Smoked Chicken Breast on the Ninja Woodfire Grill

Introduction

Smoked chicken breast usually means a couple of hours of tending a smoker. On a Ninja Woodfire grill, it’s a weeknight job. A small scoop of wood pellets in the smoke box gives you real smoke, the Smoker function handles the heat, and the chicken spends 25 to 35 minutes on the grill.

The rub is kept simple on purpose: smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper, with olive oil to hold it on. The smoke and the paprika build that dark red crust you can see in the photos, and with nothing sugary in the rub, it’s naturally low-carb, so it fits a keto plate without any swaps.

One thing to know up front: this is written for the Ninja Woodfire. A pellet smoker or offset smoker runs at its own temperature, so the times on the card won’t transfer. The thermometer will, though, and on lean chicken breast, that’s what really decides when it’s done.

What You Need

• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts: Three of them, about 1½ pounds in all. Try to pick breasts close to the same size, so they finish around the same time.
• The rub: Smoked paprika does most of the work on color and flavor, with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper behind it.
• Olive oil: It goes on after the spices, and rubbing it in is what spreads the seasoning over every side of each breast.
• Woodfire pellets: Ninja’s own pellets for the smoke box. They’re for flavor, not heat, so a smoke session needs only a small amount.

Getting the Grill Ready

The pellets go into the smoke box before you start, in the amount your grill’s owner’s guide gives for one smoke session. Then preheat on the Smoker function, leaving the temperature at its default setting, and let it finish preheating before the chicken goes on: Ninja warns that food added to a grill that’s still heating up can overcook. The card’s times don’t include the preheat, which varies from grill to grill.

Lay the breasts on the grill with space between them, and keep the lid closed as much as you can while they cook. Every time it opens, smoke escapes.

Cook It to 165°F, Not to the Clock

The card says 25 to 35 minutes, and that’s a guide. A thick breast takes longer than a thin one, and no two grills run exactly alike.

What decides when it’s done is temperature. Chicken is safe to eat at 165°F (74°C), measured with a thermometer pushed into the thickest part of the breast. Check every breast, not just the biggest one, and take each off when it gets there. Chicken breast doesn’t have much fat to protect it, so leaving it on long after 165°F is what dries it out.

Then give it 5 to 10 minutes on the cutting board before you slice it.

Serving It

Slice it thick for dinner, or thin to go over a salad. For a side, our shaved Brussels sprouts salad or zucchini slices with Parmesan and bacon keep the whole plate low-carb.

Storing Leftovers

Get leftovers into the refrigerator within two hours of cooking, in an airtight container. They’ll keep for three to four days, which is the USDA window for cooked poultry.

For longer, freeze it for up to 3 months, then thaw it overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat it until it’s hot all the way through, to 165°F.

If you make it, tell us in the comments which pellets you used.