"Deli Tender" Chicken???

[oskee2004]

Does anyone know how grocery store delis get their rotisserie chickens so tender? When I pick one up, it basically falls apart in my hands. When I do one on the smoker, the meat always seems tougher - regardless of the temp I cook it at or to... or how long I let it rest.

Any advice? The only thing I can think of is that they sit in those bags under the heat lamp and the steam tenderizes the meat???

 

[Sven Svensson]

A rotisserie helps a lot but the “secret” is brine.

 

[SmokinEdge]

I agree with Sven, brine is key, but also those rotisserie chickens are all cooked in an enclosed cooker, like an oven where they control humidity and moisture loss, they are not done in open air.
Remember KFC deep fry’s their chicken in pressure deep fryers, not just deep fried conventional. Secret of secrets is usually always the cooker.

 

[oskee2004]

Thanks - I've never taken the time to brine chickens, but that makes sense. A couple years ago, I asked the ladies at my local grocery how they did them, and they said they just sprayed with Pam and added some seasoning.

I usually do mine on the Traeger - maybe I'll try adding a water pan for extra humidity.

 

[cal1956]

i have a recipe for brined fryed chicken if your interested , the meat is always tender and the skn is so crispy it crackles

 

[tbern]

i have a recipe for brined fryed chicken if your interested , the meat is always tender and the skn is so crispy it crackles

Sounds good Cal, would like to see it.

 

[cal1956]

what I want is: (1) chicken thats bursting with flavor

1. crispy skin
   
2. (3) crispy and crunchy crust
   this chicken does it all !!!when you read how its done your going to think two things : (1) it will be to salty (2) it will be to spicy

it will NOT be to salty or to spicy !!!
you will need a whole frying hen cut into pieces
don't use the precut chicken from the supermarket, the pieces are to big and it WILL NOT FRY RIGHT . instead take the time to cut up a frying hen
with that said lets fry some chicken !!
this is what your going to need :

2 ½ tables spoons salt
2 tablespoons turmric
2 tablespoons red pepper
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon dill powder
put the cut up chicken in a LARGE bowel and complety cover with cold water add all the ingrededents to the water cover and sit it in the fridge overnight
the next day you will need :
1 1/2 cups of plainflour
1 TABLESPOON of cornstarch ( no more )
1 TEASPOON salt
I TABLESPOON red pepper
mix all of these together really well
thats it, add nothing else !!

preheat your oil to 340 degrees ( no hotter !!)
remove the chicken from the fridge, and remove from the water and brine mixure
DO NOT (I REPEAT) DO NOT RINSE THE CHICKEN
coat it with the flour mixture and shake off any excess flour
drop in the deep fryer for 17-18 minutes
( don't over cook it )
remove and drain in metal collender or such
do NOT put on paper towels
(paper towels will make the crust soggy )
this is the BEST fried chicken recipe I have ever used

 

[tbern]

Thanks for sharing, Cal!

 

[cal1956]

i posted this a while back , we cook it often , its real easy to do ..hope you try it !!