m-fine
is One Chatty Farker
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2016
- Location
- Rochester/Finger Lakes NY
The question was about smoked chicken, but much of the discussion is about roasted or grilled chicken.
If you want oven roasted chicken with a wood smoke flavor, the Lang can easily run at 325-425 or even hotter. I have run mine up over 550 for clean out. Perhaps roast most of the way at 350 and then really build up the fire and baste with a little oil/fat at the end to crisp up the skin.
Smoked chicken for chicken salad, sandwich meat etc. can be done at more traditional smoking temps between 200 and 275, but as the OP observed, the skin is not crispy. There are a few options. The first is to simply not use the skin. This is a perfectly reasonable (and lower calorie) approach for certain uses of the smoked meat. Second option is to finish the skin with a "reverse sear" or really reverse crisp. You can use a Searzall, broiler, grill fry pan etc. to render and crisp the skin with high heat when done smoking. The third option is what bluedawg mentioned, extending your smoke time until the skin crisps up. You need to watch your wood selection as poultry can absorb too much flavor if smoked for 6 hours, but depending on how you plan to use the chicken, it can give decent results.
If you want oven roasted chicken with a wood smoke flavor, the Lang can easily run at 325-425 or even hotter. I have run mine up over 550 for clean out. Perhaps roast most of the way at 350 and then really build up the fire and baste with a little oil/fat at the end to crisp up the skin.
Smoked chicken for chicken salad, sandwich meat etc. can be done at more traditional smoking temps between 200 and 275, but as the OP observed, the skin is not crispy. There are a few options. The first is to simply not use the skin. This is a perfectly reasonable (and lower calorie) approach for certain uses of the smoked meat. Second option is to finish the skin with a "reverse sear" or really reverse crisp. You can use a Searzall, broiler, grill fry pan etc. to render and crisp the skin with high heat when done smoking. The third option is what bluedawg mentioned, extending your smoke time until the skin crisps up. You need to watch your wood selection as poultry can absorb too much flavor if smoked for 6 hours, but depending on how you plan to use the chicken, it can give decent results.
