Bone-in chicken breasts on a WSM?


 
J

Joe Milczewski

TVWBB Fan
I was advised by the wife today that we are having two other couples - with kids - over to the house on Saturday night and that we are going to have smoked chicken. Ok, I said and then quickly began to worry.

I like chicken thighs and legs but I know that most of the kids and the wives are all white meat fans. And there is no way that two whole chickens are going to provide enough breast meat for 5 adults and up to 5 or 6 kids. Has anyone had any luck putting bone-in chicken breasts on the WSM?

I always do my poultry at high heat and try to keep the temps in the WSM around 305*. My idea is to load up the WSM with 2 whole chickens and maybe 4 split breasts at the beginning of the cook and pull the breasts when they come to temp to be re-fired later. Maybe even throw the breasts on a hot Performer grill just before serving to reheat and crisp them up.

So... Are split breasts on a WSM a bad idea? Any chance of success with this? Open to any and all suggestions in the interest of continued marital harmony and good social feelings.
 
Not a bad idea....yes high heat....you can actually try a whole or spatchcocked chicken to get dark and white.
 
Not a bad idea at all. I like to remove the water pan and cook the chicken direct on the top rack. It's almost like grilling but further away from the fire. Smoke wood can still be added for the flavor but the higher heat helps crisp the skin.
 
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Using either my 14.5, Mini-Joe, or 18.5 WSM, I would just remove the water pan, open the vents and go to it. My call would be for splatch cocked chicken also (or, if you prefer, chicken halves are a bit easier to handle). You will be amazed at the quality. I ALWAYS brine chicken as that helps retain moisture and use a good instant thermometer to monitor along with the Maverick 732, if you have one.

Keep on smokin',
Dale53:wsm:
 
around here, they sell flat packs of chicken pieces, usually really cheap, and usually a whole chicken, just in pieces. I might get 3 of them!

Have you tried roadside chicken yet?
 
I do split breasts quite a bit on my 18.5, usually alongside some thighs for me and legs for the boy. Always brine them (2 cups apple juice, 1/2 cup each brown sugar and salt) for a few hours or overnight, rinse, dry and sprinkle with Memphis Dust. As others have said, no water pan and temps in the 325-350 range. Dark meat goes on for an hour, skin side up, then flip it and add the breasts, also skin up, for about 45 minutes to an hour. The brine really helps keep the white meat from drying out.
 
I do split chx breast a lot on the WSM and it comes out great. Top grate , no water pan, 350 or better. Doesn't take long and the skin comes out beautiful. (and im reminded that I swiped that idea from dwain pannell)
My DIL hates bones and I know some kids are the same....so when they are done I just pop the white meat right off the bone and chunk it up into bite sized pieces. Works out great For dipping in sauce on the side.
 
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Dwain Pannell said:
Not a bad idea at all. I like to remove the water pan and cook the chicken direct on the top rack. It's almost like grilling but further away from the fire. Smoke wood can still be added for the flavor but the higher heat helps crisp the skin.
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Exactly what I was going to say!
 
When doing "Hot and Fast" chicken as most suggest, on other thing helps to crisp the skin. I use a "meat tenderizer" to perforate the skin and a bit into the meat. Perforating the skin allows the fat to leave quicker and assists in crisping the skin. It also allows any brine or marinade to penetrate the meat (really works WONDERFULLY with Walkerswood Jerk Chicken Seasoning). Here's the tool I use:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00004UE7Y/tvwb-20

Keep on smokin',
Dale53:wsm:
 
Thanks everyone for the help. I loaded the WSM up and let her run as hot as she'd go. Chicken came out terrific.

As an aside, I picked up the chickens from the local Sam's Club. Not sure if they have them everywhere, but here in Wyoming they had hormone-free, antibiotic-free fresh birds. Really a great product. I do a lot of poultry at high heat and these were by far the juiciest, most flavorful we've had. And they actually looked like chickens when I took them out of the wrappers and not like some strange hybrid animal with Godzilla-sized breasts.
 
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