How to do low and slow chicken


 
Jerry N.

Jerry N.

TVWBB Emerald Member
We never eat the skin of chicken except for when I eat wings. So, I don’t care if the skin come out rubbery. I’m looking for advice on how to get the chicken to be moist. I have a couple cut up chickens (pieces - breasts, thighs and drumsticks) and was thinking to cook them low and slow, but don’t really know how to do that with chicken. Would I shoot for a pit temp of around 275? At that, or any temp you work with, what kind of time would I be looking at. I’m thinking that cooking at 275-300 would take a couple hours. Does that seem reasonable? I know, BBQ is done when it’s done, but I’d like to eat around 5pm tomorrow so I need some idea of when to start. Help would be appreciated.
 
Smoked chicken or just low and slow? You can get super juicy chicken on a hot cook too, just indirect and never go over direct heat.

There’s not difference, IMO, of 250-275° so I’d choose the 275°. But don’t go over 300° as that will start to get the juices running out of the bird.

I’d recco dry brining your bird pieces overnight and exposed in the fridge. That helps the bird get well seasoned and will retain the natural juices.

If you want to eat by 5p, I’d do 3 hours at 250-275°. It might be 3.5 hours.

You’ll want the breast at 165° and the thigh will get to 175-180° and will be done. I don’t like thighs at 165° as they’re bloody and pink still. Too raw for my liking. So low and slow in breast to 165° should deliver perfect thighs too.

A rub with a little sugar goes well on low and slow birds. Balanced with SPG and other spices.

Only questions I have is, is this over lump, briqs, pellets or in a smoker? Those details would be helpful for additional replies.

And yes, you’re tossing the skin, into a CI to crisp it like bacon and then chop it up and sprinkle it on your plated bird. I’ve done this and it works well for taste and texture and flavor on low and slow birds.
 
I run 225 for around 5 hours, there is so much difference in chicken parts these days size wise it's hard to pin point time , But flavor is always great along with the moisture without having to brine. I done a 8 hour brine on 30lbs of boneless skinless chicken breast's , was 4 hours to long imo, it was the first time I tried BS brining so be mindful if skin on or off.
 
Re: Brett-EDH, my plan is to use my WSM using lump charcoal. I always use lump except that I use a few briquettes in the chimney to get things started.

Re: MikeCantell, Thanks, that’s probably what I’ll do. No time to brine, plus, I have health issues that require that I limit my salt.
 
It ran about 240 degrees for 3+ hours. It turned out okay, but it didn’t turn out as well as I had hoped. Just a little better than a grilled boneless skinless chicken breast. It will serve its main purpose - to make chicken salad with the leftover chicken, but it needed to be a little more moist. I think it might have done better if it wasn’t already cut up into parts. Next time, I think I’ll try a whole chicken (maybe spatchcocked). Still, we had dinner and no one went away hungry. Thanks for the advice!
 
Jerry N. said:
It ran about 240 degrees for 3+ hours. It turned out okay, but it didn’t turn out as well as I had hoped. Just a little better than a grilled boneless skinless chicken breast. It will serve its main purpose - to make chicken salad with the leftover chicken, but it needed to be a little more moist. I think it might have done better if it wasn’t already cut up into parts. Next time, I think I’ll try a whole chicken (maybe spatchcocked). Still, we had dinner and no one went away hungry. Thanks for the advice!
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Dry brining is key to moisture retention from my experience. Or a soak in salted water, but you’re avoiding salt. I did some brined dark quarters tonight and they were ridiculously juicy. My rub had salt in it. And a dash of ACV.
 
A brine has been proven to hold more weight when the cook is finished.....I forget the percentage but it was notable.
I like using buttermilk......I can add hot sauce to it for fun...but maybe the only advantage to that would be deep frying......
Personally, in my humble opinion I don't believe that going low n slow would have any advantage.
But I also am not a really good cook.
I cook all chicken except rotisserie on blazing hot.
On blazing hot I can pierce a breast with a insta thermometer and have a nice clear juice squirt out maybe an inch up when I pierce it.
Cut it open on the plate and have juices all over the place.
The key to this is final cook temperature....and the line is very fine.
I would say about a 5 degree max on being under or over....and you have to incorporate a rest....or time from grill to plate.
It will rise in temp a bit, depends how long you leave it of course.

Your biggest problem still is cooking white and dark meat at the same time....I do this all the time but it is the major curveball....especially if you want to hit that 5 degree margin on the breast.
Personally I can take the thighs anywhere from 170 to about 190....so much to the point that I rarely even measure the temp on it....it's very forgiving. But that breast isn't. So now go make sure your thighs are about 180 or so and finish at the same time as that breast.;)
 
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I use the "Roadside Chicken" recipe (can be found here). Put the chicken (usually a cut up fryer) on my Performer with a Slow and Sear. Sear the pieces skin side down on direct heat and then cook indirect at 350-400 at the lid until the internal temperature on the breast hits 170. The chicken is always moist. We don't eat the skin either.
 
Like above marinate or flavor brine. I like Italian dressing for L&S chicken parts. Road side or Peruvian for higher heat.
Bite thru skin, not rubbery or crispy.
 
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