smoked chicken

[nordo0]

Should I smoke my chicken breast up or breast down and at what temp. 

    7 pound bird.

 Len

 

[Dutch]

nordo0- When I smoke any poultry, I try to get my smoker up into the 300° to 325° range. Doing this will help crisp up the skin whereas cooking it low and slow will leave the skin rubbery.

The reason for doing poultry hot and fast is that chickens are slaughtered at a fairly young age and they don't have the connective tissues that beef and pork have.

Also take into consideration that a brined bird will cook faster than a fresh, uninhanced bird.

As for breast side up or down-chickens I do breast side up-turkeys because of their larger size, I'll start breast side down and halfway through I'll flip it breast side up. 

 

[SmokinAl]

You may want to try beer can chicken. It works for us every time, and like Dutch we smoke ours at 300-325.

 

[nordo0]

Thanks guys

 

[ecto1]

X2 on all that advice may I add since your bird is so large you may want to spatchcock it in order to ensure it cooks evenly.  I find roasters like that the breast can take a while since they are so big.    

 

[nordo0]

What is spatchcock?

 

[chef jimmyj]

I did a 8lb Oven Stuffer at 225*F, Breast side up, and it hit 140 in 2 hours. So I don't think you need to worry...Spatchcocking is cutting along both sides of the spine, removing it and flatening the bird to increase surface area...Cooks faster...JJ

 

[nordo0]

  Thank you

  Len