Smoking whole chickens

[jarnold]

Hey all. I am going to do a smoker full of whole chickens soon and was wondering and wanting the opinions of what everyone thinks is the best wood to use for poultry. What meat temps should I be looking for at the completion of the cook and what is a good average time per pound you can expect for chicken say at 240-250 degrees. Thanks to all.

 

[browneyesvictim]

Wow... thats a couple of loaded questions...

You will get many answers on the type of wood smoke chicken with. A lot depends on what you want to get out of it. If it is for yourself and suiting your tastes or appearance, etc. Cherry will get you a very nice color to the skin of your bird. Mesquite is quite popular as well hickory for chicken- both of which can be overpowering if used heavy. I like a mix for general purpose chicken. If you want something really memorable a citrus wood is a real treat if you can get it.

Whatever time an temp you cook at the Internal temp needs to be 165' Use a probe to check for doneness period.

If you leave them whole they will take the longest. if you spit them or spatchcock them, it will be much shorter. Also depends on the size of the bird.

Don't expect crispy skin cooking at those temps. It will be very rubbery and almost like leather. Most around here (including myself) will smoke for an hour or two at that temp until they reach about 130 to 135' or so then finish them off at a much higher temp to get the crispy skin.