When it comes to delivering tasty smoked treats that will impress both your family and friends, the Masterbuilt Electric Smoker is a real masterpiece. Even though some might consider this to be a very slow cooking method, using the electric smoker is still an excellent choice for trying out some delicious recipes in any season. Once you get used to it and learn some useful techniques, the dishes that you’ll get from this device will undoubtedly have a heavenly taste.
Using a Masterbuilt Electric Smoker is quite easy – you only have to put some wood chips into it and heat it for half an hour. In case you’re using it for the first time, remember to season it. This would include running the machine at 275F for a couple of hours while using an empty pan of water. After two and a half hours, feel free to add one more cup of wood chips.
Once you’ve done that, the actual cooking will be an easy task. All you will have to do is choose the smoking time and the temperature and set the food on the racks. In this article, we’ll be taking a look at one of the most delicious recipes for this type of a smoker – the smoked chicken quarters, as well as at some others.
Smoked Chicken Quarters
As you already know, chicken can be cut into a variety of distinct cuts. Obviously, a quarter got its name by being 1/4 of the hen, but a quarter can also be made up by multiple smaller cuts. Typically there are leg quarters that come with portions of the chicken’s breasts, thighs, wings, and back. Many supermarkets sell pre-cut chickens, allowing you to skip the cutting step and get right into the cooking.
Required Ingredients
- 8 pounds of chicken quarters
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons onion powder
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup salt
- Water (to cover)
- Fruitwood of your choice
Directions:
- Step #1– Brine the meat so that the moisture gets stuck inside of it – it will keep it soft during the cooking. Take a pot of water, warm it, and mix the sugar and salt in it until they’re dissolved. Give the mixture some time to cool down and then place the chicken quarters into it. Let it brine in this mixture of sweet and salty flavors for around six hours.
- Step #2– Set the machine to 220F and then mix the dry rub seasoning and oil in a bowl – do it thoroughly.
- Step #3– Rub the seasoning mixture and olive oil in order to thoroughly coat your chicken quarters.
- Step #4– Lay the quarters on the racks of the smoker and make sure to add some more wood chips while placing the meat. Cherry, pecan, or apple fruit wood is excellent for chicken as it provides a lighter smoke flavor that couples nicely with the light chicken quarters.
- Step #5– The total cooking time should be around 2 hours, but that actually depends on a number of different factors.
That’s it – your delicious smoked chicken quarters are now ready to be served. It’s pretty much guaranteed that both you and your family will like the taste, so we prepared a couple more recipes for you to try out.
A Few More Masterbuilt Electric Smoker Recipes
1. Smoked Whole Chicken
A great thing about using the Masterbuilt Electric Smoker is the fact that preparing a whole chicken with it ensures evenly cooked meat, thanks to its built-in thermometer.
Begin by rinsing and cleaning the chicken and patting it dry. Use your favorite seasoning to rub it and then carefully inject the marinade into the breasts, thighs, and legs. After that, you can put the chicken into your smoker (set it to 250F) and smoke it for at least 90 minutes.
Once the time is up or the smoker reaches 165F, pull out the chicken, add more seasoning, and it will be ready for serving.
2. Smoked Ribs
All you’ll need for this simple recipe is some pork ribs, onion, garlic powder and black pepper powder. The barbecue sauce, on the other hand, should be made up of brown sugar (1/2 cup), steak sauce (1/2 cup), apple jelly (3/4 cup), and ketchup (1 cup).
Combine the powders, pepper, and salt in a bowl and then rub that mixture onto your pork ribs. Once you’re done, place them on the middle rack of the machine, set the smoker to 250F and leave the ribs there for one hour. For the sauce, you’ll just have to mix the ingredients in your saucepan and then heat them over a flame until they’re well-blended.
Remove the ribs from the smoker and pour the tasty sauce over them. After that, simply wrap them in the aluminum foil and put them back into the smoker for two hours. Once that’s done, take the ribs our, pour some more sauce, and they will be ready for serving.
3. Smoked Turkey
Even though this might sound like a time-consuming affair, preparing a turkey with a Masterbuilt Electric Smoker will actually leave you with a very delicious dish. It’s easy to prepare and can be done as often as you want to.
Start by cleaning the cavity and filling it with fresh thyme pieces, celery, apples, orange, and fresh tarragon. Add seasoning of your choice and place the turkey onto the foil pan. After that, you can fill a bowl with water and put some wood chips into the tray. Remember to keep the vent half-way open.
Put the prepared turkey onto the rack and smoke it for at least six hours in a preheated 250F Masterbuilt Electric Smoker. That’s it – it’s time to impress the family and the friends!
As you can see, the Masterbuilt Electric Smoker is certain to give you an opportunity to create some truly delicious dishes. Make sure to try out these recipes – you’ll love them!