Chicken skin

[jpw23]

I cooked a couple of birds sunday and while they looked really good, the skin was so tough you could hardly cut it with a knife.....i used one of my sauces as a glaze and I think that might be the problem, too much sugar...I guess...any suggestions?

 

[big brother smoke]

It's the smoke not the sauce! It makes bird skin tough. May want to bump the heat in the end of a smoke session with birds.

 

[Kevin]

Don't think it's your sauce JP. Chicken skin can be a tough nut to crack sometimes. Higher heat at the end of the cook seems to help for me.

 

[jpw23]

I'll give that a try next time....thanks guys:biggrin:

 

[Plowboy]

You can also try drying out your skin by air chilling it in the fridge overnight. Helps pull the moisture out of the skin.

 

[jpw23]

You can also try drying out your skin by leaving air chilling it the fridge overnight. Helps pull the moisture out of the skin.

Another good suggestion:biggrin: These things came right out of the packaging, got rubbed and on the cooker.

 

[Kevin]

You can also try drying out your skin by leaving air chilling it the fridge overnight. Helps pull the moisture out of the skin.

Good advice. A light dusting of corn starch will do the same thing. Draws the moisture out.

 

[jpw23]

I had no idea that these hens would be so tricky to cook:shock:

 

[SmokeInDaEye]

Good advice. A light dusting of corn starch will do the same thing. Draws the moisture out.

Really? That's pretty darn cool. Do you rub it in or just dust it?

 

[Harbormaster]

Chicken skin can be a tough nut to crack sometimes. Higher heat at the end of the cook seems to help for me.

Yup. Last chicken I did went to the plate straight off the WSM. Was like chewing an inner tube. Try the high heat.

I like the air dry in the fridge idea too. I will try that this weekend.

 

[ModelMaker]

Hasn't anybody told you yet, chicken skin is evil. It will make you fat and cause your heart to explode!!!
When I smoke chicken I just get 10lbs of hinnies and when I pull them off I let them cool a smidge and then just pitch the skin (alright, I eat a few pieces) and pull the meat, bag, vacusuck, freeze.

Had a bag the other night, made chicken tostadas with melted mex-cheese, re-fried beans, spanish rice.
ModelMaker

 

[Papa Hogg]

If chicken is all I am cooking I cook between 250* & 300* (usually closer to the 300* mark for about 3 hours), I use more salt in my chicken rub also, it draws the moisture out. Cooking this way I still get a juicy bird & nice crisp skin.

I think it was Chris Lilly that said chicken can take a lot of salt & a lot of smoke...

Try the Big Bob Gibson's White Sauce on Chicken...Awesome!

 

[keale]

That happened to me once, I sprayed down A LOT durring the cook, and thought that was the reason...
I'll try high heat at the end also....

 

[tony76248]

I have never had this problem myself. hmmmmmmm. I must be doing something right.