Point of whole chickens?


 
The biggest problems with cooking whole chickens are (1) all the ruckus when you first put them on and (2) keeping the temp low enough that the feathers don't catch fire.
 
First cook I ever did on my WSM was chicken, on high heat. It came out great: smoky, beautiful smoke ring, crispy tasty skin. I took the leftovers and made a smoked chicken/sweet onion/wild rice soup that was pretty awesome if I say so myself.
 
I really like my chickens done using the kettle either spatchcocked indirect or on the rotisserie. Poulty does not need a lot of smoke and I find some applewood with the kettle works real well and gives great skin if you want it.
 
Yeah I'm not sure the point of the posts question really since whole chickens have a whole lot of uses. Doing only breasts usually ends up with meat that is about half as juicy as dark meat and your stuck with only one flavor combination which is rather bland white meat, and if they're boneless..... Forget about it!

My dad always does them low and slow on his Brinkmann. That's the only way I ever known smoked chicken till I joined this site and started digging around. I sometimes do my whole chickens low and slow on the mini and then roll em around on my Performer that's ripping hot to crisp up the skin. It's not as crisp as it could be I guess, but it sure knocks off a lot of the rubbery texture and you really have that deep smoke flavor from low and slow. I've also just banged it in a hot oven under the broiler for 10 mins or so and that did the trick too and was a lot easier than having to fire up a load of coals for the Performer. Gotta watch it though, each oven is different.
 
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Chris in Louisiana said:
The biggest problems with cooking whole chickens are (1) all the ruckus when you first put them on and (2) keeping the temp low enough that the feathers don't catch fire.
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I haven't had these problems yet. Think I've noticed two small feathers on my last four birds.
 
NeilH said:
I haven't had these problems yet. Think I've noticed two small feathers on my last four birds.
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Originally Posted by Chris in Louisiana
The biggest problems with cooking whole chickens are (1) all the ruckus when you first put them on and (2) keeping the temp low enough that the feathers don't catch fire.

I think that was meant as humor aluding to putting live whole chickens on. ;)
 
Matt Gard said:
Originally Posted by Chris in Louisiana
The biggest problems with cooking whole chickens are (1) all the ruckus when you first put them on and (2) keeping the temp low enough that the feathers don't catch fire.

I think that was meant as humor aluding to putting live whole chickens on. ;)
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Ahhh, gotcha. Ok.
 
RCBaughn said:
Yeah I'm not sure the point of the posts question really since whole chickens have a whole lot of uses. Doing only breasts usually ends up with meat that is about half as juicy as dark meat and your stuck with only one flavor combination which is rather bland white meat, and if they're boneless..... Forget about it!
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I suppose my real question is: How do I get the thigh and leg meat to be moist and tender, not rubbery and chewy? The breast portion of the chickens I smoke are always delicious - but I almost always take them off right at 160-165 as to not overcook. Is there a technique to getting the whole bird as tender as the breast? Often I find myself discarding the thigh or wings or legs because it tastes too rubbery.
 
I think that breasts and thighs need to be cooked seperate to be perfect, one cooks faster and can be pulled faster. Not sure on finish temps and which cooks faster, but that's what I think.

I've always just smoked them whole instead of separating or even butterflying, but if I grill a whole chicken whole ya gotta butterfly it. Maybe a chicken pro can jump in and clarify time and internal temps for me here for a smoker though.

Btw, I think chicken is perfectly safe around 150 and is SUPER juicy, but most people aren't comfy with that. Read about that temp on Seriouseats.com
 
Tim O said:
I suppose my real question is: How do I get the thigh and leg meat to be moist and tender, not rubbery and chewy? The breast portion of the chickens I smoke are always delicious - but I almost always take them off right at 160-165 as to not overcook. Is there a technique to getting the whole bird as tender as the breast? Often I find myself discarding the thigh or wings or legs because it tastes too rubbery.
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i dont know , man. ive cooked a TON of chicken on my old brinkmann and now my WSM and i have never experienced rubbery or chewy thigh meat. seems to me its always super juicy and tender. (thats why i love it so). maybe you need to try another brand of chicken? :confused:
 
I cook my whole chickens low and slow, I never have an issue with rubbery meat, I heavily salt the skin on top of my rub and it comes out great. also, when I have done just boneless skinless breasts - they came out with a very tough exterior as low and slow temps.
 
Frank H said:
i dont know , man. ive cooked a TON of chicken on my old brinkmann and now my WSM and i have never experienced rubbery or chewy thigh meat. seems to me its always super juicy and tender. (thats why i love it so). maybe you need to try another brand of chicken? :confused:
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That could be it for sure. Last summer I paid big bucks ...$3.49 a pound for a "Free Range" chicken about 8lb. as it turned out it was a "Yard Bird", tuffest thing I ever tried to eat. In the smoker I do them vertical with our without bear can and on the grill I have done them stuffed whole but I prefer the spatchcock method. As RC says the temps are even then. 165 for me is golden, thighs or breast.
 
Gary S said:
That could be it for sure. Last summer I paid big bucks ...$3.49 a pound for a "Free Range" chicken about 8lb. as it turned out it was a "Yard Bird", tuffest thing I ever tried to eat..
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Been there and done that, but not free range, so thankfully not as an expensive a lesson. Would LOVE to get a few young free range fryers though, for butterflying and hot smoking on my 26".
 
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