Split and dry brine the chicken

• Remove the backbone of the chicken by cutting on either side of it with kitchen shears.
• Split the chicken in half by cutting down the breastbone with a sharp chef’s knife or some good kitchen shears.
• Combine salt, pepper, and cayenne until thoroughly mixed.
• Pat chicken dry with paper towels and apply dry rub to the chicken.
• Place the chicken in a rimmed metal baking sheet. Refrigerate the chicken, uncovered, overnight to dry brine.

Make the sauce

• Mix all the sauce ingredients in a bowl until smooth, about 1 minute. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour, and up to 2 days.

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Cook the chicken

• Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and prepare your smoker. 
• Heat your smoker to maintain a temperature of 300°F (149°C). Use the air probe on your Signals to monitor the temps, setting the high-temp alarm to 325°F (163°C) and the low-temp alarm to 275°F (135°C). If you’re using Billows, set up the fan and the air probe, then set the fan to run at 300°F (149°C).
  • Barbecue expert Steven Raichlen recommends using hickory or pecan wood for this project.
• Place the chicken in the smoker. 
• Place your Signals‘s probes into the deepest part of the chicken breasts, avoiding the bone.

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• Set the alarm temperature to track the chicken’s temperature on your Signals. We recommend a pull temperature of 155°F (68°C), so set your high-temp alarm for that temperature. 
• Close the lid and cook. It should take about 1 1/2–2 hours to cook. 
  • Set a TimeStick for 30 minutes. Spritz the chicken with apple juice every 15-30 minutes while the chicken cooks.

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• Toward the end of the cook, baste the chicken with some of the white sauce. (You can even do this once the chicken has come to temp.)

• Once your Smoke X2’s meat alarm sounds, spot-check the chicken halves in multiple areas with Thermapen ONE to verify that 155°F (68°C) is the lowest temperature in the meat. remove from heat if that’s the lowest temperature you find. 
  • If a lower temperature is found, replace the chicken’s probe to read the lowest temperature and continue cooking until it reaches 155°F (68°C).

• Brush again with the white sauce, cover with aluminum foil, and rest for 5-10 minutes.

• Serve the chicken with additional sauce and enjoy both the chicken and the praise.