Split chicken breasts

[zwiller]

How do you attack them? I have a real nice rub and technique for drums but don't think I should approach breasts that way. Kinda thinking Slaughterhouse brine, no rub or sauce and just grill them and not even smoke them. A less is more approach. Any pointers?

 

[figjam]

If you grill, the only pointer I would say is to make sure the small pointy end is further away from the coals.

 

[SonnyE]

If you grill, the only pointer I would say is to make sure the small pointy end is further away from the coals.

Good advice.
I always try and keep my small pointy end away from the coals. :confused::rolleyes:

If going for simple, or simpler, I often just think of SP, and maybe a sprinkle of G. (Salt, Pepper, Garlic)
Just basics like you might use at the table.

 

[hillbillyrkstr]

I like them grilled myself. If you decide to smoke them make sure you bribe them the night before.

Scott

 

[SonnyE]

I like them grilled myself. If you decide to smoke them make sure you bribe them the night before.

Scott

Bribe them?
Are we still talking about chickens with feathers? :confused:

(I keep getting distracted by figjam's avatar....)

 

[figjam]

one other thing if you grill ... do a reverse sear

 

[hillbillyrkstr]

Lol!

Sorry meant to say “brine” them. Fat thumbs.

Scott

 

[zwiller]

Thanks. Happy someone else says to just grill them. Yep, I reverse sear. They go on low side of grill and finish on sear burner otherwise they catch fire and go nuclear. One thing that is baffling me is just how much less salt is being used in the popular brines here. Maybe these are compensating for also using a rub?

 

[daricksta]

How do you attack them? I have a real nice rub and technique for drums but don't think I should approach breasts that way. Kinda thinking Slaughterhouse brine, no rub or sauce and just grill them and not even smoke them. A less is more approach. Any pointers?

When you cook chicken breasts, do you cook them over direct or indirect heat? I don't usually grill or smoke chicken breasts by themselves, I'm a huge fan of beer can chicken. With that I like to spread on a dry rub that I typically make from a recipe. I cook the chicken in my 22.5" Weber OTS over indirect heat, throwing some hickory or apple wood chips over the coals or using my AMNTS filled with pellets of either wood type. I baste it every 20 minutes or so with a good, commercial BBQ sauce or one I made up from a recipe (I have something like 15-20 smoking/grilling cookbooks and magazines with more recipes than I'll ever be able to cook in one lifetime).

Actually, I prefer chicken cooked on a charcoal grill than cooked in my electric smoker. What is your Slaughterhouse brine?

 

[SmokinGame]

I smoked some chicken breast this past weekend over apple pellets. A little S&P then wrapped in bacon. Goood!!

 

[daricksta]

Thanks. Happy someone else says to just grill them. Yep, I reverse sear. They go on low side of grill and finish on sear burner otherwise they catch fire and go nuclear. One thing that is baffling me is just how much less salt is being used in the popular brines here. Maybe these are compensating for also using a rub?

Could be. I don't brine poultry because I've never felt it needed it. We did brine a TG turkey one year and it made it too salty, but then I didn't know to rinse off the brine. I grill chicken on a charcoal grill and I've never needed to sear the skin. I do have a tendency to use a bit too much charcoal so even with indirect heat and with using wood chips on top of the coals the flames take care of searing the skin, often too well.

 

[buzzy]

Not to off topic but this got my interest. https://bbqpitboys.com/sriracha-chicken-shrimp-burgers/

 

[SonnyE]

Lol!

Sorry meant to say “brine” them. Fat thumbs.

Scott

I figured. But... never pass up a chance to LOL! ;):D

 

[zwiller]

Slaughterhouse brine is not mine but a member here: https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/ams/tips-slaughterhouse-recipes-for-poultry.8585/

Another contender is Chef JJ's family favorite: https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/chef-jimmy-j-should-i-dry-brine.238039/

I've been brining a long time and sure, I ruined plenty but I am getting pretty good at it now. I think a dry brine might have a little trouble penetrating a thick breast whereas I can inject wet brine. Come to think about it, don't think I've injected splits yet.

 

[daricksta]

Slaughterhouse brine is not mine but a member here: https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/ams/tips-slaughterhouse-recipes-for-poultry.8585/

Another contender is Chef JJ's family favorite: https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/chef-jimmy-j-should-i-dry-brine.238039/

I've been brining a long time and sure, I ruined plenty but I am getting pretty good at it now. I think a dry brine might have a little trouble penetrating a thick breast whereas I can inject wet brine. Come to think about it, don't think I've injected splits yet.

I'm planning on smoking some fresh Copper River sockeye salmon this summer after they start appearing in the grocery stores. That I will brine but it will be a dry brine.

I saw posts for the Slaughterhouse brine and other stuff from almost 10 years ago but a Google search didn't turn up what exactly the Slaughterhouse is or was.

 

[bluewhisper]

My first-ever experience with smoking meat was split chicken breasts in a Weber 18 kettle. I was camping on a rural property and I ran short on briquettes, and I was too cheap and lazy to drive 15 miles to a store to buy more briquettes. But there was a lot of young windfall red maple, approximately the same diameter as my wrist. And I had a saw and a hatchet.

I made a fire of splits which behaved exactly like a campfire, and then I choked it with the lid. That's when I learned to watch for the whisper of smoke. It was sort of a Caveman Moment where you squat and grunt and observe the fire and learn something.

They came came out well and I was hooked.

 

[gmc2003]

I'd probably inject them with some type of broth/butter mix and cook them in the Kettle using the vortex with a chunk of apple sitting on top of the grate.

Chris

 

[zwiller]

Placed an order from Butcher Packer and snagged some phosphate and their lemon pepper brine (includes phosphate) so I went with that. Injected and brined 24 hours. Rested uncovered in fridge overnight and fanning for pellicle now. Gonna smoke em at 275F. Never smoked breasts. Guesstimate on time to hit 165F IT? Last run of drums was 6 hours which kind shocked me as I expected 3-4.

 

[SlickRockStones]

Like gmc2003 said. Made these just the other day with OR Secreat Weapon. These were large and they were vortexed done in no time. I like to inject with butter mixed rub to flavor the huge mass of whiteness.

 

[hardcookin]

Smoke split chicken breast all the time. I have smoked a lot just rubbing skin with V olive oil and then use your favorite rub.
I smoke @ 300 with skin down pull at 165 always juicey.
For more flavor brine.