Chicken Without the Skin

[jayways]

I am thinking about smoking a whole bird for a buffalo chicken dip. I have only done whole chickens once or twice and haven't had much luck with smoke flavor. Seems like other than the skin, it just tastes like roasted or baked chicken. Was thinking about removing the skin but I'm afraid it might dry out. I'm sure there's someone out there that has done this. Any advise?

 

[noboundaries]

I haven't done a full skinless bird, but I've done lots of skinless thighs and breasts.
Coat the skinless chicken with oil and seasonings. I use a spray can for the oil. Then smoke with a low temp like you would beef or pork, 225-250F.

 

[jcam222]

Does your smoker allow you to run a pan of broth under the bird? For dips or chicken salad I run a pan of chicken broth under the birds. You can go low and slow to maximize smoke on the chicken and the broth since the skin doesn’t matter. That broth will get nice and smokey. I mix a little of the broth into the salad / dip. Crazy good. Freeze the leftover smokey broth for future dishes.

 

[Fueling Around]

Spatch cock is my cooking/smoking preference to get more flavor in the meat. The cavity in a whole bird is a dead air space that slows any smoke /cook flavor penetrating the interior half of the bird. I save the backbone (normally scrap in whole bird cooking) for making broth and stock.
I've never tried spatch cock without the skin.
Suggestion to remove the wings and save for later along with the skin.

I often use a pan to collect drippings. Never tried using broth to gathering the drippings and build more smoke flavor.

 

[pineywoods]

As others I haven't done a whole bird skinless but have done parts quite a bit. I would suggest brining the bird to help with moistness. If your wanting more smoke flavor you could also change wood type I consider mesquite to heavy a smoke for me but for a short poultry smoke it may work very well

 

[Bytor]

Spatchcock an d on low in a pellet burner for a good portion of the time works good for me. Along with burning hickory.

 

[casadetrevino]

I came across this thread trying to find info on whether smoking a skinless bird via the beer can method would work. The reason is because my wife does not eat the skin and though my last bird was very good it didn't have much flavor or smoke flavor right off the grill behind the skin. The two day old leftovers had a nice smoke profile though.

On the bird I did today, I brined for about 3 hours in a brown sugar and salt mix. I removed the skin from the breast and back of the bird (left it on the quarters/legs, and wings) and used a heavy coat of Jeff's BBQ rub over an olive oil coating. Used root beer instead of beer and plugged the neck whole with an orange wedge. I smoked the bird at about 250º for an hour and then opened up the vents and let the smoker go and it topped out at about 360º. The bird was the best smoked chicken I've ever had. Smoke profile was awesome, the rub added great flavor and the meat was juicy.

I would recommend only putting smoke on the bird for the first hour to hour and a 1/2. I had smoke going most of the time and almost had too much but got lucky.

So don't be afraid to go skinless, just be sure you crank the heat and cook quickly after your smoke is applied. Ohh, and I believe brining is a must!

Equipment: Weber Summit Charcoal
Charcoal: Kingsford
Wood: Cherry and Apple mix

 

[Gonna Smoke]

I came across this thread trying to find info on whether smoking a skinless bird via the beer can method would work. The reason is because my wife does eat the skin and though my last bird was very good it didn't have much flavor or smoke flavor right off the grill behind the skin. The two day old leftovers had a nice smoke profile though.

On the bird I did today, I brined for about 3 hours in a brown sugar and salt mix. I removed the skin from the breast and back of the bird (left it on the quarters/legs, and wings) and used a heavy coat of Jeff's BBQ rub over an olive oil coating. Used root beer instead of beer and plugged the neck whole with an orange wedge. I smoked the bird at about 250º for an hour and then opened up the vents and let the smoker go and it topped out at about 360º. The bird was the best smoked chicken I've ever had. Smoke profile was awesome, the rub added great flavor and the meat was juicy.

