# Nekkid Chicken Foamheart



## foamheart (Jan 15, 2014)

I suggest to every new smoker that they do a nekkid chicken first because its easy and so you can tell what a plain smoked chicken tastes like.

After a proper drying time, oiled the outside, salt and peppered both inside and out. Legs tied, wings tucked. This 6 lb. chicken was smoked with cherry/pecan at a temperature of 275 degrees (it actually said at one point 300, never saw it that high before). I pulled it at 163 IT high was 167, rested 30 mins.

This is a smoked "Nekkid Chicken", it just don't get any better. You may smoke one differently, a different profile or a different set of modifiers but you can't smoke one any better.  I had to break out the wet/dry shop vac to catch all the juices!













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One more time?













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If that doesn't impress your friends and family. Sell your smoker and call pizza hut.

It ain't brain surgery, I would show you the Bear-View but I see no need in torturing you. Not everyone got to smoke for supper tonight.

You may make it different, but you just can't do better. Nekkid Chicken IMHO the best thing to start smoking with.


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## pc farmer (Jan 15, 2014)

That's one beautiful bird Foam.

I do mine spatched but keep the seasoning simple.


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## woodcutter (Jan 15, 2014)

Good looking supper!


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## shtrdave (Jan 15, 2014)

What kind of smoke did you use to get such a nice looking meal?


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## WaterinHoleBrew (Jan 15, 2014)

Your eating good tonite :drool.  Nice bird, WHB


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## dirtsailor2003 (Jan 15, 2014)

Hmmmm, Cherry and Pecan, where have I heard that before :)! 

Looks great Foam!  Just getting ready to pull my Spatchy off the smoker, report to follow in the AM! This is going to be a tough chicken smoke to beat(hopefully not tough, but dripping juicy, to beat!)


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## foamheart (Jan 15, 2014)

c farmer said:


> That's one beautiful bird Foam.
> 
> I do mine spatched but keep the seasoning simple.


Thank you, it just the simplest thing you can do after seasoning your smoker...... and its delicious.


Woodcutter said:


> Good looking supper!


Thank you sir, its just hard to be a nicely smoked yardbird.


shtrdave said:


> What kind of smoke did you use to get such a nice looking meal?


That is Cherry/Pecan I thought I would try it because someone I know said how good it was with chicken. It is pretty tastee!


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## foamheart (Jan 15, 2014)

WaterinHoleBrew said:


> Your eating good tonite
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thank ye Thank ye, yeppers makes ya wonder what all the poor folks is eattin!


dirtsailor2003 said:


> Hmmmm, Cherry and Pecan, where have I heard that before :)!
> 
> Looks great Foam! Just getting ready to pull my Spatchy off the smoker, report to follow in the AM! This is going to be a tough chicken smoke to beat(hopefully not tough, but dripping juicy, to beat!)


Ya know I smilled when I picked my wood tonite. My AMPS worked flawlessly, I think I got a haunted one that works only when its happy!

BTW the chickens were all running about 6lbs per bird this week and .79/#.


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## disco (Jan 15, 2014)

I am not getting my subscribed notices again and could have easily missed this post of simple elegance. Well done foam. I kneel at the foot of a master.

Disco


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## dirtsailor2003 (Jan 15, 2014)

Disco said:


> I am not getting my subscribed notices again and could have easily missed this post of simple elegance. Well done foam. I kneel at the foot of a master.
> 
> Disco



Subscriptions???? Yeah haven't been getting those for months. If I do it's pretty spotty...


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## foamheart (Jan 15, 2014)

Disco said:


> I am not getting my subscribed notices again and could have easily missed this post of simple elegance. Well done foam. I kneel at the foot of a master.
> 
> Disco


Why thank you Sir.  But everyone should be able to handle a Nekkid Chicken!


dirtsailor2003 said:


> Subscriptions???? Yeah haven't been getting those for months. If I do it's pretty spotty...


I feel so much better, I thought all ya'll big boys just didn't like me.


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## phillip p smith (Jan 17, 2014)

Is the necked chicken skin tough or mushy or crispy in its final smoked condition?


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## oldschoolbbq (Jan 17, 2014)

Nice , I like a good Cherry/Maple smoked Bird . Nothing more than S/P .
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





  Thanks for the reminder Foamheart...

Have fun and as always . . .


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## junkcollector (Jan 18, 2014)

sometimes less is more....  sure does look good.


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## africanmeat (Jan 18, 2014)

looks great & nice colour .


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## foamheart (Jan 18, 2014)

Phillip P Smith said:


> Is the necked chicken skin tough or mushy or crispy in its final smoked condition?


