When NFL legend and Super Bowl 50 MVP Von Miller says it’s the best chicken he’s ever had, you know this recipe is different. Matt Pittman teams up with Von and his premium Greener Pastures Chicken birds for an over-the-top smoked chicken cook. We start by soaking the chicken in Meat Church Bird Baptism Brine for maximum moisture and flavor before spatchcocking the bird for an even cook and crispy skin. Then we slather it in olive oil and hit it with a savory herb-loaded seasoning blend featuring three Meat Church seasonings plus parsley, oregano and coriander. The magic happens during the cook. Every 20 minutes, Matt and Von baste the chicken with a ridiculous glaze made from Meat Church Holy Cola BBQ Sauce, peach preserves, hot honey, butter, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce and fresh herbs. As the glaze layers build over live smoke from the pecan & cherry pellets, the chicken develops a sticky lacquered finish packed with sweet heat, tang and rich smoke flavor. Cooked until perfectly juicy, the final result is smoky, juicy, sticky BBQ chicken with unbelievable flavor. Von said it was the best chicken he had ever eaten "no glaze!" — and after one bite, you’ll understand why.
Ingredients
- 2 whole Greener Pastures chickens (or 4 half chickens)
- Meat Church Bird Baptism Brine
- 2 T olive oil
- 2 T Meat Church Honey Hog BBQ
- 1 T Meat Church Holy Gospel
- 1 T Meat Church Blanco
- 1 T chopped fresh parsley
- 1 T chopped fresh oregano
- 1 t ground coriander
Sticky Holy Cola Glaze
- 1 bottle Meat Church Holy Cola BBQ Sauce
- ¼ C Texas peach preserves
- 2 T hot honey
- 2 T butter
- 1 T Worcestershire sauce
- 1 T apple cider vinegar
- 1 t soy sauce
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 t chopped fresh oregano
- 1 t chopped parsley
Brine the Bird
Brine the Greener Pastures chicken overnight in Meat Church Bird Baptism Brine according to package directions.
This bird already eats better than most people. Don’t skip the brine.
Spatchcocking and Halving
Remove the backbone from the chickens using a sharp knife or poultry shears as we did in this video. At this point you will want to press the chickens flat and remove the keel bone. Now you can cut the chickens into halves with no resistance.
Fire Up the Traeger
Set your Traeger to 300°F using Meat Church Pecan and Cherry Pellets. That sweet smoke profile works perfectly with the sticky glaze.
Season the Chicken
Pat the chicken dry and coat lightly with olive oil for a binder making sure to get under the skin.
Season the outside and under the skin with your mixture of Honey Hog, Holy Gospel, and Blanco. Then finish with fresh parsley, fresh oregano, and ground coriander.
The herbs give this a fresh grilled flavor while the coriander adds a subtle citrusy pop that plays perfectly with the smoke and sauce.
Pro tip: We used toothpicks to pin back the skin after seasoning to insure that the chicken comes out looking pretty.
Smoke the Chicken and Build the Sticky Glaze
Place the chicken directly on the Traeger grates. Cook until the internal temp reaches 155°F in the breast. Usually about 75–90 minutes depending on size.
Combine all glaze ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until glossy, sticky, and slightly thickened.
You will sauce the bird 20 minutes into smoking and repeat 2-3 times throughout the cook. Let the glaze tack up between coats until the chicken looks absolutely lacquered.
Slicing and Serving
Remove the cooked chicken from the smoker and let rest for at least 15 minutes.
Break the bird down into parts for serving. Slice, serve and enjoy!
