Chicken Help

[jhblaze1]

Hi all, wondering if I could tap the brain trust and get some help on my chicken. Last time I did it, I did 2 spatchcock and it came out fantastic except for the skin. The skin was rubbery and just gross. I was on the LSG offset at 325 til 160 internal then rested for half hour. I did mop them with BBQ sauce several times and suspect the skin was just kept too wet to ever get crispy and I should skip the mopping.

My guests loved the chicken but I didn't observe if they were eating the skin. I can't imagine how they could have They complemented the chicken relentlessly, even favoring it over a prime rib roast I cooked at the same time on the LSG

My aim is to get smoky, juicy chicken but with a real nice crispy skin.

How are you guys doing whole chickens or half chickens/spatchock etc?
Low and Slow? Keep dry while cooking? Hot and Fast?

I was thinking of trying low and slow until I'm about 150 or so and then throwing it right in the fire box over the coals to crisp up the skin.

I have the same guests coming for the Belmont Stakes and want to do chicken again but get the skin right this time.

 

[blake]

I salt my skin beforehand, several hours to 24.

I also try and leave uncover in the fridge, longer is better.

The dry air in the fridge sucks moisture out of the skin.

I prefer to not sauce, but if I do it is after the skin is crispy.

Don't be scarred to go even warmer on the cooking temps.

 

[jhblaze1]

I salt my skin beforehand, several hours to 24.

I also try and leave uncover in the fridge, longer is better.

The dry air in the fridge sucks moisture out of the skin.

I prefer to not sauce, but if I do it is after the skin is crispy.

Don't be scarred to go even warmer on the cooking temps.

thanks for the response...so just a basic dry brine? rub down with salt and refrigerate?

Do you rinse it off and apply some other rub before putting on the smoker?

 

[KClandcruiser]

I think Blake mentioned a lot of great suggestions. From my experience, even with well executed crispy skin, if you leave it to rest it is not going to be crispy by the time your are eating it. A warm hold in the oven doesn't seem to kill it as quickly, but leaving it lightly tented with foil on the counter will kill all that crispy goodness

 

[darita]

I've done this with rotisserie chicken, spatched and beer can chickens and it works every time and I am a huge fan of good chicken skin. I spice the chicken, then put it in the fridge to dry brine for about 6 hours. I take the chicken out and let it room temp. Just before cooking, I pour boiling water over the skin of the chicken, then I spice again. When I place the chicken in the cooker, I spray all the skin with Pam and cook from 325 to 375, till I get and IT of 170 in the breast. I don't sauce while cooking, but do serve with sauce on the side, as saucing just tends to rehydrate the skin and make it rubbery again. Here's a turkey I did on an MB560. Skin was bite thru and even crispy in some places.

 

[Happy Hapgood]

Higher temp. 350-375 is the key. Like others have said.
Good Luck!

 

[sudsandswine]

About the only way I’ve ever gotten good chicken skin involved NOT saucing, or if I do sauce, it’s after essentially braising or steaming in a pan competition style. My .02, it was probably the saucing you did. I can deep fry chicken wings to perfectly crispy skin and 5 minutes after saucing them, they’re mush.

 

[LYU370]

Wasn't rubbing the skin with baking soda or baking powder another trick for crispy skin? Can't remember which it was.

 

[SMOKE FREAK]

Wasn't rubbing the skin with baking soda or baking powder another trick for crispy skin? Can't remember which it was.

Baking powder should work along with higher temps and no sauce.

 

[Papa Don]

Lots of good advice here. Good luck. You’ll get it!!

 

[Monkey Uncle]

Don't mop. Cook at 400. Watch closely so the skin doesn't burn. Pull when the skin is dark brown. Should be as crispy as a pork rind.

I don't temp chicken any more because I know what done looks like. But if you're temping, breast meat should not go past 160. Thigh meat needs to go to at least 180. Which is why I rarely cook whole chickens.