Should I smoke a while Chicken?

[Stopsign32v]

I need to impress some people that don't eat Pork so I'm leaning towards chicken to possibly smoke. I was thinking beer can chicken smoked with some spices...

To anyone that has smoked a chicken before can you give me some tips and trick?

 

[02ebz06]

Are you going for how good the bird looks once smoked or how it tastes?

I've heard that beer can chicken is not that good. The can prevents heat from getting to the inside.
After hearing that I just used the rack without the can.
Whether true or not, I decided to error on the side of caution.

I would take soft butter mixed with some poultry seasoning and rub it under the breast skin.
Others will have their way of seasoning...

Spatchcocking the bird will give the most even cook, bot not the prettiest to look at.

I don't even cook whole chickens anymore. Costco has them for $5.00 already cooked.

Just my 2-cents...

 

[chilerelleno]

Impress them with whole spatchcocked chickens.
Heavily spiced and infused on a bed of herbs.

Take the time to prep them via air drying their skin, then hot smoke them at 300°+, the higher the better for crisp skin.

 

[Stopsign32v]

Are you going for how good the bird looks once smoked or how it tastes?

I've heard that beer can chicken is not that good. The can prevents heat from getting to the inside.
After hearing that I just used the rack without the can.
Whether true or not, I decided to error on the side of caution.

I would take soft butter mixed with some poultry seasoning and rub it under the breast skin.
Others will have their way of seasoning...

Spatchcocking the bird will give the most even cook, bot not the prettiest to look at.

I don't even cook whole chickens anymore. Costco has them for $5.00 already cooked.

Just my 2-cents...

Just going for how it taste. Full disclosure I've been entered in a BBQ competition for a whole manufacturing plant and want to be respectful for the people that can't or won't eat Pork as I know a lot of people (here at least) don't.

I'm not much of a chicken person myself so I have no reservations on how I cook this thing. Have just always heard here in the south that beer can chicken is the way to go. *shrugs*

 

[chilerelleno]

Grilled Chile Lime Chicken

Three fat chickens spatchcocked and heavily seasoned with a blend of chile powders and other spices. Grilled while repeatedly being doused with fresh squeezed lime juice till the thigh's IT is 185°. Served up with creamy, buttered mashed taters and a vegetable medley.

www.smokingmeatforums.com

Yardbirds, Cob Corn and The Staff of Life

Full Menu Yardbirds Rubbed with Garlic Herb Mix and Heat Infused with Fresh Rosemary Cob Corn with Garlic Herb Mix, Fresh Rosemary and EVOO Sourdough Bread Slathered in Butter and Dusted with Cajun Spice Yardbirds Rubbed with Garlic Herb Mix and Heat Infused with Fresh Rosemary Spatchcocked two...

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[BigW.]

I'd follow the above advice with spatchcock chicken. Beer can does not do much and it is always a bit difficult to get them to stand up and messy clean up. You could go with Jerk, Cornell (Firehouse), Greek and it would all be tasty.

 

[JLeonard]

Either of the two suggestions above work good. I've done like 02ebz06 and used the rack without the can. In my experience the beer adds absolutely nothing to the final product. And I also like to take butter and mix a heavy load of seasoning in it and get as much under the skin as possible. Smearing the rest over the bird. And Chile is right, the spatchcook is pretty impressive looking. Either way... as Chile said 300+ degrees will give you the best skin. Otherwise, its going to be rubbery.

Jim

 

[mr_whipple]

All the above, but I also love my rotisserie so that's an option also if you have one. Far superior product over a supermarket bird. I've been playing with sumac and za'tar spice profiles lately, but I don't compete with my food.

 

[seenred]

My best recommendation is to use a reliable meat probe thermometer to insure the entire bird is done. Recommended internal temps for poultry is *165.

It's been my experience that, when smoking whole, intact chickens, it's a challenge to get the white meat and the dark meat both done at the same time. I find that the breast will be done before the thighs...so that by the time the thighs reach *165, the breast meat is overcooked and dry.

IMO, like many of the others who are giving you good advice, the best way to get a chicken to cook evenly is to spatchcock it (sometimes called butterflying). And as others have said, you can smoke poultry hot and fast, at *300 or higher. If you like the skin to be crispy, that's the way to get it.

Seasonings are, of course, a personal preference thing. I like to get a light coat of SPG (salt pepper garlic) seasoning under the skin...then slather a mixture of butter, minced garlic, and poultry seasoning on the outside as it cooks. Be careful with the salt - it's pretty easy to oversalt chicken IMO.

Good luck - and be sure to let us know how yours turns out!

Red

 

[Stopsign32v]

Sounds like a whole Chicken isn't the easiest thing to do...Hmm...

 

[mr_whipple]

Sounds like a whole Chicken isn't the easiest thing to do...Hmm...

Maybe not, but thighs and drumsticks are easily manipulated into tasty treats.... lollipop legs, or doing competition style thighs in muffin pans etc etc.

 

[chopsaw]

Sounds like a whole Chicken isn't the easiest thing to do.

