patwill66
Knows what a fatty is.
This past weekend I BBQ'ed some 4.5 lbs chickens. Rubbed them down around 11pm and put them on the smoker around noon the next day. One with cajun seasoning and the other with some homemade rub.
They both turned out fantastic. Very tender and moist. The meat was awesome. I smoked them between 225 and 240. It was a very windy day and it took 5 hours to get 160 in the breast and 170 in the thigh. Then they rested for about 20 minutes and I carved them up.
My question is about the skin. This is the second time I have done whole chickens and both times the skin has come out tougher than leather. I have heard that smoking chickens at 300 or higher is best to let the fat melt and the skin crisp up but my (electric) smoker cant get that hot. I know Rod Gray from Pellet Envy once said on the BBQ Central radio show that he smokes his chicken at 250 for competition to achieve bite through skin. Is there something I am missing or is 225 to 240 too low to achieve that. I love the skin so its a shame it has to go to waste every time. Any tips?
They both turned out fantastic. Very tender and moist. The meat was awesome. I smoked them between 225 and 240. It was a very windy day and it took 5 hours to get 160 in the breast and 170 in the thigh. Then they rested for about 20 minutes and I carved them up.
My question is about the skin. This is the second time I have done whole chickens and both times the skin has come out tougher than leather. I have heard that smoking chickens at 300 or higher is best to let the fat melt and the skin crisp up but my (electric) smoker cant get that hot. I know Rod Gray from Pellet Envy once said on the BBQ Central radio show that he smokes his chicken at 250 for competition to achieve bite through skin. Is there something I am missing or is 225 to 240 too low to achieve that. I love the skin so its a shame it has to go to waste every time. Any tips?
