Poultry

Smoked Margarita Chicken and Smoked Mac and Cheese

Posted by backyardsmoking on

The Marinade

It was a beautiful Master’s Sunday and I decided to smoke something since it had been a couple of weeks. I purchased some chicken thighs and a small package of mild Italian sausages. I decided to go with a marinade only and never applied any seasoning to the chicken — a first for me. For the marinade I used tequila and margarita mix, along with some garlic cloves we’d previously smoked and some fresh cilantro. I placed it all in a Ziploc bag and left it in the refrigerator for approximately 6 hours.

Chicken thighs marinating in tequila, margarita mix, smoked garlic, and cilantro

Two Smokers, Side by Side

Chicken thighs on the 18-inch Weber Smokey Mountain

I put the chicken on the smoker and added several chunks of hickory. I cooked it low, under 250°F. About an hour in, I added the sausages and prepared my 14″ WSM so I could cook the mac and cheese alongside it.

For the mac and cheese, I took a box of wheat elbow pasta and cooked it per the directions, then added milk, a can of Campbell’s Cream of Cheddar soup, some fat-free cheddar and reduced-fat mozzarella, Parmesan, and Panko bread crumbs on top. My attempt was to make it decent but not decadent — trying to lower the calories in the things I consume.

Smoked mac and cheese in a foil pan, going onto the 14-inch smoker

Both smokers were in action, the little guy running a little hotter than the big guy.

The 18-inch and 14-inch Weber Smokey Mountains running side by side

Finishing

Here’s the chicken and sausages when I took them off the smoker.

Chicken and sausages coming off the smoker

I always transfer chicken to a hot grill for a few minutes when I’m smoking low and slow — the same finish I still use on skin-on chicken today.

Chicken and sausages finishing on the hot grill to crisp up

Here was the finished mac and cheese — it sat in the smoke for about 90 minutes.

Finished smoked mac and cheese after 90 minutes on the smoker

How the Mac and Cheese Turned Out

All in all, another decent smoke. The chicken was cheap and tasted great, and the sausages are always great on the smoker. The mac and cheese was just okay — If I tried it again, I’d make it almost soupy going onto the smoker to see if that produced a better consistency coming out. I never came back to test that fix, so take it as a lead rather than a finished recipe.

For more on the marinade-and-crisp-finish approach, see The Tequila-Lime Chicken Marinade.

This marinade is one of several I’ve tried over the years. For the full picture — the other marinades, a sous-vide sequencing test, and a finishing-method showdown — see The Complete Guide to Smoked Chicken.