I do mine whole .

 

[chilerelleno]

Maybe not, but thighs and drumsticks are easily manipulated into tasty treats.... lollipop legs, or doing competition style thighs in muffin pans etc etc.

Mmmmm, Competition Thighs!
Now those are good eating and a pretty impressive amount of work goes into them.
Plus they look fantastic when presented well.

Competition Chicken, Competing With Myself

I picked up a few trays of chicken thighs with my CSRs today. I've always been impressed with the the thighs I've seen put before BBQ competition judges, and I'm starting to think that they're the true litmus test of a Pitmaster. Thankfully the only person I'm competing with is myself, so I'm...

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[Smokin Okie]

Sounds like a whole Chicken isn't the easiest thing to do...Hmm...

I do mine whole or halved, spatchcocked makes it a lot easier.

Beer can chicken puts the bird on the grate vertically, with different temps at grate level than above the grate.

Spatchcock gets more even heating as it all lays flat on the grate.

Its not hard. It was my first cook on a WSM in 2002. And I smoked them on my Kettle in the 90's.

 

[DougE]

Spatchcock gets my vote. I have done beer can chicken and don't understand what all the hype is about. It didn't really bring any flavor into the meat.

You could spatchcock and inject with Tony C's creole butter injection. I like it a lot and use it in chicken, turkey, and it's also good in pork loin/tenderloin.

 

[TNJAKE]

I like a good beer can chicken from time to time

Beer Can Chicken

Morning again lol. Smoked some beer can chickens yesterday and wanted to share. Used Yardbird Rub I used pecan pellets and ran the smoker at 225° for the first hour After one hour I bumped smoker up to 250°. I like using the method of walking my temp up as the cook progresses. My view from...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

 

[TNJAKE]

Also can’t go wrong with wings

Smoked Jerk Wings

Howdy fellers and non fellers. Smoked some Jerk Wings tonight. Not alot to say about them. Tossed 7lbs of whole wings in malcolm reeds jammin jerk rub. It's delicious. Nice spice. Normally part my wings but laziness prevailed. Beautiful fall day here in Tennessee Onto the smoker at 225 for some...

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[JIMSMOKES]

Spatchcock it but flip the the breast out and make it look like a toad.

Please just don't stick a can up a chicken a$$ and smoke it! Temp never gits hot enough to boil/steam.

 

[chilerelleno]

Spatchcock it but flip the the breast out and make it look like a toad.
View attachment 694716
Please just don't stick a can up a chicken a$$ and smoke it! Temp never gits hot enough to boil/steam.

I Frogged a turkey for Christmas '23
First time I cooked one that way, it came out pretty good.

Ribbit! Ribbit! Ribbit! Frog Spatchcocked Turkey

www.smokingmeatforums.com

 

[tallbm]

I need to impress some people that don't eat Pork so I'm leaning towards chicken to possibly smoke. I was thinking beer can chicken smoked with some spices...

To anyone that has smoked a chicken before can you give me some tips and trick?

Hi there and welcome!

The important things to know about smoking whole chicken (skin on):

• If you don't cook it hot, you will end up with leathery/rubbery skin. I always recommend smoking at 325F smoker temp or so, for bite through or often crispy skin texture. There are some other things you can do to try and get good skin but they may be hit or miss, where higher temps simply gets the job done.
• Brine or Inject the bird all over, especially in the breast to avoid getting a dry bird. I prefer to brine where I weigh the amount of water and weigh the chicken and add that total weight up. Then I add 1.65% (0.0165 x Total weight in grams or ounces if you don't want to use grams) and that is how much salt is needed to brine the chicken and never get too salty even if you leave it in for 2+ days or longer. This does WONDERS for a great tasting bird. If brining don't season the outside with any salt, just other seasonings minus salt. You can also brine and inect that brin solution all into the chicken while its soaking for 24-48hrs, I do this a ton for best most even results.
• Internal Temp (IT) of the breast should not go over 165F meat temp. Basically smoke it to like 162'ish or so and then pull it out of the smoker and the chicken breast temp should rise to 165F. Every degree over 165F the breast gets, the dryer and less flavorful it will be. The dark meat (legs) can go up to 180F with no problem.
• Smoke with the chicken vertical but no need for a full beer can in it. Drink the beer, use the can or use a vertical chicken holder rack. OR as others have mentioned, cut the back out and splay out to be a spatchcocked chicken.
• Seasoning is simple. Salt (in the brine only or in the injection), black Pepper, Onion, Garlic, and Paprika. With salt in the brine you don't need salt anywhere else. Just season quite well with the other seasonings and you are good to go. Basically you can go pretty heavy with everything but salt and be ok.

I think whole birds provide the best smoked chicken product vs just doing pieces.
You follow this info and you will make AMAZING smoked chicken whether it's whole or pieces AND you can always tweak seasoning and go whole vertical/horizontal or spatchcocked to play around and see what you like best. Finally, chicken is the cheapest for you to play with and you can make it absolutely amazing!

I hope this info helps, ask any questions you have :D