Cajun Smoked Chicken

    One of the best experiments we tried lately was a Cajun chicken smoked on our friends smoker, beer can style. 

     We used Dr. Pepper instead of beer, but the principle is the same - a nice little pouch of moisture to cook on. The flavor was really good and it's one of the few spice combinations where the flavor has really come through into the chicken. This is a perfect sunny Saturday afternoon project.

Cajun Smoked Chicken
5 lb. whole chicken
1 T. butter
1/2-3/4 tsp. onion powder
1/2-3/4 tsp. garlic salt
2 Tb. Cajun Slap Ya Mama* spice mix
1 tsp. black pepper
1 T. paprika
1/2 small onion
1 clove garlic

  Wash chicken, remove inner parts and pat dry with paper towel. Put butter in small deep cup and sprinkle with a little of the onion powder, garlic salt and Cajun seasoning. Melt butter in microwave for 20 seconds and stir to mix well.

  Sprinkle outside and inside of chicken with all spices. Inject melted butter into both breasts and between ribs. Preheat smoker at 225 for 50 minutes. 

Pour half of Dr. Pepper out into container (or drink). Put garlic clove into half filled soda can and sit bird on it. (Don't use pie pan to set bird on so that smoke goes around entire bird.) Stuff onion in neck of bird. 

Place on smoker for 5 hours. Remove to plate, discard onion and let set for about 45 minutes or put in baking pan and cover with foil and put in warm oven until ready to eat.

Serves 5-6.

   *Other Cajun spice brands can be used, this is just what I had on hand.

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