The Countertop Oven Class

Nicholas Gavin is the Culinary Creative Director of ChefSteps, where he develops recipes and is responsible for making all the food look beautiful. Nick has worked at ChefSteps for over a decade; he and ChefSteps co-founder Grant Crilly worked together at Modernist Cuisine. Nick has worked in professional kitchens both in the United States and abroad, most notably at Mugaritz in San Sebastian, Spain.

Nicholas Gavin

With crispy, amber-hued skin and penetrating smoky flavor, this barbecued bird is the go-to dish you’ve been waiting for all your chicken-loving life. And you don’t even need a smoker to make it—all you need, in fact, is a basic oven. So whether you’re keeping it tight in a tiny urban studio or spreading out in some Nashville mansion, we think the technique will find a recurring role in your repertoire of favorite recipes. There are three challenges to achieving a great smoked chicken indoors. First—and this is true whenever you’re working with a whole bird—it’s tricky to get the dark meat cooked through without overcooking the white meat. Second, you want to get that crackly, golden skin without drying out the interior meat. And third, you want to achieve smoky flavor, but you don’t have the benefit of a smoker. Our chefs conquered the first issue by cutting the bird in half, then laying the halves flat out on a baking tray. This helps the chicken’s legs and thighs get done faster, so the breast won’t end up overdone. They took on the second challenge with a brine-and-glaze method, cooking the chicken at a low temperature in a traditional oven and applying a simple glaze several times to really develop the texture, color, and flavor of the skin while ensuring that the meat stayed nice and juicy. Both the brine and the glaze contain liquid smoke, which, used in the proper proportion, gives the chicken a deep, smoky flavor without overpowering the dish. We think you’re going to love the results as much as we do. So give it a go, and then tell us all about it in the comments. PSST: Need more dinner ideas? Looking to up your outdoor and indoor cooking game? Enroll in our free <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/classes/barbecue">Barbecue class</a> for tons of meaty tips, low-and-slow techniques, and delectable side dish ideas.

Smokerless Smoked Chicken