 I started smoking chickens on a electric at about 275 for the first 30 to 45 mins. then reduced to about 225 to finish out the smoke 30+ years ago. These are approx. because I never had a thermometer on the smoker or a meat thermometer to check it, just came from experience and listening to those I learned from. Hey, had some one told my Pop smoking would be electronic or hooked to a computer, he'd have told everyone who said it while laughing his ..... well every one would have laughed at ya.

This chicken's skin was not really crisp, although it wasn't rubbery. It was like biting thru a thin piece of paper. I thought it pleasant. Had it been a turkey which cooked longer it would have definitely be crisper. Had it dehydrated overnight I the reefer yes, it would have been crisp. BUT this was to demonstrate the come home from work throw it on the grill kind of cook. Which is what most of us have the ability to do. Smoking doesn't have to take 6+ hours and a days worth of planning.


oldschoolbbq said:


> Nice , I like a good Cherry/Maple smoked Bird . Nothing more than S/P .
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks Oldschool, Means a lot coming from a master, AND nice to see you back on the boards more. We missed ya.

I did the pecan/cherry thinking Case would see it, it sounded good and was. Although anything with pecan is good for me on anything. Long before pellets when grilling I would pick up in the yard a handful of old pecan shells and throw on the charcoal while cooking. Never a predominate taste, but you always knew some smoke had caressed the meat.


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## phillip p smith (Jan 18, 2014)

Do pecan shells have the same smoky taste or flavor as pecan wood?


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## foamheart (Jan 18, 2014)

Phillip P Smith said:


> Do pecan shells have the same smoky taste or flavor as pecan wood?


IMHO yes, I have been using them for years and years. Although I have been known to throw dead twigs in too...LOL

I keep buckets of pecan shells from peeling 'em every year from our trees. I actually threw on the burn pile some huge limbs that broke off last fall in a storm. Shells are fine.


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## smokeusum (Jan 18, 2014)

Phillip P Smith said:


> Do pecan shells have the same smoky taste or flavor as pecan wood?



Yea, what he asked, we love pecan, but it's not a friendly wood (for me, at least) to smoke with... It always burst in to flames in the middle of a smoke!! It's a dense wood and it's just been a struggle for me.


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## phillip p smith (Jan 18, 2014)

Well done!!!    Found a very ready source for my favorite smoke!! Thanks!


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## foamheart (Jan 18, 2014)

junkcollector said:


> sometimes less is more....  sure does look good.


Its a nekkid chicken, its "what's for supper?", when ya don't have anything planned. Smoking doesn't need to be brines and marinades and injections and planning and long smokes and exact timing. Its a salt and pepper and about 2 1/2 hours.


africanmeat said:


> looks great & nice colour .


Thank you sir, but I didn't do it, it just comes natural. Hard to mess up just an ol'Nekkid Chicken.

Yes sir, its a little lighter than pecan smoke alone would be, and I swear I can see a red cherry color in the color too. It was pretty tastee! (Grrrr..... I hate this auto-correct!, it don't spell like I talk! LOL)


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## bdskelly (Jan 18, 2014)

Oh man… Beautiful. I've been in N O all week. Thought smelled something good blowing from your way. 

B


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## no quarter bbq (Aug 3, 2014)

Well...  I had a Nekkid Chix fail.  I pretty much went by the book.  The only variant would be that I used a small amount of my favorite chicken seasoning to lightly season the bird.  All else according to instructions.  I smoked the bird strictly using apple wood.  See the below photos for my story...

One washed, dried and clean 6lb bird













Dried.jpg



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Got her all tied and seasoned













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What I like to use when cooking chix in my electric rotisserie













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Pretty bird...pretty bird...  IT Breast 160 - Leg 181 and rising!!













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Hmm...  what went wrong?  Rechecked temps, all good













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The meat was to temp but the cavity had a huge ocean of blood!  Drained the cavity and put the bird back in the 275ish degree smoker for about 20 mins.













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Cavity juice check...   nice and clear.  Let the bird rest 30 mins













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Lil dry in both the breast and leg.  Paper like skin with some rubbery areas.  Nice smokey taste the seasoning didnt come through at all













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Final words...   While I appreciate and enjoyed the experience, I shall from here forward cook my chix in my electric rotisserie.  It comes out 100 times better.  However, I plan to de-meat this bird and make what I believe will be some amazing chix salad.  I actually can't wait!!.  I am all ears for suggestions and tips as I'm sure that I'm not the first and only one that this has happened to. 

Beautiful color

Amazing aroma

Hopefully some delicious smoked chicken salad.

Ok, that's it...  let er rip!


