Smoker Night: Pellet-Smoked Chicken & Smoked Mac and Cheese

Juicy smoked chicken and a bubbling pan of smoky mac and cheese, both cooked on the same pellet grill.

RECIPES

10/23/20261 min read

Introduction

Juicy smoked chicken and a bubbling pan of smoky mac and cheese, both cooked on the same pellet grill.

Prep 30 min · Cook about 3 hours · Serves 6

Your Smoker Night Timeline

  • 3:00 PM: Season the chicken and preheat the grill to 250°F.

  • 3:30 PM: Chicken goes on. Walk away.

  • 5:00 PM: Boil the pasta and make the cheese sauce.

  • 5:30 PM: Mac and cheese goes on next to the chicken. Turn the grill up to 325°F.

  • 6:15 PM: Pull the chicken at 165°F and let it rest.

  • 6:30 PM: Dinner.

Gathering Your Ingredients

For the chicken

  • 1 whole chicken (4–5 lb), patted dry

  • 2 tbsp olive oil

  • 3 tbsp of your favorite BBQ rub (or 1 tbsp each of salt, pepper and paprika, plus 1 tsp garlic powder)

For the mac and cheese

  • 1 lb elbow macaroni

  • 4 tbsp butter

  • ¼ cup flour

  • 3 cups whole milk

  • 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar

  • 2 cups shredded smoked gouda

  • 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack

  • 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, 1 tsp smoked paprika, ½ tsp mustard powder

  • ½ cup panko and 2 tbsp melted butter, for the topping

Cooking Your Smoked Chicken & Mac and Cheese

  1. Preheat your pellet grill to 250°F with hickory or a competition blend.

  2. Rub the chicken with oil and coat it well with the seasoning. Place it breast-side up on the grill and close the lid.

  3. About 90 minutes in, cook the macaroni 2 minutes short of the package time, then drain it.

  4. Melt the butter in a large pot, whisk in the flour, and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the milk and simmer until it thickens, about 5 minutes.

  5. Turn off the heat and stir in the cheeses a handful at a time, saving 1 cup of cheddar. Season with the salt, pepper, paprika and mustard powder.

  6. Fold the pasta into the sauce and pour it into a greased 9x13 foil or cast-iron pan. Top with the saved cheddar, then the panko tossed in melted butter.

  7. Put the pan on the grill and raise the temperature to 325°F. Cook for 45 minutes, until it's bubbling and golden.

  8. Pull the chicken when the thickest part of the breast reads 165°F. Rest it for 15 minutes before carving.

Pitmaster tip: Raising the heat for the last stretch crisps up the chicken skin and browns the mac and cheese topping at the same time, so there's no need to juggle two temperatures.

Pairs with: a simple green salad.

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