How to best "hold" a chicken after smoking it

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yardbird

Meat Mopper
Original poster
Dec 25, 2011
215
19
Sanborn, NY
I have a pair of approximately 4 pound roasting chickens I'm planning to smoke tomorrow. First smoke for me and I'm new at this so pardon the dumb questions. :)

I'm figuring the chickens will take about 3 hours... maybe 4... but will stay in the smoker until they hit IT of 160-165. Planning on running the smoker at 275-300.

If they're done really, really early  (like noon) and I want to have one for dinner, should I foil/towel/rest and then let 'em cool a bit and stick 'em in the fridge?

And then how would you heat one back up for dinner? Oven at 325 for 30 minutes or so? Would that dry them out?

Maybe I should plan on them going into the smoker more like noon so they come out around 3 or 4? (Dinner's usually around 5).

Was also thinking of doing a meatloaf. Maybe I should put THAT in the smoker first and put the chickens in when that comes out (different temps).

Thoughts?  Am I being too ambitious?

Thanks,

Charlie
 
Those Chickens will go quick at 300*...2-3 hours tops. If you pull it at 155*F wrap and stick it in a Cooler...when you are 30 minutes out stick it in a 425*F oven to reheat and Crisp the Skin, take it to 165*F...JJ
 
I have held meat in a cooler for at least 5 hours and when I pulled it out it was still to hot to handle with my bear hands.  I agree with JJ if you cook close to 300 it will only take about an hour and a half to cook the chickens less if you spatchcock them.  If you want a longer smoke smoke at 225 to 250 but it is all up to you both ways will be delicious.  
 
Thank you all. Maybe it'll be a meatloaf morning and a chicken afternoon :)

Waiting for my ET-732 to arrive. It's supposed to get here today.

**edit** just checked and the ET-732 is "out for delivery" along with our new gas cooktop and my 2-sided japanese pull saw. So today is a big day for us and UPS. All from different places.... converging on us. <grin>  I *LOVE* being retired.

....and I think my wife likes havin' a wife! hahahaha
 
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I think I'm set. ET-732 arrived and I just tested both probes in ice and then in boiling water. This thing is dead on. I did notice the probes coming up to temp at different rates, but I figure that's due to differences in the probe itself. They both ended up exactly correct but there was some 10 degrees difference between them as they came up. I don't think the device is meant to be an instant read so this doesn't bother me one bit.

Ground beef and ground pork thawing. I'll make the meatloaf in the morning and get it in the smoker by 8 or 9am and when it's done, I'll put the chickens in there and we shall see how this all goes :)

Oh... and I'll use hickory with a little apple for the meatloaf smoke and apple with a little hickory for the chicken smoke.

I'll take pics (and notes) so y'all can critique this newbie on his first smoke... hehehe
 
Sounds like you plan is coming together well - good luck 
 
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