Tips for my first smoked chicken, please

[AndyInNYC]

I’m used to throwing chicken on our gas grill, but I’ve never done it on my Masterbult electric smoker.

I use a Maze fo smoke.

Any tips/recipe to impress the wife?

Andrew

 

[JckDanls 07]

Is it a whole chicken or parts ?? Myself I like to brine before smoking as it will insure you get a moist chicken... For a whole chicken I brine over night (12 hrs)... For parts I brine anywheres from 4-6 hrs... For a brine it's basic... 1 gallon of water, 1 cup of kosher salt, 1 cup of sugar... I use about 4 cups of warm water to dissolve salt and suger... Then put a bunch of ice in to get it cold... Then finish filling with cold water to make it a gallon... Once cold I put the chicken in and put in the fridge...

If whole, you'll want to seperate the skin from the breast by working your hand down in from the neck using your fingers to sweep back and forth to seperate the skin form the meat... Working carefully to not rip/tear the skin... You can work your hand down in using your fingers to seperate the skin form the legs/thighs as well... Then I will put rub on the meat UNDER the skin and then pull skin back up to the top and put a toothpick or two in to hold the skin up covering the breast... Also put rub on the outside if the skin... Drying the skin first...

Cook at 250 until you get to about 150 degrees in the breast... Then turn temps up as high as it will go until 165 in the breast... This will help crisp the skin up...

Good luck and hope you impress...

 

[AndyInNYC]

Well, having been married for 26 years ‘impress’ is perhaps too much to hope for …

 

[JckDanls 07]

Never... We've been married 37 years and I still impress

 

[jcam222]

If you don't want to brine use an injection like Tony Chacheres. Great flavor and the phosphates and other magical goodies keep it moist. I like to dry the surface of the bird and sprinkle it with a little baking powder leaving uncovered in the fridge overnight to dry the skin. Next day I'll spray with a little oil and apply the rub just before smoking. Run hot at 275+ so you don't get rubbery skin. I can't remember the max temp on those units.

 

[gmc2003]

First bit of advice - be careful poultry takes on smoke rather quickly and oversmoked poultry tastes like crap.

Second bit of advice - I don't believe you'll get crispy skin in your MB electric. Use the gasser to crisp up the skin.

Third bit of advice - Why not just use the gasser with the Maze. Smoke the chicken with indirect med. heat, and then let it rip with high indirect heat.

Chris

 

[zwiller]

@gmc2003 Chris beats me!

Good chicken is easy once you figure it out. Brining a must. I would still use the grill tho but put the maze in it (see thread). Aim for wood fired grill not smoked chicken. I run a LOT of chicken and my Smokefire pellet grill slays it. Wish I got it a looong time ago. Ran the bottom this past Sunday. I've tried it all and this is how I typically do bird. Drums dry brined a few days, 350F, to 190F IT. I run whole birds/legs but always breakdown with poultry shears. Chicken wings are gone the moment I set the plate down.

https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/wood-fired-yardbird.314837/

 

[normanaj]

Can't really add much more to what's already been said.

Specific to smoking a whole chicken in the MES I use a poultry stand that holds the bird upright in a pan.I place it on the lowest rack (I remove the water pan when I do this) so that the legs/thighs are closest to the heat with the breast furthest,basically when the breast reaches the desired temp the legs/thighs are "more" done.I really like crispy skin so I'll give it a quick blast under the oven broiler.

I picked up a Weber stand from the clearance rack at my local Ace for cheap money quite a few years back but any stand in a foil pan does the trick.

 

[Colin1230]

@AndyInNYC you're on the road to success. Let us know how it turns out.

 

[sandyut]

Whole birds are a good smoke. Spatchcock and brine it overnight. I use the slaughterhouse brine. I second the 275+ running temp.

 

[schlotz]

Really agree with Chris @gmc2003 on all three points. IMO the best tool for the best results is your grill with added smoke. With poultry you want to kiss it for flavor not smack it. You need higher heat to eliminate rubbery skin and achieve crisp results. The MES doesn't provide enough heat.

 

[chopsaw]

Masterbult electric smoker.

That makes me think analog , Need to know which one you have .
You can get high enough temps with the analog for tender skin , but not with the MES ( Masterbuilt Electric Smokehouse ) .

I have other options for chicken , but used to do thighs in my 30 . Toss the skin , or save it for something else . Inject and soak overnight .
Next day , rinse and pat dry . Put a heavy coating of a low or no salt rub on the chicken . I use no salt because of the brine .
Smoke at 250 - 260 to an IT of 175 to 185 .

 

[AndyInNYC]

I have the MES 30” digital electric.

If it cook chicken on the grill is takes 20 min per side - is that enough time to get smoke AND put on some sauce?

 

[DRKsmoking]

I have the MES 30” digital electric.

If it cook chicken on the grill is takes 20 min per side - is that enough time to get smoke AND put on some sauce?

Everyone here has you covered with a couple different ways for some different cuts or whole chickens.

But I would always cook to temp like mentioned above, you will get used to the approx time, but temp is better.

I like mine brined and then smoked in the smoker or in the BBQ and also my Roto in the Q.


This was my first smoked brined chicken a couple years back.

David

 

[Parshooter]

Lots of great info here. Taking points from a couple of different posts for this weekend's smoke. TIA.