How do you get the most moist and tender chicken?

[BobJ]

For one that does not eat chicken skin, what's the best way to cook whole chickens to end up with fall off the bone? I've read thru Chris's Hot and Fast, which looks to work well for crispy skin, and something like beer can chicken that looks to work but without crispy skin. I'm guessing that low and slow would give me the results I'm looking for, what say you? Got a couple 8.5 lb roasters I'm looking to cook, bought them by accident during the early days of the pandemic.

 

[JKalchik]

Probably the single biggest thing IMO would be to not overcook it. I shoot for 155 degrees F in white meat, 165 in dark.

 

[BobJ]

Thanks, I was wondering if higher internal temp would make it more tender, wrong.

 

[Lew Newby]

A brine helps maintain moisture.

 

[J Grotz]

Rotisserie makes the juiciest birds. You can throw away the skin after cooking if you don’t like it. And as said by JK and Lew, don’t overcook it and try a brine.

 

[Brad Olson]

And a brine doesn't necessarily have to be wet. If you don't have a setup conducive to submerging a whole chicken or you don't want to add extra moisture, at least give it a good salting 24 hours before you plan to cook it: a dry brine.

 

[BobJ]

I brined it yesterday for 8 hrs then into the fridge to dry out for 24. I did one on the rotisserie last week, came out good except the dark meat was fairly tough, which is what I'm trying to get around. May just be the characteristics of using a roaster vs a smaller 3-4 lb chicken.

 

[J Grotz]

Thighs are interesting. The America’s Test Kitchen grilled thighs recipe calls for a really high finish temp. (195-200??) I thought it would dry the thighs out but it doesn’t. That’s the conundrum of cooking whole chicken, every technique is a compromise.

However, I switched chicken brands from one that sold 6 pounders to one that sells 4-5 pounders. The smaller ones cook up more evenly. Very juicy too. I enjoy the challenge of whole birds more than just cooking parts.

 

[BobJ]

That explains the thighs, thanks. I normally get smaller bird but had to get what they had at the butcher that day.

 

[Teddy J.]

I like to cut in half, especially if they are larger. A little easier to handle too.

 

[BobJ]

Thighs are interesting. The America’s Test Kitchen grilled thighs recipe calls for a really high finish temp. (195-200??) I thought it would dry the thighs out but it doesn’t. That’s the conundrum of cooking whole chicken, every technique is a compromise.

After the chicken got to 165 I removed it, cut off the leg/thighs and put them back on till they hit 185. They came out much more tender and were not dry at all.

 

[Mike Len]

If I’m doing a whole chicken on the Weber I always do a wet brine for 24 hrs. They always come out juicy and salty.

 

[Mark Twelve]

I recently tried a whole chicken in a cast dutch oven at high temp (roasted). There are few vids on youtube. I had been wanting to try this vs the low and slow. I was really surprised on how good it came out. I always brine wet or dry. Leftover Pickle juice is a favorite, as well as Oakridge Game Changer.

 

[D Livingston]

I recently tried a whole chicken in a cast dutch oven at high temp (roasted). There are few vids on youtube. I had been wanting to try this vs the low and slow. I was really surprised on how good it came out. I always brine wet or dry. Leftover Pickle juice is a favorite, as well as Oakridge Game Changer.

I haven't done a chicken this way, but the last several times I've done turkey, I've used the dutch oven at high temps. Turns our great.

 

[Wilfredo Vargas]

If I’m doing a whole chicken on the Weber I always do a wet brine for 24 hrs. They always come out juicy and salty.

I agree. Brining chicken is the way to go.

 

[Chris Allingham]

Probably the single biggest thing IMO would be to not overcook it. I shoot for 155 degrees F in white meat, 165 in dark.

And use smaller chickens. I shoot for around 4 pounds.