Chicken on the WSM


 

Tanner H.

TVWBB Member
Hi folks,
The wife and kids have requested chiken for dinner tonight. So I thought, great another oppurtunity to use the WSM!!
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But I havnt smoked chicken yet. What should I do, Beer can, butterflied, leg quarters. and do I use a water pan or not (if so with or without water) I can probably figure out a rub to throw together. Just not sure about the best cooking procedure. Thanks folks I appreciate any help.
 
There are many different ways on this one. It really is about personal preference.

One issue you may have when smoking chicken is rubbery skin. You would want to smoke at a higher temp, foiled pan with no water (remeber it is a 212° heat sink) to get a better skin. Not sure there is much benefit from doing a beer can chicken on the WSM. Beer can chicken allowes you to cook it direct sitting up. In the WSM you are cooking indirect.

My personal preference is spatchcocked chicken at 325-350° indirect on the performer. I also like buttermilk brine (see here) on leg quarters and whole or half chickens.

Experiment and see what you like.

Also be sure to check out Chris' section on chicken here.
 
I firmly believe the whole beer can up the chickens patooty is just a gimmick, and if it's standing up in a WSM the top part nearest the dome tends to get overdone. I have some of the wire racks that the beer can goes in which I like to insert, without a can, into the chicken to hold the cavity open for the smoke and heat to enter but lay the bird flat.

Spatchcocking also works great, as do leg quarters which I like to separate into the individual pieces.

I always remove the pan and cook fairly high temp, around 300-325. Also, go easy on the smoke wood, poultry seems to really pick up a lot of smoke flavor and is easy to over smoke.
 
Originally posted by Tanner H.:
great!!! thanks for the replies. I have 2 that are almost 5 lbs

If following the "Basic Chicken" recipe, expect about 15-20 more minutes or so for cook time.

Kev
 
I just set em breast side down and if in the mood will pour a touch of warm brewski right inside the cavity.........tasty!!
 
Be careful of a grease fire if you go with an empty water pan on the WSM when doing chicken. This is from an earlier discussion.
 
I ran across an excellent and easy tweak to Myron's cupcake chicken here: http://www.hogville.net/yabbse...x.php?topic=485277.0 (third post down)

Reader's Digest version of Boar's tweaks:
(1) thighs, skin side down in a pan with chicken broth in an oven at 325 for 1:15; then
(2) skin side up on a smoker at 350 for around 40 minutes.

I tried it last week, and it's my new favorite way to do chicken. Before trying this, I had never gotten chicken skin fit to eat when smoking chicken on the WSM.
 
I've started quartering. If I'm only doing one I just go with the kettle set up for indirect at 325-350 with thighs and legs closest to the coals. After they're close to target temps (around 165 for breast and 170 for thighs), I'll turn them skin down over direct heat for 3-4 minutes.

I go with the WSM if I'm doing 2 wholes. I put breasts/wings on the top grate and thighs/legs on the bottom. My bottom grate temp is usually a bit higher than the top. I still target 325-350 and cook skin down near the end but the skin doesn't come out as well as on the kettle IMO. I'll normally just remove the skin and pull the chicken if I don't like the skin.

If time permits, I brine in a water, salt, sugar solution for about 3-4 hours, wash brine off, wipe off, allow it to further "dry" in fridge for 2-3 more hours, apply rub (let it set for 30 min or so while I fire up the WSM), and cook. The brine helps with tenderness, especially the breasts, and the dry in fridge helps with the skin. Down side is I add 5-6 hrs to time.

BTW, I go through this same procedure for chicken on the kettle as well. I agree with one of the above comments on "beer can" chicken. I think it complicates things quiet a bit due to breasts/thighs getting down at same time. The only time I'll ever do the beer can again is if I need to do more than 2 chickens.
 
As far as the modified Mixon method, I'd just throw foil over the pan and do it in the WSM or kettle at 325. No sense in heating up the house baking it half way and then stoking up the smoker for an hour.

Besides you can knock down some cold beverage whilst "monitoring" the pit for the first hour.
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But I'm with Gary on the simple method for chicken. I just spatch or cutoff the back and do 1/2 chickens with Rub and glaze with sauce at the end. I'll do 2 chix (4 halves) this way on the OTG kettle or WSM if more.

I did take to breaking leg/thigh joint before cooking (Lampe?) to help for more even cooking of dark. I usually face the thigh and leg toward heat in kettle.

Chicken is a good way to try new woods since it soaks up the smoke so go easy. But you can easily taste the difference between oak, cherry, apple for instance.
 
Originally posted by Chris E:
No sense in heating up the house baking it half way and then stoking up the smoker for an hour.
+1,000 I cannot see that method, but then I'm not eating your chicken Mark. I only cook for two,one bird at a time, so I do chicken on the kettle. About 425-450*. Whether whole, spatched or parts, skin never fails to be crispy and the meat isn't overdone. Saves time too so I can start a chicken cook closer to eating time if need be.
 
You would want to smoke at a higher temp, foiled pan with no water (remeber it is a 212° heat sink) to get a better skin.

Can you explain this? Does this mean that without water, the temp would be 212 degrees higher?
 
The water in the pan acts as a heat sink to help stabilize and maintain your temperatures. If you are wanting to.do chicken at a higher heat, only a foiled pan is needed with no water. Water boils at 212 or so, so it will prevent you from easily getting to 300-325. The heat will spend its energy heating and boiling the water. That is why 225 is an easy temp to maintain with water in the pan.
 
I want thank you all for the replies. Well.... I followed some of the basic instructions and I winged the rest. set up the WSM for a regular smoke, water in the pan and all (only half a pan though) got the temp steady at 245. I set it and forget it for about 4 hours (cut grass and all) . 1 chunk of hickory and two chunks of apple wood. both birds about 5 lbs. after 4 hours I was going to remove the pan and cook hotter, but no need. both birds were reading about 170. Pulled them off, basted with BBQ sauce, covered with foil and put in the oven to hold warm. They were awesome!!!!! I put them on whole backs down. I love this WSM
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I am hooked!!!!
 
That's what it's all about! I hope you enjoyed it on your patio with a cool drink and the smell of freshly cut grass.
 
I have 2 whole birds from the local butcher sitting in my fridge. Picked them up for smoking tomorrow. This will be my first adventure with the WSM 22.5".

Can't decide on whether to cook whole or half. Guess I'll flip a coin.

Can't wait to enjoy the finished product.

Thanks for the info in this thread.
 
Wow! Reviving an oldie here!

I think cooking in halves is just more convenient in terms of moving around, arranging on the grate, etc.

Good luck!
 
Well, threw the 2 whole chickens on the 22.5" WSM Friday around 11AM. I was cutting wood during the entire time the chicken was on the WSM. I checked on it every 20 minutes or so, as the smoker was about 50 ft from my tree cutting location.

I used the rub recipie found on the TVW web forum. It turned out great on the portions of skin that we actually consumed with the meat. I only included a dash of sugar, however, not the full amount. I also skiped the Oregano (not a fan).

Temperature stayed right about 225 the entire time. Beginners luck? Althought the temp had just started to go down as I was pulling the meat. So I need to figure how how I'll maintain proper temps for longer sessions.

Family loved the chicken. Thought it was moist and just the right amount of smoked flavor. I was pretty happy with my first attempt. Maybe a B+ result. I would've liked a little bit more smoke flavor in the meat. I'll probably cut the birds in half next time. I went with the whole bird approach this time, but I'll try the other method next time.

Next weekend I'm looking at ribs!
 

 

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