My chicken sucks

[Arthur D]

I'm having problems with my chicken turning out right. Very frustrated.

It's the skin that is giving me trouble, both on thighs and spatchcock. I either burn the skin, or it comes out rubbery. I'm not talking about burning the sauce, I mean I really burn the skin.

I've tried a few recipes from the egg basic book, to Dr BBQ's book.

Coat it with oil? Flare-ups on the egg are kicking my rear.

I'm using a large egg. Sometimes with the indirect stone, sometimes not. I'm trying it all.

thanks for listening.

[KC_Bobby]

You are not alone ... sigh

[big brother smoke]

Use chicken with white skin versus yellow for starters.

[thillin]

Use chicken with white skin versus yellow for starters.

I scrape out as much fat as possible out from under the skin. I cook halves with a plate setter at about 350-400.

[Rick's Tropical Delight]

cook indirect with plate setter at 300-350 for longer than you think. cook it until the skin is done and don't worry about the internal temp. it will not dry out.

[Bacon]

I definitely would take Rick's advice. His birds always seem to come out as perfect as perfect shall be.

[MOS95B]

Don't feel like the Lone Ranger... I didn't know it was possible, but the last time I did chicken, I found out it is possible to tan chicken skin. I was just a couple minutes away from making Chicken Leather (the meat was great, though)

Maybe there's a merket for chicken skin wallets out there???

[Bbq Bubba]

cook indirect with plate setter at 300-350 for longer than you think. cook it until the skin is done and don't worry about the internal temp. it will not dry out.

I agree!
High temp gets the skin yummy which makes the rest nice n juicy! :cool:

[milehigh]

I have had good luck cooking direct on an elevated grill in the med egg. Spatched, skin side up, no flipping. I use to use 4" carriage bolts to elevate until i got a woo ring from tjv. Also run about 350 dome and Hutterite raised chickens.

Paul

[Cliff H.]

cook indirect with plate setter at 300-350 for longer than you think. cook it until the skin is done and don't worry about the internal temp. it will not dry out.

I have never cared what the skin looked like in the past. I have alway thrown the skin away. Now that I am thinking about competing, this is info that I will be using.

I would guess that grilling on a kettle with fire on each side and chicken in th middle would give a better skin than smoking at higher temps in a uds over the coals.

[Bbq Bubba]

I don't know Cliff.
The drums a chicken cooking machine!

[deez20]

I don't do chicken that often but last comp I cooked thighs at 400 indirect on my large egg for 45-60 minutes. Once they were at the correct temperature I removed the plate setter and put them on skin down for a few minutes to crisp the skin. You have to watch them though or the skin will burn quickly. Managed to get a 1st place win that way.

[Moose]

I've also had some issues with rubbery chicken skin as well. After eliminating various factors, it really came down to ONE thing. It is difficult to get crispy chicken skin if you leave the top of your grill/smoker closed for the entire cook. It creates steam, which is possibly the worst enemy of crispy skin. Dry heat is what will create the crispy skin you are looking for. Therefore, at the last part of your cook, crisp your chicken over fairly high direct heat. This solved the problem for me once and for all.

[Rick's Tropical Delight]

I definitely would take Rick's advice. His birds always seem to come out as perfect as perfect shall be.

i'm not an expert, i just know what works for me. here's a sure way to get crisp skin

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r151/RicksTropicalDelight/biggreenegg/chicken/9mar07-013.jpg

[ComputerMike]

I cook at 350, skin up for 60 min and then skin down for 20-30 min.

[twisterbret]

On my Weber Kettle I do split chicken breast coated with olive oil, then seasoned.
I cook indirectly at 350 for 40 min with the skin up. After 40 min I place the skin side down over the heat for 2 min or less.
I've only tried smoking small whole chickens, skin is rubber, chicken is amazing. The wife makes a great smokey chicken noodle soup out of the leftovers.

I'll have to check out some comp chicken one of these days.

[thull]

i'm not an expert, i just know what works for me. here's a sure way to get crisp skin



Just don't let your Maudite get crispy. I'm a La Fin du Monde guy, myself.

I don't have an egg, but I've had good luck cooking thighs where I grill them initially on both sides over a hot fire (maybe a couple minutes per side), then put them opposite the fire and let them finish indirect for 20 min or so.

[eheath]

On my drum I start thighs out skin side down, then halfway through the cook I turn them skin side up. 3 hours at 250 or so usually produces nicely done crispy skin and succulent meat. For seasoning sometimes I use a sprinkling of garlic, sometimes it's seasoned salt, sometimes it's an olive oil based paste, but don't marinate. Marinating introduce excess moisture into the skin that will make getting it crispy a real challenge.

[HBMTN]

Try cooking it over direct coals, placing your hand over the coals at food grate level. You are looking for about an 8 mississippi fire meaning after 8 mississippi's you have to remove your hand because it is too hot. Next get you a mopping sauce of some sort and add spicies to get good flavor. Something like apple juice w/ a little vinegar and garlic then add your spices to your liking. Next add a little cooking oil to the mop. The cooking oil will help the spices stick to the chicken. Put the chicken on and mop it, then turn it and mop it every 5 minutes until done. If your fir gets hotter or colder turn the chicken at faster or slower time intervals. If the grease gets to dripping off the chicken and you get a fire under the chicken then flipping the chicken will put the fire out. This works best with leg quarters or halves of chicken. Good luck!

[ajmcedar]

i'm not an expert, i just know what works for me. here's a sure way to get crisp skin

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r151/RicksTropicalDelight/biggreenegg/chicken/9mar07-013.jpg

That is all about the nom, nom. Smoke then crisp!

