Bandera Chicken

[willis]

I'm interested in how the Bandera experts do chicken? Do you brine it? How do you season? How lond do you cook it and at what temp? Anybody do beer can chicken? Enlighten me or show me where to go for bandera chicken "oh my goodness dat's the most awesome chicken I ever et". Thanx, Willis

[Saiko]

I'm interested in how the Bandera experts do chicken? Do you brine it?

I don't brine my chickens, but I ALWAYS brine turkeys. Chickens cook a lot quicker than turkeys, and chicken meat isn't nearly as dry as turkey.

How do you season?

Nothing fancy, just my every day rub. I used to use a rub just for chicken that was a lot hotter than my normal, but too many people complained that it was too hot.

How lond do you cook it and at what temp?

Depends on if I'm doing a beer can chicken or throwing it in the smoker along with my other que. If I'm smoking it, then it's 225 degrees for about 3 1/2 to 4 hours, depending on a lot of things. Chickens are done when you wiggle the leg, and it moves around easily. If you are monitoring temps, then it's when the thigh meat is around 180 and the breast meat is around 160

Anybody do beer can chicken?

All the time. IMHO, beer can chicken on a grill can taste even better than smoked chicken cause the skin is crispy. If you are doing it on a grill, use indrect heating. Put an aluminum pan in the middle of your grill, and put your coals on each side of the grill. Put your chicken(s) in the middle of the grill over the pan, with the temp around 325. Cook for 90 min or so until done. Use your favorite rub.

[parrothead]

I'll give ya my rendition, and then you'll get another dozen from the other guys to pick from. I brine. I also usually cover with some southern flavor. I then smoke with hickory and shoot for about 225 until they are done witch is a good 4 hours. In the mean time, every 45 minutes I brush with butter and this usually makes the skin a much better item than if not messed with. Doesn't hurt to spike the temps at the end to help the skin . anyway, if skin isn't good, I throw the thing away. The meat is why I cooked it to begin with. That brined hickory smoked meat is about the best stuff I have ever had.

[Saiko]

Oh wow, only 3 posts till 200. Might as well.....

[Saiko]

Do it....

[Saiko]

Now!.....woot!

[willkat98]

Hey Saiko. Congrats on 200!

Willis, I will be beer canning tomorrow. Did you get your So FLav yet? Just rub it inside and out. Yums.

[BBQchef33]

willis.. recipe section, brines, i posted a few bird brines. I brine if i rememebr and have time. if your doing beercan, no need to brine, but inject if ya want. I like to inject with a mix of honey, maple syrup and franks red hot mixed into a few sticks of butter. cook at 200-220 for about 3-4 hours. Towards the end, i remove the waterpan and bring them lower to the bottom to help crisp up the skin.

[Solidkick]

OK, here's my .02 worth......

I don't brine, and I use either my spicy rub, or Tony Chachere's Original Creole seasoning, or Sylvia's Lemmon Pepper seasoning.
For beer can chicken, I rub inside and out, plus some in the beer can.
I cook a little hotter than some of the other brothers, trying to maintain around 300* if I'm just cooking chicken. And I spray with apple juice.
It seems to work for me. Hope my opinon helped some, but none of the info given above is wrong, it's just you finding your way of doing it.

[rusold]

The only fowl I have done in the Bandera is the little cornish game hens. I did a modified rub (sage and tyme and more cayenne) which I put under the skin. On the outside I just did coriander pepper and paprika. Put in the Bandera late and let other things above it keep it moist while cooking. More "yums" than most anything I cooked in there. I think this would extrapolate to chicken( I think rubbing inside the skin would be key to give you more bang for your buck)

R.

[tommykendall]

Willis, I will be beer canning tomorrow


Me too - down me throat! Oops it's tomorrow already and I'm weeelll into them.

[parrothead]

Me too - down me throat!

won't comment.

[Jackcul]

I marinade my chicken over night with Stubbs Chicken Marinade, next day use my everyday rub with Tony C's. Chicken turns out great on grill or smoker!

Jack