Rubs for Chicken. To do or not to do... that is the question.

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smoke_chef

Smoking Fanatic
Original poster
SMF Premier Member
Feb 22, 2008
620
14
Marble Falls, AR
Hey all... My family almost always removes the skin on a chicken before eating anyway. So, should I even mess with a rub? Does it sever any purpose other than flavoring the skin? I did two chickens tonight, each with a different rub. I ate some of the skin and they both tasted darn good but the meat of each chicken tasted pretty much the same.

What do you guys think?
 
If you want to apply a rub, slide your hand gently under the skin of the chicken and pull it slightly back from the meat. Then you will be able to apply the rub directly to the meat where it will benefit the most from it, otherwise you are mostly just flavoring the skin.

You can also brine the bird for a lot of added moisture and flavor or get yourself a flavor injector and inject some brine, or flavor enhancers into the meat.
 
What Ron said, but I usually add some garlic mixed w/ olive oil and fresh basil too, YUM
 
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I inject my birds with butter and spices.
Then I rub the excess on the bird and sprinkle a little poultry seasoning for garnishment.
 
i encounter the same problem. if u did beer can chicken, try putting additional spices in the beer. i put liquid crab boil in one and it added some cajun type flavor.
 
This is what I do frequently. And I too am a skin remover:

I take a couple cheap roasting chix and remove the backbone (you've probably heard the term here: spatchcock. Same thing.) Butterfly them and remove the inner bones: The sternum, ribs, and anything else resembling a bone. It takes a really sharp boning knife to remove the inner bones without making a mess, but still easy enough. Then I whip up some butter, chopped garlic, and thyme. Then grab a handful of the butter mixture and poke it under any skin you can get your fingers underm but especially near the white meat (Ron describes this above). Be careful not to break the skin, as this will keep the butter up against the bird

Next, and this is where the veterans are going to shake their heads: Lay the chicken, skin side down on some foil. Roll the foil up to the edges of the chicken to fabricate a chicken boat. Drizzle EVOO over the meat side of the bird and add any rub you were thinking about adding. I use chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, CBP, and just a little salt.

Smoke at 225-275 until the bird hits 165 in the thigh (it will carry the rest of the way there, but if you're worried, cook to 170). You will find that since you are laying the bird out flat, the thigh and breast will reach chicken safe temps a little faster and more evenly. Baste the chicken with something oily and wet every 45 minutes or so. I also sometimes place a few strips of bacon to keep it moist. By placing the bird skin side down, much of the skin will render down, adding moisture and allowing you to remove it easier when serving.

For added flavor, I mix up Jeff's sauce and baste it on the meat side of the bird once it hits 155. I do this about every 15 minutes.
 
I like to remove the skin to then add the rub. Sometimes I will use some lime or lemmon juice to hold the rub or chilly oil. I put the chicken in a bag then add the rub and shake the bag. The bags that comefrom the store work well.
The beer can chicken works well with the same rubs plus I add salt or old bay or what ever to the beer. I also add some more hole to the can plus suck down half the beer. Also try adding a half lemmon or apples to the bird before you smoke. I don't think you can go wrong the what sounds good.
 
All good advice. Thanks to everyone. I'm going to try it all the ways mentioned. As much as my family LOVES ribs and other awesome cuts, I think chicken will be on the smoker the most to keep the healthiness up and the expense down.

So many chickens... So little time.

Franklin
 
A rub on a chicken your smokin and removin the skin on won't give you as much flavor as your brine and or injectin. Doesn't hurt a thing to rub'em though! The best advice I can give you is to experiment with it some, try different seasonings in your brine and also give injecting a try. As for spices, start with what you like but don't be afraid to stray outside the box! After all, there is no such thing as bad "Q" only good q, better q and great q!
 
put the rub under the skin next time
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it work's pretty good , leave skin on for the whole cook cause it also help's keep moisture in the bird . if you brine and rub under skin the skin acts as a foil somewhat and help's distribute the flavor's more into the meat mostly breast area i know under rubbing the leg's and thigh's is a pain in the arse....but it work's and keep's the gal's happy cause they dont need the skin on to get the flavors
 
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