Great picture and thanks for making me hungry.

[blues_n_cues]

i spritz w/ just oil on bird & cook @375-400. it makes a nice crispy skin w/ great color.
it's just what works for me.

[Lakeside Smoker]

Just don't let your Maudite get crispy. I'm a La Fin du Monde guy, myself.

Both great beers. But La Terrible (http://lakesidesmokers.blogspot.com/2009/06/try-this-beer.html) is amazing!

[TN_BBQ]

I scrape out as much fat as possible out from under the skin. .

Shhhhhh! That's supposed to be a secret. :-D

[Rick's Tropical Delight]

here's another secret. i like to cook chickens whole, without cutting the skin or peeling it up to insert spices underneath. keeping the entire skin intact holds all the juices in and especially that fat layer just under the skin. as soon as you compromise the skin layer by cutting it, you make an escape path for all the juice. keeping the chicken whole makes a natural container to hold basting juices inside the cavity, similar to a beer can chicken, but better. if you cook the chicken long enough, the fat will melt and baste the chicken from the inside and then the skin will begin to crisp. if the skin isn't crisp enough for you, bump up the temperature and wait 10-15 more minutes.

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r151/RicksTropicalDelight/biggreenegg/chicken/sirhenrymorgan-033.jpg

[pile-0-bones]

Rick, that is 1 great looking bird.

[ljh34465]

Sounds almost scientific, Rick. I know doing a brined whole bird on the rotisserie works almost the same way with the internal fat basting during the cooking.

Great Pic and good looking bird but I like the searing the skin photo even better -wonderful pic.

[Rick's Tropical Delight]

that's what i'm talking about! leave em whole to make em juicy!

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r151/RicksTropicalDelight/biggreenegg/chicken/sixchickens-016.jpg

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r151/RicksTropicalDelight/biggreenegg/chicken/henspeach-004.jpg

it's cripsy enough. how crispy is crispy enough? this is not deep frying. :biggrin:

[BobBrisket]

cook indirect with plate setter at 300-350 for longer than you think. cook it until the skin is done and don't worry about the internal temp. it will not dry out.

Great advice. People can't believe me when I tell them how long I cook the parts and how I did it without the skin turning black and burnt. Chicken just needs time. I go indirect on the kettle for a good two hours. I don't keep temps on the kettle or the bird. Just watch for juices to flow clear and before serving, I will put the parts skin down directly above the hot coals for a final crisping. Bird can't be rushed. As Rick says, it won't dry out and still be juicy and properly cooked. If you are doing it for a party etc, always give yourself some time to get it cooked so you don't have to rush it at the end when folks are waiting around hungry.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3573/3666248819_b8df13b503.jpg

[Rick's Tropical Delight]

Sounds almost scientific, Rick. I know doing a brined whole bird on the rotisserie works almost the same way with the internal fat basting during the cooking.

Great Pic and good looking bird but I like the searing the skin photo even better -wonderful pic.

it's not scientific at all. cavemen have been doing it for years. :biggrin:


http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r151/RicksTropicalDelight/biggreenegg/chicken/carnivorebbq2.jpg

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r151/RicksTropicalDelight/biggreenegg/chicken/carnivorebbq1.jpg

you just ain't cooking it long enough. :biggrin:

[daedalus]

I have found that the key to bite through skin is to scrape it. Take the skin completely of, turn it upside down, and scrape off the fat with a flat edged knife (be careful not to tear the skin any more than you have too). The skin should be very thin and translucent.

[blues_n_cues]

contrary to my last post these 1/4's went 325 for 1 hour then 225 for 3 hours w/ skeet/hickory lump mix & spritzed w/ cran/lemon/corn oil.i didn't use a probe just waited for the clear juice(old school).the skin came out just right.
http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w247/gypsyseagod/opening%20day/openingday005.jpg
http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w247/gypsyseagod/opening%20day/openingday006.jpg
http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w247/gypsyseagod/opening%20day/openingday007.jpg

after 4 hrs in a chafing dish.
http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w247/gypsyseagod/opening%20day/openingday008.jpg

[Zip7]

I cook chicken drumsticks or leg quarters about three times a week for my family - they love it. Since I do it so often, I keep everything simple, and I get great crispy skin every time - here's how.

Prep - I rub the chicken pieces with a heck of a lot of rub - I use Stubbs BBQ rub, because I like it, but you can do whatever. I use a lot of rub. No olive oil or anything else.

I cook on a Weber 22" kettle. Full chimney of coals, set up for cooking indirect with a drip pan in the middle. I usually prep the chicken in the drip pan, and whatever rub is left over is still in there. Pour some beer in with it. Dome temp on the kettle is HOT - 450-475 for the whole cook (:shock:)

I put the chicken legs on a hanging rack. They make a rack for this, which works great for drumsticks, and OK for leg quarters. Some rib racks will let you stand more leg quarters up on edge at a time.

set the chicken rack on the grill rack over the drip pan and cover - all vents wide open. I let it alone for 20 minutes, open up and spray down good with straight apple juice. After the first 20 minutes, I open the grill and spray it good with apple juice every 8-10 minutes. I try to keep it in there for as long as possible - which is usually 45 minutes to an hour. If I can keep it from burning for an hour, it's perfect. Meat falls off the bone, and skin is thin and crispy. The skin will get pretty dark and may blacken in spots, but it's good stuff - just don't leave it so long it's black all over.