the smoker.
• Close the lid about two-thirds of the way and center the smoker over a burner. Turn the heat to medium.
• When you see the first signs of smoking rising from under the drip pan, close the lid securely and start timing.
• Check the food for doneness at the time suggested in the recipe. Wear oven mitts or protect your hands with sturdy pot holders, grasp the handles firmly with one hand and slide the lid off with the other. Test the food as quickly as possible (with an instant-read thermometer or other methods suggested in the recipe) and slide the lid closed quickly if it needs more cooking time.
• When the food is ready, turn off the heat and remove the lid of the smoker, unless a recipe directs you to leave it on for a specified amount of time.

STOVE TOP SMOKER WHOLE SMOKED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Trim any excess skin from the neck end of the chicken and pull out the giblets and any pockets of fat from the cavity.
• First brine your birds. Put the chicken(s) in a stockpot or Dutch oven. Pour in cold water, one quart at a time until the item is completely covered. Lift out the bird and stir in 3 tablespoons sea or kosher salt for every quart of water you have added. Return the chicken to the brine. Set the container of chicken and brine in the refrigerator. Brine for 1 1/2 hours per pound (minimum of 3 hours). Dry the chicken, and rub some freshly ground black pepper inside, also add some whole cloves of garlic and a few lemon wedges to the cavity.
• Start the chicken(s) breast side up on the smoker rack with the smoker on the stove top. Use 2 1/2 tablespoons cherry or oak wood chips OR 1 1/2 tablespoons hickory wood chips. Instead of the smoker cover, tent the smoker with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Smoke 40 minutes over medium heat.
• After the chicken(s) have been smoking 30 minutes, set the oven rack in the center position and preheat the oven to 425ºF. When the chickens are done smoking, remove the aluminum foil and roast the chicken in the oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh near the hip joint registers 170ºF, 30-60 minutes, depending on the size and quantity of the chicken(s).
• After they have rested for 5-10 minutes, serve hot or at room temperature. Leftover smoked chicken is delicious in chicken salad, casseroles, and sandwiches.

STOVE TOP SMOKER BONELESS CHICKEN BREASTS (WITH OR WITHOUT SKIN)

Steps:

• Trim any fat from the breasts before seasoning them. If you're leaving the skin on in preparation for serving the crispy-skinned version, trim any overhanging skin and smooth the skin into an even layer over the chicken. If not, remove the skin before smoking the chicken.
• Boneless chicken breasts absorb a lot of flavor and watch well with a wide variety of wood. Use less of the more assertive wood like hickory or mesquite, or more of the milder wood chips like alder or cherry. Use 1 1/2 Tblsp hickory or mesquite OR 2 to 2 1/2 Tblsp alder or cherry wood chips.
• Season the chicken breasts with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and a scant 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper each, adjusting that amount to your taste. Or rub a generous amount of your
• favorite rub into both sides of the chicken.
• Close the smoker lid and smoke the chicken breasts until an instant read thermometer registers 170ºF, 18-22 minutes for 6-oz/3/4-inch thick breasts, 22-25 minutes for 7-oz/1-inch thick breasts; 25-30 minutes for 8-oz, 1 1/4-inch thick breasts. Check for doneness with the instant read thermometer about 4 minutes before the end of the time.
• outlined above.
• For crispy-skinned chicken breasts, choose a nonstick pan large enough to hold the number of breasts you are serving. Heat it over medium-high heat a few minutes before the chicken breasts are done smoking. Lift the chicken with tongs from the smoker and lay them skin.
• side down in the pan. Cook until the skin is crispy and deep golden brown, about 3 minutes.
• Serve immediately.
• Note: Four 7-oz chicken breasts will yield about 3 cups shredded chicken meat.

STOVE TOP SMOKER SMOKED CHICKEN THIGHS

Steps:

• The richer flavor of chicken thighs benefit from more flavorful woods like hickory, corn cob or mesquite. Use about 2 tablespoons of any of the above per batch.
• Trim off all the skin and cut away excess fat from the thighs before seasoning them. Or, leave the skin on and crisp the skin in a hot pan after smoking, about 3 minutes.
• Season each thigh with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Smoke over medium heat until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh near the bone registers 170ºF, 25 to 30 minutes after closing the smoker lid. Check for doneness with the thermometer about 15 minutes into the cooking time.
• Serve right out of the smoker with salsa and your favorite coleslaw or use in another recipe.
• Note: Six chicken thighs will yield about 3 cups shredded cooked meat.

STOVE TOP SMOKER CHICKEN TACOS

Steps:

• Smoke chicken thighs for 30 minutes over medium heat using 2 tablespoons of mesquite wood chips.
• While the chicken is cooking, saute onion and green chilies in oil until onion is soft.Add broth and enchilada sauce and bring to boil then reduce heat.
• Remove the chicken to cool and rinse the smoker. Fill it with 1/2 inch of water and place the rack directly on the bottom of the pan (omit drip tray) and return the smoker to the stovetop on the lowest setting possible. separate the tortillas and randomly stack them on the rack and close the lid.
• When the chicken is cool enough to handle, pull the meat from the thighs and add it too the simmering mixture for 20 minutes. Shred the lettuce.
• To serve remove the warm tortillas from the smoker (they will have an earthy taste) spoon in chicken mixture and top with lettuce and a squeeze of lime.