Smoking whole chicken in a pan and making gravy?

[cwb124]

We aren't huge turkey fans in our house, we prefer chicken. I am planning on putting some veggies in a SS roasting pan and smoking 2 whole chickens at around 375. I then plan to make gravy from the drippings in the pan. Anyone done this? How did the gravy come out? Too smoky? Just right? Anything you wish you did differently?

 

[RayClem]

Nothing wrong with chicken.

If you do the entire cook at 375F, you will get very little smoke flavor. The higher the temperature the less smoke you will get. I suggest starting your cook at 225F. When the internal meat temp reaches 150F, boost the cook temp up to 375-400F to brown the meat. The cook will take a little longer, but it will be worth it.

To prevent your chicken from drying out, baste the chicken in melted butter, mayonnaise, or BBQ sauce (I use Alabama white sauce) during the cook.

I am not a big gravy fan, so I do not usually make gravy from drippings. You will get some smokey flavor, but it you might even prefer it that way.