Is chicken always better indirect VS grilled?

[Socks]

Putting on some buttermilk marinated thighs in an hour or so, curious if you guys would always go indirect for this kind of thing or whether grilling is the way to go.

[Blackened]

indirect on the grill

[Socks]

indirect on the grill

Even "Blackened" says indirect... /thread closed.

[bam]

Indirect 275+

[Ron_L]

I prefer a mix :)

I start out direct to get some color on the skin and render some fat and then finish indirect.

[Butt Rubb'n BBQ]

Low and slow is not always the way to go. Put them on the grill and go hot and fast. I read a article about a team that always goes hot and fast with thier chicken and place on a regular basis.

[caseydog]

My favorite way is rotisserie. After that, it is direct over medium-hot coals with the Weber lid on and plenty of flipping.

CD

[NRA4Life]

Indirect on the weber HOT.

[El Ropo]

Indirect at 350+++. Almost as good as fried plus you can get a bit of smoke flavor into them.

[LMAJ]

I usualy do raised direct in the 300-325 range.
Today I tossed some thighs on after a brisket and short ribs - went indirect in the same temp range. So for me it's not "always".

[Vision]

Indirect and crisp the skin at the end.

[Bludawg]

Indirect grate temp min 325.

[smokeyw]

I do it both ways. It just depends on my mood and what I am trying to acheive. Chicken actually likes high direct heat. You just have to be careful not to burn it.

[intel415]

I prefer direct and finish up indirect works great

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[yakdung]

My chicken inproved 110% after I started using a Komado style cooker. Temps are between 300-325 degrees and always inject never brine.

[clayking]

Both. If I want a good smokey flavor then indirect at 250-275. If direct I'm going for crisp to the point of dark skin, almost blackened and charred bones with lots of sauce during the last minutes of cooking............................ck

[elvis67]

I cook em up close and get good color on them. Then finish inderect.

[Ross]

My chicken inproved 110% after I started using a Komado style cooker. Temps are between 300-325 degrees and always inject never brine.

Do you use a heat diffuser doing chicken on your kamado? Do you turn it often? Chicken pieces, that is...?

[yakdung]

Do you use a heat diffuser doing chicken on your kamado? Do you turn it often? Chicken pieces, that is...?

Yes, I purchased one from Walmart that sits on top of a Weber grate. I inject whole natural chickens with basic Paul Newman's Italian dressing everywhere. The birds are injected and also coated inside and out with Lemon Pepper seasoning the night before. When cooking at 300-350 degrees, the chicken sits upright in a disposible aluminum pan. As the bird cooks, the olive oil will start to fill the pan as it bastes the bird. I use a large stainless spoon with a long handle to baste the juices over the bird as it cooks. I find this method adds value over simple brining. It imparts flavor along with creating a basting liquid. If it looks like the chickens are cookiing too fast, reduce the temp a bit and tent with a little foil to sheild the top of the bird from the radiating lid of the Kamado. I used the same method yesterday on drumsticks and drummettes using a holder. No additional BBQ sauce is added to the chicken. I also use apple wood for smoke.
Good luck and hope this helps.

[Fishawn]

Indirect at 350+++. Almost as good as fried plus you can get a bit of smoke flavor into them.

X2 ...... Want more char on skin, put them over the heat..... Best way IMO also & I'm typically North of 375

[buccaneer]

Depends entirely on the skills of the cook.
Indirect is more forgiving and easier.
Direct requires more skill and has a narrow window for perfection but when you hit that window....wow.
Practice both methods!

[Luv-2-Q]

High and hot for me. Usually 350 direct and sometimes 400. Gives me crispy bird without drying it out. To me, the longer you take to cook chicken, the more time it has to dry out.

[Socks]

Thanks everyone. I think I'll have to get pretty good with my kamado to equal the results I get in the oven with chicken parts, using a method from Cook's Illustrated. Give it a try it's delicious every time and takes almost no work.

Oven at 450, put a thick jelly roll/cookie pan on the bottom rack until it's very hot.

Season chicken parts with a dry rub, I squirt some olive oil on too

Quickly open the oven and put the chicken skinside down on the pan, then grab the first one you put down and give it a circle on the pan (to prevent sticking). Continue with the rest of the pieces. Close the oven, cook for 20-25 minutes. Give the pan a 180 turn halfway through for even cooking.

CI recommended poking 10-12 holes through the skin for extra fat rendering... I've tried it didn't really notice a difference (corn on the cob holders work great for this)

Sometimes I flip, sometimes I don't.. I think I like it best when I don't, or just flip for the last 2 minutes or so.

Other way I learned from a chef is to cook skinside down in a stainless steel pan in some olive oil for 6 minutes on medium heat, then take out of the pan, deglaze with some wine or stock or liquor or whatever, put the chicken back in skinside up, pour chicken stock (or wine or water or combo) about two thirds up the sides of the chicken, bring to boil, then put into a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes or so. When it's done, remove the chicken and boil the sauce down to reduce to a glaze.

Anyway I know this is a BBQ forum... But I hope one day soon I can match or exceed the results I get from my kitchen. Definitely going to try Yakdung's method above.

PS: I ordered a 13" by 18" sheet pan from Amazon from a company called USA Pans, and it works awesome for this.. The heft is incredible, and it has some kind of invisible coating.. I've ruined mine cooking savoury stuff on it, but it's so thick and awesome that I just use it for that now, and bought a new one for cookies and stuff. It's the kind of thing you tell anyone to pickup, and then they feel the weight and go oh yaa... I get it now.. :)

[GreenDrake]

I spatch indirect, two hours at 225 then a quick ramp to crisp. Money every time.

[charrederhead]

depends.

beer-can, indirect, ~300.

quarters, drums, thighs, sear on very high to get a nice char, then finish indirect.

the rare times it's boneless/skinless breast, indirect.

[willbird]

I cooked a couple fatties Saturday, and had some boneless skinless breasts and thighs so I just tossed them in at 225, let temp come up a bit, finished them off at 300 the last 1/2 hour due to wanting to go to bed, worked out OK. Still playing with my fairly new UDS. They were Maomart so already injected with some random solution.

Bill