# smoking chicken



## Big Guns 1971 (Nov 7, 2013)

Can any one give me ideas for marinades to inject and seasonings to make GREAT chicken on the smoker.


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## Gfish (Aug 31, 2009)

I use a dry rub mix then let the slow mesquite smoke do the rest.


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## Avant Jour (May 22, 2014)

*Smoked Chicken...*

I just finished Smoking a Beer Up The Butt Chicken & a pk of Zumo's Party Sausage.

I used a Hickory BBQ Rub from Butcher & Packer & a Shiner Bock Locked 'n Loaded.

Smoked on Mesquite...


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## spuds (Jan 2, 2005)

From my experience, smoking a whole chicken makes the skin tougher than cooking at a higher temperature, which makes for a more crispier skin. 

And I've never noticed that beer up the butt chicken makes it any juicier or better than not. Just an excuse for the preverts out there to slam a can home........ 
:sarcasm1

I cut the backbone and neck out of a whole chicken and break it open to lie flat on the grill. Dry rub and/or inject and crank up the temp on my Traeger to about 350Â°. 

Crispy, juicy and smokey.


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## the hook (Aug 8, 2011)

spuds said:


> From my experience, smoking a whole chicken makes the skin tougher than cooking at a higher temperature, which makes for a more crispier skin.
> 
> And I've never noticed that beer up the butt chicken makes it any juicier or better than not. Just an excuse for the preverts out there to slam a can home........
> :sarcasm1
> ...


This....Beercan is a plot from the drinkers/beer distributors...Chicken cooks from the outside in, not inside out...By the time the chicken inside reaches temp, 165ish, the can is not even hot to steam, 212...waste imo, plus you have the inside ribcage that prohibits flavor from passing anyway...

Cut that baby up,add rub or shoot it with some juices and smoke a few hours at 300 or so...


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## NaClH2O (May 25, 2004)

Big Guns 1971 said:


> Can any one give me ideas for marinades to inject and seasonings to make GREAT chicken on the smoker.


I like Stubb's marinades for pretty much everything. I usually marinade for 24 hours if I can. I've given up making a good smoked chicken, though. I'm cooking at around 350 now. It makes for a juicier bird and crispy skin. Smoking at 225 or 250 will leave the skin rubbery and nasty, and I don't like that.


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## scwine (Sep 7, 2006)

Inject Tony's Creole Butter or Stubb's injection all throughout the muscle...Then use a rub all over and under the skin through the breast...
Set the whole chicken on a stand _*without*_ the beer can so the inside will get hotter. 
Cook till internal breast is 165-170 degrees...wrap or put it in a cooler for about 45-60 min. to rest.
Enjoy.


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## w_r_ranch (Jan 14, 2005)

I just rub the chicken with a light coat of olive oil & season it (sometimes just S&P, other times one of my rubs). Smoke it at 275-290 for 2.5 hours over post oak.

Skin is crispy & the meat is moist... :cheers:


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## scwine (Sep 7, 2006)

w_r_ranch said:


> I just rub the chicken with a light coat of olive oil & season it (sometimes just S&P, other times one of my rubs). Smoke it at 275-290 for 2.5 hours over post oak.
> 
> Skin is crispy & the meat is moist... :cheers:


I think my teeth just watered.. :spineyes:


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## manintheboat (Jun 1, 2004)

A basic brine helps a lot


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## CoastalOutfitters (Aug 20, 2004)

your supposed to open the beer and drink half first.

cook them till a leg bone starts to pull loose then mop and wrap, they are basically done after that, so another 30 mins is tops in the wrap

if you want a crispy outer finish don't wrap, the steam softens the skin up

read up on chicken spatchcock method, it keeps the breast meat intact and from drying out along the cut edge, my favorite style


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## CaptJack (Jun 13, 2004)

two-sided indirect in a 22"OldSmokey
keep the temp over 300Â° for crisp skin


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## Law Dog (Jul 27, 2010)

Looks good!


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## Frontier21 (Apr 30, 2014)

Big Guns 1971 said:


> Can any one give me ideas for marinades to inject and seasonings to make GREAT chicken on the smoker.


I've been messing around trying new things and our favorite has been my Cajun chicken. I brine it overnight in water with crab boil and a some garlic. Inject with Tony's Creole butter and coat with some olive oil and cover with a rub. I really am a believer in brining you're basically water logging It so drying it out isn't going to happen.


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## manintheboat (Jun 1, 2004)

some pretty good information on brining. This is more geared towards turkey, but the same thing applies for chicken, even pork.

http://www.patiodaddiobbq.com/2010/11/to-brine-or-not-to-brine.html


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## Chase4556 (Aug 26, 2008)

My favorite rub is the chicken rub from zachs spices. Most of the time, I get rave reviews.

I keep it simple, rub the outside down real well with the zachs, inject with creole butter injectable marinade, and let it cook low and slow. Slop some sauce on 15 minutes before I pull it and its good to go.


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## flatscat1 (Jun 2, 2005)

How you cook it is likely more important than what you season/inject with. 

If you want crispy skin:
1) cook at enough temp (like 375), 
2) allow the chicken to sit uncovered in the fridge overnight (dries out the skin before cooking), 
3) Rub with a little oil along with the seasoning.

Personally, I don't think injecting is worth it, especially for a chicken. Get yourself a big green egg or other ceramic smoker and your odds of delicious moist chicken improves, as these retain more moisture than a grill or traditional smoker.

And personally I think beer can chicken does indeed work. Maybe not so well if doing slow and low at 200 degrees, but I cook my chickens hotter on the green egg. Like 350 - 375 for about 1.5 hours and they are very good.


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## Daddio (Sep 6, 2006)

Injection only way to go!

All the commercial injections taste terrible!

Here's what I use;

1.5 stick real butter
Apple juice
Apple cider vinegar 
Worchestshire sauce
Accent
Beer
Splash hot sauce
Garlic pwd
Black pepper


Inject about 2 cups of this 
Rub down chick with olive oil and grill!


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## Dick Hanks (Aug 16, 2007)

w_r_ranch said:


> I just rub the chicken with a light coat of olive oil & season it (sometimes just S&P, other times one of my rubs). Smoke it at 275-290 for 2.5 hours over post oak.
> 
> Skin is crispy & the meat is moist... :cheers:


 Winner... Winner... chicken dinner!


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## Ernest (May 21, 2004)

On an egg/ceramic, chicken is crazy juicy. I cook two birds, standing up right, smoke at around 300, and then finish at 375-400 to crisp the skin. No spray during the cook.


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