Smoking chicken

[Johnny Dangerr]

Learn something everyday round here......

[bryan sandlin]

We cook food in order to cause a chemical reaction designed to aid in digestion, impart flavor, and create an experience. At least that's why I cook. I like to think of cooking as a tasty science experiment.

I don't believe that a small pan of water, beer, or juice can effectively reach a hot enough temperature to offer any relative amount of moisture. Some will evaporate. True. But not enough to augment a dry cooking method like smoking. Using a true water smoker my position changes. The real value of the beer can thrust into the cavity of a wog is the same benefit that is achieved by using a cornishing rack.

With other proteins, cooked in a water smoker, I would agree with you. Beef, pork, venison, ect the addition of moisture into the environment is a positive. These proteins react well to a softer indirect moist smoking method. However, foul proteins are similar to a bowl of spaghetti with meatballs in it. In so far as literal protein shape goes. Scientifically fowl proteins have a turgor effect when heat is applied to them. When you try and add a moist heat to chicken the protein water wants to give up its water. There by drying out before reaching a safe serving temp. Also the skin turns to an unsavory rubber. Can you cook it in a water smoker yes. But it is my opinion that the protein shape (at the cellular level) is always going to suffer.

Ok miles from what we are considering and on the extreme end of this spectrum and to make my point. Lets consider how different chicken performs when boiled as opposed to beef or pork. You can take the same weight (say 3lbs) for each and boil them all at the same temp. With beef and pork the proteins will usually hold their desired shape. You can very quickly go from a fantastic succulent pulled chicken to a stringy dry mess. Love the conversation!

skin side up. salt. pepper. 225 deg. 2 hours. wood smoke.

[Jtrage]

For a whole chicken, I stuff with jalapenos, onions and bell pepper. I also put onion in between the skin and the meat. Smoke at about 225. Sometimes I will mop it with apple juice or whatever. Doesn't seem to make a big difference. Never had a dry one.

[JeffJ]

Just mop it every 30 minutes to 1 hour. Will stay as moist as you would like it to.

This. I don't fool with anything but large bone in breast these days. I put a pot of sauce, whole butter and a touch of brown sugar in with the chicken. I will usually baste 3-4 times. I always cook bone side down and don't flip them. 225-240 for three hours. Wife and kids love my ribs, brisket and pork butt but all say my chicken is their favorite.

[Todo Chevere]

Whole chicken

pm me your email and i'll send my electric smoker chicken recipe. It hasn't been dry yet.

hey bud, im about to smoke a whole chicken soon and saw your post about a way to smoke it right and not be dry. Any recommendations?

[DeerMagnet]

I baste mine with bacon grease

[cwill]

I like to use a mop sauce. Keeps them super juicy and adds flavor. I prefer to cook my chicken over lump coals, but they turn out good on the smoker also.

[Roscoe]

Brine it and spatchcock it. Brining the chicken helps tremendously.

X2 on both.

[Stephenska]

Brine makes the difference in the juiciness of the chicken.


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[Pike1990]

We brine ours.