Give me your best whole chicken process!

[russmn]

Guys I've recently learned the art of making good chicken on my smoker but I've only done pieces ! in doing a whole chicken . Im looking for brine , rub , injections and temperature! Please tell me your best whole chicken process thanks

 

[akdutchguy]

Spatchcock that thing. Once you figure out how to do it it is quick. I find it helps with more even cook. The breasts get done with the legs. For brine I use 1 gallon of water and 350g salt and 125g sugar. You can add different seasons as well. The brine stays the same. I will brine for 3-4 hours. I smoke mine at 325-350. I usually do a mix of hickory and cherry. My last bird I did with alder and it turned out well. That is how I do my whole chickens.
Jason

 

[russmn]

Ohh yeah .. I've done one spatchcock chicken last year ... hmm good idea thanks! Keep em coming guys

 

[andrewv]

Spatchcocked chickens are the best. I generally use some EVOO on the skin and use some of the Weber kickin' chicken rub as well as some Weber chicken rub without spices. I've used some butter under the skin and have liked the results but for sure not a necessity. I like to smoke them around 350 or so on the kettle with hickory and cherry wood chunks. Hickory for the flavoring and cherry for the coloring. Generally only takes a few hours since it's such a high temp. Done them low and slow but the skin is so much better crispier than the rubbery stuff from lower temps.

 

[geezer]

Lots of good ways to do a chicken.

One way is to take a fresh unadulterated chicken and brine it for 24 hours or a little longer.
Two gallons of water.
One cup salt.
One cup sugar.
Pepper corns and bay leaves if you like.
Bring brine to a near boil and let cool to room temp.
Brine bird.
Spatchcock bird.
Season to taste.
Smoke over fruit wood at 275 or so until breasts reach 165.
Let rest for about 20 minutes.
Devour.
:drool

 

[geezer]

Another way is to brine bird.
Stuff with celery and a stick of butter.
Put pats of butter under skin next to breast meat.
Season to taste.
Place in foil pan with about an inch or so of chicken stock and some more butter.
Roast on grill at around 350 or a bit higher.
Baste often with stock and butter until done.
Thank me later. :drool

 

[bangster]

So far I have done a wet brine of water/salt/brown sugar. Brine for 24 hours, rinse and pat dry, wet with lemon, rub with salt, pepper, and garlic. I left it whole and put a halved lemon, halved onion, and garlic in the cavity. Smoked with mesquite at 225 for almost 4 hours. It was nice and juicy, next time I would let it go a little longer, to a higher IT, but not by much. I also cranked up the heat to 425 for the last 15 minutes to get the skin fight over worthy.

Next one will be a dry brine, and rubbed with poultry rub. I would probably use cherry or apple or the Trager gourmet blend of hickory, cherry, and maple.

I would also want to try spatchcocking it because I do like the more surface area and skin being exposed to the smoke and heat.

I want to roast one as well, higher temp, in a pan, but I think I will like it smoked better. I haven't tried roasting on the smoker not sure how much the wood flavor happens at 350 in something in a pan.

 

[geezer]

So far I have done a wet brine of water/salt/brown sugar. Brine for 24 hours, rinse and pat dry, wet with lemon, rub with salt, pepper, and garlic. I left it whole and put a halved lemon, halved onion, and garlic in the cavity. Smoked with mesquite at 225 for almost 4 hours. It was nice and juicy, next time I would let it go a little longer, to a higher IT, but not by much. I also cranked up the heat to 425 for the last 15 minutes to get the skin fight over worthy.

Next one will be a dry brine, and rubbed with poultry rub. I would probably use cherry or apple or the Trager gourmet blend of hickory, cherry, and maple.

I would also want to try spatchcocking it because I do like the more surface area and skin being exposed to the smoke and heat.

I want to roast one as well, higher temp, in a pan, but I think I will like it smoked better. I haven't tried roasting on the smoker not sure how much the wood flavor happens at 350 in something in a pan.

When roasting you'll get some smoke flavor, but not as much. When I cook in a pan I just use one chunk of smoking wood. Of course you get a bit of flavor from the charcoal too. You can taste it, but it isn't an actual smoked bird. Some of my clan prefer the butter and stock birds to a smoked one, but will gladly eat both.

I need to roast a chicken here soon. I'm hungry for one now. :drool

 

[gr0uch0]

Everything Geezer said with a point of emphasis--only brine an "unadulterated" bird. There's zero need to soak meat that has already been injected at the processing plant.

 

[geezer]

Everything Geezer said with a point of emphasis--only brine an "unadulterated" bird. There's zero need to soak meat that has already been injected at the processing plant.

Yeah and one has to search a bit for birds that haven't been dicked with. Luckily I know a butcher shop that brings in fresh chickens that have never been injected or frozen. Even these birds need an appreciable amount of time in the brine before it helps in a noticeable fashion. 8 hours? Skip it and just cook it.

 

[russmn]

I'm thinking these birds would probably do best with a simple marinade and an injection since they already have water added

 

[gr0uch0]

I'm thinking these birds would probably do best with a simple marinade and an injection since they already have water added

Same thing--they don't just have "water added": they're chock full of sodium, broth (more sodium) and "natural flavorings" (likely more sodium). Don't inject unless you have fresh, unviolated poultry: it's a waste, can be a salt overload, and can actually help dry out a bird.

 

[russmn]

I like injecting a butter and herb mix in chicken

 

[chilerelleno]

Spatchcock
Season
Cook on grill/smoker
Take pics
Eat

 

[dnvrdv]

My go to is to rub with Hughes and leave in the fridge for 4 plus hours. Then smoke them at 230 beer can style using Alder and Hickory. Usually throw on some wings rubbed with Hughes too. Quick, easy, and damn tasty.

 

[russmn]

I need some more rubs in my life .. when I started I was making them left and right .. now I just keep it basic salt pepper paprika ceyanne garlic powder brown sugar on certain things

 

[dnvrdv]

We like Hughes on just about everything. Just watch the cayenne. It varies in hot. I've learned to add it last depending on the heat of the cayenne.

 

[geezer]

I like injecting a butter and herb mix in chicken

Yeah, I like chicken stock and butter sometimes injected in the breast meat. These past couple years I've been experimenting with this on occasion. 

As Groucho eluded to, go easy on the salt, it can cause issues on chicken. 

 

[russmn]

Yeah you can always add some salt but you sure as heck can't take it away lol especially with chicken !

 

[gr0uch0]

When I buy birds/parts and they're not the same processor as I've used before (another plug for keeping a cook log), I'll cook one plain.  Nothing on or in it:  nada.  That way, I can taste just the meat, and figure out from there what I may or may not want to add on or in.