Could cold smoking help the solution?

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bubba96

Fire Starter
Original poster
Dec 2, 2013
38
10
saginaw,michigan
Hey there everybody i have another question like usual. So if any of you know i dont have that great of a smoker well for poultry at least lol. When ever i smoke poultry the skin turns out rubbery. But the thing is I own a amazen pellet cold smoker. So i was wondering if i could cold smoke the poultry and give it that smoke flavor and then put it in the oven to cook? Just a question i would ask first before trying it. Answers would be great if anybody has any!
 
Be careful doing anything with chicken at low temps.  If you mean smoking at 100 degrees for 5 or 6 hours before putting in the oven I wouldn't do it.

I have been cooking chicken at 300 - 325 degrees and it comes out fine.  The skin isn't crisp but it is delicious.  As previously mentioned you can do a couple of hours at 225 - 240 then go into an oven to finish.

Good luck
 
 
  No need to "cold-smoke" it. Just smoke it to nearly done, then pop it in a preheated oven or on a hot grill. to finish.

Chuck
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 but make sure that it is fully cooked before crisping up the skin.
 
Wade

Why does it have to come to temp before grilling?    I would think that as long as the process is timely and the chicken comes to proper temperature before removing it from the grill/oven you will be fine. 
 
 
Hey there everybody i have another question like usual. So if any of you know i dont have that great of a smoker well for poultry at least lol. When ever i smoke poultry the skin turns out rubbery. But the thing is I own a amazen pellet cold smoker. So i was wondering if i could cold smoke the poultry and give it that smoke flavor and then put it in the oven to cook? Just a question i would ask first before trying it. Answers would be great if anybody has any!
Your question is interesting and may stir up a few different answers & opinions.

We prefer Beer Can Chicken over Smoked Chicken, because we like the crispy skin

So, how do you get a smokey flavor on chicken, when it cooks relatively quickly?

I "Cold Smoke" whole chicken for 1 hour and then grill it until 165° internal.

The grilling process usually takes 45 minutes to an hour @ 350°-400° to get to 165° internal temp.

We end up with a great smokey flavor and a chicken with crispy skin.

If you're cold smoking steaks, chops or burgers before you grill them, it's called "Reverse Searing".

There are other factors to take into consideration like how the chicken was thawed and how long the chicken has been out of the fridge.

This very subject has been discussed on other boards, and there does not seem to be a definitive answer.  If you're nervous about smoking meat without any heat, smoke at 180° - 225° for a couple hours, and then finish at 350°.

Todd
 
There were a couple discussions a while back regarding the amount of smoke cold meat takes on vs. room temp meat.  I gave it a try, and for me, it seems that cold meat takes on more smoke.  Maybe it's real or just my imagination?????

I believe if you're conscious about your prep and how long your food is not being cooked, you can do this process safely.

Another thing to consider, is to NOT stick a probe into your meat until the internal hits 140°.  You take a chance on forcing any surface bacteria deep into the meat.  This is a hard habit to break!!
 
You can't smoke fowl and get crisp skin, just like you can't use an electric smoker and get a smoke ring. It is just not going to happen unless you find a way to get around it like grilling the last 15 mins. or using a fire breather at 325+ to get crisp skin.

IMHO, smoking involves too low a temp.its highly discussed but by my way of thinking smoking is about from 90 to 275 degrees, grilling is about 400+, and everything in the middle could be called No man's land or BBQ temps. Smoking is low and slow and the highs and lows of that low and slow depend upon your smoker. Most electrics don't go over 300 so thats hot to me.

Back to the bandaids, like above mentoned you can pull early and roast in the oven or throw on a grill looking for a crisp skin. Sorry I ramble alot.

I don't have rubbery skin, I wash and clean, pat dry the night before. Then I leave it in the reefer uncovered. You know how that dehydrates the skin. Then the next day when I go to smoke it, it has a nice pellicle, the skin is dry, so I hit it with a tad of oil and masage it in, my Pop always called that suntan lotion. It help keep the skin from drying and breaking just in case you over cook it. Its not crisp, but its not rubbery.
 
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Honestly, I like chicken cooked quickly on the grill, that's why we like beer can chicken.  Rubbing the skin with olive oil helps too

IMHO: smoking chicken for a long time at low temps seems to dry out the meat.   This does not mean it can't be done, just that I have not had good luck with this method.  That said, I will smoke a whole turkey or turkey breast at 225° - 250° in my pellet grill, then finish it off at at 375°+.  I also inject the breasts with white wine and butter to keep them moist.

Brining a chicken or turkey certainly helps retain moisture, but does nothing for the skin.  You still need to use oil on the skin if you want any chance of crispy skin when it's done, unless you finish it off on a grill at high temps

P.S.  I used to absolutely HATE leftover chicken or turkey, but after figuring out a method to smoke it, we really like the flavor
 
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Bubba , you have gotten some great feed back.  IMHO , I feel a few more Chicken cooks using tips from our members and you'll hit the right procedure for your Smoker (and or Grill).

I suggest keeping a record of your cooks giving info. such as prep. , seasonings , heat cooked at , time of cooking , IT and any other parameter you want to include.

This is a great tool for polishing your techniques
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 .

Send some Q-view of your equipment and the things you have cooked .  I hope this helps and don't give-up .

So , practice and . . .
 
Yup, I Agree!!

Keep a record of what you're doing, and you'll put together a great combination that works for you

Todd
 
That's some sound advice you've been given so far. The only thing I disagree with is needing to add oil to the skin to get it to crisp. Sure it helps but it isn't required if smoking at a higher temp.

Drying the skin helps a bunch. If you don't have overnight to do it in the fridge like Foam suggests, you can use a hair dryer on low to get it dried up.

IMHO if I have TBS coming out of the smoker, I'm smoking no matter what the temp of the pit is. So I always hot smoke my birds 350-425.

Ever tried smoker Fried chicken? It's tasty!
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/157652/smoker-fried-chicken
 
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That's some sound advice you've been given so far. The only thing I disagree with is needing to add oil to the skin to get it to crisp. Sure it helps but it isn't required if smoking at a higher temp.

Drying the skin helps a bunch. If you don't have overnight to do it in the fridge like Foam suggests, you can use a hair dryer on low to get it dried up.

IMHO if I have TBS coming out of the smoker, I'm smoking no matter what the temp of the pit is. So I always hot smoke my birds 350-425.

Ever tried smoker Fried chicken? It's tasty!
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/157652/smoker-fried-chicken
I never tried smoked fried chicken, but we did smoke a turkey, and finish it in the deep fryer.  That was the best bird I've ever had!
 
As much as I'm a summertime, shorts wearing, flip flop kind of guy, I've been looking forward to fall & winter for one reason - cold smoking. Just broke out the AMAZN smoker last weekend for the first round of cheese with another going in today.

Here in Michigan we have several months (way too many) of weather that gets nowhere near or above 40. Once that sets in I'll be cold smoking chicken and likely some turkey (and probably some other stuff) to put in the freezer for future use. I've got the MB dual fuel so winter time smoking isn't a problem but there are some days I just don't want to go outside.
 
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