Smoked Chicken Louisianne
Submitted by PJF
Chicken breasts marinated in Louisiana cane syrup, hot sauce, and Worcestershire, then smoked over pecan wood with root beer in the water pan. Pure bayou-born flavor.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
60 minREADY
80 minOnly in Louisiana would somebody think to put root beer in the smoker’s water pan. And only in Louisiana would it work this well.
Boneless chicken breasts soak in a marinade of cane syrup, hot sauce, cracked pepper, Worcestershire, red wine, olive oil, and garlic. Sweet, spicy, and deeply savory all at once.
Then they hit the smoker over pecan wood and sugar cane chips while two cans of root beer steam away in the water pan below, adding a subtle, vanilla-sweet undertone you can’t quite place but absolutely crave.
Serve warm over leafy greens as an entrée salad, or slice cold with sweet mustard for an appetizer that’ll steal the show.
Pro Tips
- Pecan wood burns mild and sweet, which pairs with the cane syrup marinade instead of overpowering it. Hickory would be too aggressive here.
- Check for doneness at the one-hour mark. Boneless breasts smoke faster than you’d think, and overcooked chicken is nobody’s friend.
- The root beer in the water pan is not optional. It creates a fragrant steam that infuses the meat with a caramel sweetness that plain water can’t touch.
Ingredients
Directions
FOR MARINADE: Combine all marinade ingredients and using a wire whisk, stir to ensure that all seasonings are well blended.
Add chicken breasts and cover with the marinade.
Allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
FOR SMOKING: Prepare home style smoker according to manufacturer’s instructions.
Have available chips of pecan wood and sugar cane if possible.
In the water pan, place one quart of water and two cans of Barq’s root beer.
The root beer will give the chicken a taste that is certainly unique.
Once smoker is ready, place water pan in position and add small amounts of pecan wood and sugar cane to hot coals.
Place chicken breasts on middle smoker rack and cook according to directions.
Check for doneness at one hour. The chicken breasts may be eaten warm on colored lettuces as an entree salad or sliced cold and served with sweet mustard as an appetizer.
Comments