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## foamheart (Aug 3, 2014)

No Quarter BBQ said:


> Well...  I had a Nekkid Chix fail.  I pretty much went by the book.  The only variant would be that I used a small amount of my favorite chicken seasoning to lightly season the bird.  All else according to instructions.  I smoked the bird strictly using apple wood.  See the below photos for my story...
> 
> Pretty bird...pretty bird...  IT Breast 160 - Leg 181 and rising!!
> 
> ...


I have no idea how you can have so much blood comming out a chicken that crested 165 in the breast. I have never seen uncooked chicken when the breast is brought up to the safe temperature. I can't see anything wrong, You dried it inside and out, you rubed it with oil, you used a steady 275, bird should be done at 165 IT breast.

To my knowledge you are the first to try it with a problem.

All I can say is I am sorry. Its never happened to me. Did you check the box temperature ? Its not off by much, maybe your box is running just a little hot. But still it reached the safe temp of 165. I am at a loss.


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## welshrarebit (Aug 3, 2014)

I'd suggest checking the accuracy of your thermometer. There's no way that bird was cooked to 165! 

I also never tie my birds up. In fact I stretch the legs out to separate the thighs a little from the body. It helps the bird get done at the same time, breast and thigh. While its not that big a deal with chickens I always do that to turkeys. I worked at a place that had turkey every week for Sunday brunch and I've done hundreds if not thousands of them.

I'm betting where the thigh met the body wasnt cooked...


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## no quarter bbq (Aug 3, 2014)

Welshrarebit said:


> I'd suggest checking the accuracy of your thermometer. There's no way that bird was cooked to 165!
> 
> I also never tie my birds up. In fact I stretch the legs out to separate the thighs a little from the body. It helps the bird get done at the same time, breast and thigh. While its not that big a deal with chickens I always do that to turkeys. I worked at a place that had turkey every week for Sunday brunch and I've done hundreds if not thousands of them.
> 
> I'm betting where the thigh met the body wasnt cooked...


Hi Welshrarebit,

I do have a new fancy thermometer on it's way in the mail however the one that I used today has given me good performance with past grills.  (I wanted a double with long range remote)  Somehow it seemed as though the meat was cooked through but the cavity wasn't receiving the same heat.  Maybe because it was tied and gagged it sealed off that area from getting cooked.  I'm confident the meat was cooked through to temp.  I'll leave the bird unbound the next chix smoke I attempt and see if that doesn't solve my problem.   

***Quick note and follow up.  I did make chicken salad with it and as I was breaking down the chicken, the meat, especially closer to the bottom, was tender and moist.  As I mixed up all of the pieces and combined juices I had a good amount of tender chicken to add to my recipe.  The chicken salad was as I had hoped...  absolutely superb!  Definitely not a complete loss but would love to know what the river of blood was all about.  We'll see with the new fancy thermometer. 

Thanks for the feedback!


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## no quarter bbq (Aug 3, 2014)

Foamheart said:


> I have no idea how you can have so much blood comming out a chicken that crested 165 in the breast. I have never seen uncooked chicken when the breast is brought up to the safe temperature. I can't see anything wrong, You dried it inside and out, you rubed it with oil, you used a steady 275, bird should be done at 165 IT breast.
> 
> To my knowledge you are the first to try it with a problem.
> 
> All I can say is I am sorry. Its never happened to me. Did you check the box temperature ? Its not off by much, maybe your box is running just a little hot. But still it reached the safe temp of 165. I am at a loss.


Hey Foamheart,

I feel like I'm reporting to the teacher with a low quiz score.  Ha!  See my response to Welshrarebit.  I think he may be on to something with  me strapping up the bird.  Maybe it was all too tight.  The three things that I take away from this are that 1)  I got to use my smoker  2) I made some fantastic chicken salad and 3) I had fun.  I'll try it again in the near future and see if I can't  fix it with a few adjustments.  The worst that can happen is that I make some killer chicken salad right?  ;)

***The one note that I am highlighting is that the blood did not seep from the bottom of the bird, I poured every bit of it out of the cavity.  Next go-round, I'm gonna pull the bird early, empty the cavity and then continue smoking to the proper meat temp.  My theory (and I may be wrong) is that the heat portion of the smoking process starts from the outside in.  I believe that the meat reached temp but the center cavity didn't and never cooked those juices until I reduced the volume of the blood.  After that, 20 mins and she was all done.  But by then it was too late to pull when needed.  Hope that makes sense.


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## paprika pal (Aug 4, 2014)

Guys I have seen this when there was some ice in the cavity. We did about 30 birds for a Husker a Football party and one of the birds was not completely thawed. Everything was to temp but there was blood in the cavity just like you noticed. Just an FYI


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