# Smoked Jerk Chicken



## otis857 (Apr 28, 2012)

I am planning a cookout tomorrow for some friends from Canada. They hooked me up last year with a great fishing trip and a freezer full of halibut & salmon (not _full_, I wish) so I really owe them. Im doing 3 racks of pork ribs, some ABTs and Im going to do some Jerk Chicken. I dont know if any of you have used this recipe for Jerk Marinade, but it is excellent;

http://caribbeanpot.com/a-classic-jamaican-jerk-marinade/

I grilled some ribeyes with an overnight marinade last weekend with it for the first time, and all I can say is OOOHHH YAAAA!

Its been a while since Ive smoked chicken, and Im just a weekend warrior with my smoker, so what kind of smoke times can I expect for Thighs & breasts? Since Im doing ribs too, the temps will be down to 225 degrees. Also, Im smoking them skinless, to get all of the marinade flavor on, as well as in the meat. And I still haven't mastered the cure for rubber chicken skin.

Thanks


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## oldschoolbbq (Apr 28, 2012)

Otis, We really need more info. , like -are they to be 'whole' Chickens , pieces , or strips???

What are you Cooking them in???Gas ? Charcoal ? Wood ? Elect.?

And (_surely)_ you have good calibrated thermometers , so for now all I can tell you is cook the Breast to 165*f  , the Thighs to 165*f or the joint of the leg and thigh moves easily and the juices are clear(easier to go by temp.!!!).

Send us some Q-view of them , and your Cooker and someone will pick-up the ball and steer you better ,

I'm doing some Birds tomorrow, and  I will post the progress.

Meanwhile , have fun and.......


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## frosty (Apr 28, 2012)

oldschoolbbq said:


> Otis, We really need more info. , like -are they to be 'whole' Chickens , pieces , or strips???
> 
> What are you Cooking them in???Gas ? Charcoal ? Wood ? Elect.?
> 
> ...










Oldschoolbbq has you covered.  Go get 'em!


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## otis857 (Apr 29, 2012)

Sorry, I am cooking about a dozen thighs, 6 whole breasts, all skinless along with the 3 racks of ribs on a masterbuilt XL gas smoker. I'll be using pecan wood chunks and I do have a Maverick 732 dual probe thermometer.

I know about the temps for chicken being done.  Im mainly looking for a guide to time it will take. Especially in relation to the ribs, which I know are 6- 6,1/2 hours. Usually I cook chicken at 275 and havent cooked thighs at the lower temps since i first started, but those days are foggy.

I'll drag out the camera and get a Q view going in the morning. The chicken is in the fridge in that great Jerk marinade. You really should try it. Good stuff.


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## scarbelly (Apr 29, 2012)

Hello Otis - I checked out the recipe for the jerk and it looks great. It is very close to the one I used here http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/a/jamacian-jerked-wings   IMHO chicken should not be smoked skinless as it dries it out for my taste.  I smoke the chicken at 275 as well because that is where my smoker tops out. 

Here is a link on the ribs http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/a/jamacian-jerked-wings


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## otis857 (Apr 29, 2012)

Thanks Scarbelly for weighing in,

I'll have to check out your recipe when I get a minute. Usually I do smoke chicken at 275, but Im also doing ribs and ABTs so the smoker will be running pretty full today. Thats why Im running a lower temp in the smoker.

As for cooking the chicken skinless, Im hoping that the coating this marinade makes when you leave it on (called for in the recipe) will make a nice semi hard crust on the chicken. It did on the ribeyes I grilled last weekend. Plus, I will be misting it with a mix of apple, pineapple juice & bourbon throughout the cook. The skin is a challenge for me to get it acceptable, and it does keep the juice in better, but we usually end up tossing it out & eating it skinless. But in doing that, I lose 1/2 of the dry rub seasoning thats on the skin. I'll get that figured out someday. It just takes time and experimentation, which Im all for!

So the central question for me is how long am I going to have to smoke the chicken (breasts & thighs) at 225 to reach 165 degrees internal temp? Best guestimate? Im trying to coordinate cooking times somewhat closely so it all comes out of the smoker around the same time.


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