I would recommend only putting smoke on the bird for the first hour to hour and a 1/2. I had smoke going most of the time and almost had too much but got lucky.

So don't be afraid to go skinless, just be sure you crank the heat and cook quickly after your smoke is applied. Ohh, and I believe brining is a must!

Equipment: Weber Summit Charcoal
Charcoal: Kingsford
Wood: Cherry and Apple mix

Interesting, thanks. Maybe with my wife's "new" healthy eating direction in life, she can make this work since she'll be doing all the cooking from now on...

 

[TNJAKE]

Interesting, thanks. Maybe with my wife's "new" healthy eating direction in life, she can make this work since she'll be doing all the cooking from now on...

You bitter? Lol

 

[Sowsage]

My take on it is use a strong wood if you feel its not Smokey enough... Leave the skin on to protect it from drying out. Don't be afraid to cut in quarters.. Take off the breasts around 155° and cover while the rest cooks to 185°.. Discard the skin and pull/chop or shred... Mix up your dip and put in a cast iron or foil pan and then back into the smoker so the actual dip gets smoked as well.. This is how I have done it in the past and have deffinatly got a nice Smokey flavor to the dip..

 

[Nefarious]

Interesting, thanks. Maybe with my wife's "new" healthy eating direction in life, she can make this work since she'll be doing all the cooking from now on...

I hear you, My wife wants roasted cauliflower EVERY DAY and threatens to try to cook if I don't make it. I would rather cook the extra as opposed to not eating what I want. Maybe I should try smoking it.

 

[DougE]

Interesting, thanks. Maybe with my wife's "new" healthy eating direction in life, she can make this work since she'll be doing all the cooking from now on...

lol. like I said in another thread, you can either be miserable eating what she cooks, or cook up your own vittles and let her have at her bland, tasteless "healthy" diet.

 

[Gonna Smoke]

You bitter? Lol

Nah, just bitter cold, it's in the 20's here...

 

[Gonna Smoke]

lol. like I said in another thread, you can either be miserable eating what she cooks, or cook up your own vittles and let her have at her bland, tasteless "healthy" diet.

We have a crowd at our house almost every night for supper, 8-10 family members, that I love cooking for. So we'll see how this goes...

 

[sawhorseray]

Smoke? B-S yarbird? It's cold out, fry that chicken!

 

[eaglewing]

I do whole skinless chicks all the time in my pellet smoker...
NO FEAR at all of drying out bcuz the convection action in the pellet smoker immediately "skins" over any meat.
I never have dried out chicken, I get great bark on beef and pork.
Just DO NOT poke the hell outta it with probes... I put my fireboard in once and that's it.

 

[chopsaw]

My wife wants roasted cauliflower EVERY DAY and threatens to try to cook if I don't make it. I would rather cook the extra as opposed to not eating what I want. Maybe I should try smoking it.

Smoke or grill . It's pretty good . Toss it with some olive oil and rub .

Then I use a Weber grill pan .

NO FEAR at all of drying out bcuz the convection action in the pellet smoker immediately "skins" over any meat.

I did some boneless skinless breast on my pellet grill last night . Yup , skins over the surface , inside was completely moist .

 

[Bearcarver]

Boneless, Skinless Thighs is 90% of the Chicken I eat nowadays.
I put TulsaJeff BBQ Sauce on mine, and it pretty much forms it's own skin, when made in my Ninja. It's so nice to not have bones holding me back, while eating!!
Here's a Peek: Note: There was 2 more that escaped to my plate:

Bear

 

[motocrash]

I've done skinless birds (chix and turkeys) and I prefer it, the meat seems to take more smoke. As said above, no worries of drying out.
Actually makes for a prettier bird and easier to slice too.

 

[eaglewing]

I've done skinless birds (chix and turkeys) and I prefer it, the meat seems to take more smoke. As said above, no worries of drying out.
Actually makes for a prettier bird and easier to slice too.

I totally agree.