Smoking a whole chicken

[tikkalover]

So, seeing's how this weekends weather looks fabulous, I'm going to smoke a whole chicken for the first time on Sunday. Thinking I would like to brine it. Anyone have any suggestions on a brine recipe, and also how long to brine it, and smoke it? Will be using my Bradly biscuit shooter to smoke it in. Thanks.

 

[huffranger]

I have smoked a couple chickens on the Treager and 24 Hrs is about max for the brine.

The bird starts getting pretty salty after that and the brine I used was some store bought mix that you simmer on the stove to melt the salts and re-hydrate the herbs then mix it with cool water and dump in a clean bucket. Can't remember where I got it, but there are a bunch out there to choose from. Amazon has some good ones.

I added apple cider vinegar and cut up a couple oranges into 1/4 pieces and squeezed the juice in the brine too.

I have a white bucket that is square, think it was a bulk frosting bucket from super value that is perfect to brine in because it fits in the fridge.

After you brine it I recommend injecting a butter and chicken bullion mix in the thicker chunks of meat.

Also look into spatchelcocking the bird, its the only way to do chicken/turkeys IMHO.....

 

[Retired-Guy]

What the F is spachtelcocking?

 

[tikkalover]

Tip #2: Spatchcock the Chicken
Instead of smoking the chicken whole, half it. By cutting the chicken in half, you increase the surface area that can absorb the smoke, and you can manage more chickens on the grates.
To spatchcock a whole chicken, remove the backbone of the bird. Use a sharp knife and cut about a half an inch from the side of the backbone all the way from the neck to the tail. Do the same to the other side of the backbone and remove it. With the backbone removed, spread the chicken out. Now, using a pairing knife gently, cut and remove the diamond-shaped breastbone so that the bird will lie flat.

Spatchcocked Chicken Ready to be Brined

- - - Updated - - -

https://youtu.be/Ppa1bxB89vg?t=132

Found this

 

[KDM]

I don't bother with brine. I like to slide some good thick cut hickory smoked bacon under the skin, stuff a whole onion in the cavity, fill the remaining space with stuffing mix, and stick in the smoker at 170-190 for 5 hours or so. Check the temp to make sure you don't cook the bird too fast. I try to smoke my chickens for at least 5 hours and end up with the bird being around 170 when I'm done. Smoked chicken doesn't suck!!

 

[huffranger]

I will be stealing the bacon under the skin trick.

Thanks KDM

 

[Lapper]

KDM knows his way around a smoker!

 

[Auggie]

Put a cheap beer up the chickens butt. Cap the neck hole with a potato. Sprinkle on your favorite seasoning liberally. Cook at 300 an hour or so until the meat reaches 165.

 

[KDM]

I will be stealing the bacon under the skin trick.

Thanks KDM

Not my trick huffranger, that's a Mrs. KDM trick. She does that with Turkeys, Geese, Ducks, and pretty much any other bird that I leave the skin on as well. It doesn't suck!! Thick cut gives you more smoke flavor and something to munch on during dinner, but the cheap stuff gives you more grease to keep the bird moist. I have been known to mix and match depending on what I'm doing. Example, cheap stuff around the legs as they dry out faster and then mostly thick cut on the breast meat with a few cheapies on top of that. Life is better with BACON!!!! I smoke mine with them on their backs so the juices from the bird and bacon get into the stuffing mix. It's easier to get a temp on the thick part of the breast meat as well when they are like that. I also use a fruit tree wood like cherry or apple for birds as it doesn't take much to oversmoke birds. Hickory or mesquite are a bit strong for fish or birds for my taste. I used apple for the chickens I did with the brisket for the Bullhead Tourney and they were magnificent if I do say so myself. Now I want to smoke a turkey. (Grin)

 

[SDMF]

Put a cheap beer up the chickens butt. Cap the neck hole with a potato. Sprinkle on your favorite seasoning liberally. Cook at 300 an hour or so until the meat reaches 165.

For the "Smoker Deficient" folks (I don't have a smoker), you can use your regular grill and an Amazin' Smoker Tube filled with pellets and cold-smoke before adding any real heat. The short tube will give you ~90min of smoke and the long about twice that much. Once the cold-smoke is done, just do the beer can thing Auggie described above.

My Green Egg grill is about half-way between a gas grill and a true smoker. I get the coals burning good, add the diffuser with a small tinfoil pan of apple-juice under it. Put the chicken over a beer and onto the grate. Throw in a few wet chunks of whatever smoking wood I have handy (usually Mesquite or Apple), turn the air way down and level off the temp @ 225-250 then let it ride until the temp in the thickest part of the breast is 165ish.

 

[2400]

I like all the good ideas and recipes in here BUT where the hell do you get big enough papers to roll the chickens in?

 

[SDMF]

I like all the good ideas and recipes in here BUT where the hell do you get big enough papers to roll the chickens in?

Any local hotel usually has several day-old copies of USA Today.

 

[tikkalover]

I can find paper big enough to roll it in. My problem is how to keep it lit. :;:smokin

 

[LBrandt]

I can find paper big enough to roll it in. My problem is how to keep it lit. :;:smokin

Puff baby puff.

 

[PrairieGhost]

I like smoke so I don't do whole chickens. My favorite is to go to the store and buy the five pound package of thighs. Skin them then rub them down with 50/50 salt and brown sugar and place in container in fridge overnight. Then to the oven at 325 for one hour. Then into the smoker already running with heavy smoke for two hours.

I have a couple of smokers, but still use the little chef often. The electric unit burned out and for the past three years I simply set the pan on an electric charcoal starter inside the little chef. It actually gives me more smoke than the original heater in the little chef. I use it more often than the new Masterbuilt.

 

[tikkalover]

Got the smoker loaded up! Decided to add some brined chops and some bacon wrapped jalapeño poppers

 

[tikkalover]

I wished you were able to, that would mean you are on this side of the big pond. I think it will be gone by the time you make it here though. ;:;boozer

 

[Ericb]

Read this thread as we were waking up this morning and I told the wife she could take the night off as I was going to smoke some birds Mrs. KDM style. Stopped by the store after hickey practice and was reminded that whole birds usually come frozen. So tomorrow! Dan's did have pork shoulder's on sale. Should get a couple meals out of it any way. Not bad for $15. Also threw some Jalapeno poppers on for a early snack.

 

[PrairieGhost]

hickey practice

Are you getting better?

 

[tikkalover]

Here’s the end result





Chicken brined for 20 hours in water, apple juice, salt, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder and pepper, then seasoned with Tennessee whiskey chicken rub then smoked for 4 hours with a combination of cherry and apple wood. Poppers were smoked for an hour then baked in the oven to get the bacon crispy. Garden fresh potatoes baked with bacon and topped with shredded cheese. :;:rockit..........I ate to much!

As far as the pork chops go, I will determine the favor of those tomorrow night for supper.