Smoke a whole chicken by weight — hotter than low-and-slow for crisp skin, with the safe target temperature.
A 5 lb chicken smoked at 275–325°F takes roughly 3½ hours. Pull it at 165°F in the thigh — the USDA safe minimum. Higher smoker temps give crisper skin than low-and-slow.
Smoking is the method where the clock lies most: weather, smoker swings, and the stall all move the finish line. The time above is for planning your day — cook to the target internal temperature with a probe thermometer, and pull when it's probe-tender.
Smoking a different cut? Use the full smoking time calculator.