Chicken
Searing vs Smoking: Two Chicken Recipes
Searing and smoking are the two fundamental techniques of grilling, and they produce almost opposite results. Searing is about high heat, fast cook, Maillard crust, and minimal interior change. Smoking is about low heat, long cook, smoke penetration, and connective tissue breakdown. Running both techniques on the same protein, spatchcocked chicken, on the same grill in the same session is the fastest way to understand which method suits your taste and your cooking style. The Ninja Woodfire Pro XL is the grill on our list that handles both extremes natively, 225F for smoke, 500F for sear, no adapter or kit required. This comparison recipe is the best way to learn what your grill can really do.
Ingredients
- 2 whole chickens (4 lbs each), spatchcocked
- For searing bird:
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp black pepper
- For smoking bird:
- 3 tbsp butter, softened
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp cayenne
- Applewood pellets
Instructions
- 01
Spatchcock both chickens (cut out the backbone, press flat). Pat dry.
- 02
SEARING BIRD: Rub with olive oil and the dry spice mix. Let rest at room temp 20 minutes.
- 03
SMOKING BIRD: Loosen the skin and spread softened butter underneath. Apply the rub over the skin. Let rest at room temp 20 minutes.
- 04
For the seared bird: preheat one zone to 500F. Cook skin-side down 8 minutes, flip, 12 more minutes skin-side up until 165F. Total 20 minutes of fast, high-heat cooking.
- 05
For the smoked bird: preheat a second cook session to 225F with applewood pellets. Place the bird skin-side up. Smoke 90 minutes until 165F. In the last 10 minutes, crank to 425F to crisp the skin.
- 06
Compare side by side. Note the differences in skin, flavor, and moisture.
Pro Tips
From our kitchen
- ★The seared bird has crispier skin and a roasted-chicken flavor. The smoked bird has deeper flavor penetration, a pink smoke ring under the skin, and juicier breast meat.
- ★Both are valid. Neither is 'better', they are different techniques for different moods.
- ★The Ninja Woodfire Pro XL handles both techniques because its temperature range spans 105-700F. This is the grill to own if you want one unit that does everything.
We recommend for this recipe
Ninja Woodfire Pro XL OG850
The Ninja Woodfire Pro XL OG850's 406 sq in surface and 700°f searing temperature and 30% more cooking space than standard make it our pick for this recipe. the 700F searing heat builds the crust this cut demands.
More Recipes Like This
