Smokin' help

Bullldawg78

All-Conference
Aug 30, 2018
1,748
1,436
113
Wife got 50lbs of whole chickens from a friend. Thinking of smoking whole chickens, no experience with it any suggestions, rub, temp, time, etc....? Thanks in advance pack.
 
Sep 21, 2017
975
760
93
What type of equipment are you working with? Also do you plan on doing with all that cooked chicken? For example are you going to cook it all at once to be consumed shortly after or do you plan on cooking and freezing?
 

Bullldawg78

All-Conference
Aug 30, 2018
1,748
1,436
113
Sorry I should have clarified electric smoker, only doing one to try it out, just have never done a whole bird
 

dorndawg

Heisman
Sep 10, 2012
9,355
10,680
113
Wife got 50lbs of whole chickens from a friend. Thinking of smoking whole chickens, no experience with it any suggestions, rub, temp, time, etc....? Thanks in advance pack.


Glad you came here and not the Mississippi Legislature.
 

Bud.sixpack

Redshirt
Aug 24, 2012
218
0
0
Temp 225, put temp probe in thickest part of breast, 165 internal, use any rub you like, I like 2 Brothers
 

oxfordrebel22

Sophomore
Oct 31, 2013
1,928
134
63
Whatever rub you like will work. Brine chicken if possible before smoking. I think it makes a noticeable difference.

Smoke at 225°-250° until 165° internally. If you check it and it’s at 161° or something you can go ahead and pull it, it’ll finish cooking internally. If you’ve got a brush or mop mix your favorite bbq sauce with a little juice or something and mop it on the chicken every 15 minutes or so after it’s smoked for around 2 hours.
 

Dawgtruc

Junior
Sep 8, 2018
1,117
232
58
Drunk Chicken. With half a can of beer (i have a rack that holds the can perfectly)

You'll never do a whole chicken any other way.

I inject with garlic butter, and rub the cavity with Tony Chachere's.

Put a small onion in the neck hole and smoke for 1 1/2 hours.
 

Trojanbulldog19

All-American
Aug 25, 2014
10,134
5,914
113
Spatchcock them, rub them with some good rub, throw em in 225 with cherry or applewood, let smoke for a few hours (4-6) until you get to 165.
 

aTotal360

Heisman
Nov 12, 2009
22,515
16,259
113
I had a 4 star Michelin give me the best chicken recipe

Marinate it Dale's for 72 hours, grill it till well done, serve with A-1.
 

cfree3434

All-Conference
Jan 14, 2021
1,126
2,501
113
Some good advice on the page so far. I spatchcock, put your favorite rub on while you get your smoker ready, put a thermal probe in the thickest part of the breast and smoke about 250-275 degrees until an IT of 150. Then, I crank up the temp on the grill to about 350-400 and finish it to an IT of 165 at this temp range to try and crisp up the skin. If you don't have a grill to ride the temp up with, you can just smoke it to 165.
 

57stratdawg

Heisman
Dec 1, 2004
148,692
24,546
113
I would set a higher temp than most have mentioned so far. Especially with that much weight on the grill. I tend to smoke Chicken around 300 to get the skin a little crispy. Anything under that and it might turn out rubbery.
 

o_LandDawg

Redshirt
Sep 1, 2009
339
9
18
All good recipe advice and I would try them all, but brine that bird. it has made a complete difference for me.
 

PapaDawg

Senior
Nov 19, 2014
821
762
93
Brining works best for chicken. I brine a whole chicken a minimum of 12 hours. Sometimes i brine it up to 24 hours (turkey breast).
You can add all kinds of airomatics, but the basics are water, a cup of kosher salt, and a half cup of brown sugar. You Tube is your friend.
I smoke a whole bird 225-275F until the internal temp reaches 165F. The smoke usually takes about 1.5-1.75 hours.
 

mcdawg22

Heisman
Sep 18, 2004
13,652
12,156
113
One rub that I have fallen in love with lately is Malcolm Reed’s Jammin Jamaican Jerk. It is fantastic!
 

dawgman42

All-American
Jul 24, 2007
6,303
6,451
113
^^^THIS. Brining has made all of my chicken amazing, and I'm kicking myself for not doing it more in the past.
 

patdog

Heisman
May 28, 2007
60,467
31,680
113
Really, as long as you don't overcook it, it's going to be hard to mess it up. I've had real good success with just indirect heat on a regular Weber kettle grill, whether spatch cooked, whole bird, or cut up into pieces; and a simple homemade rub of just stuff like salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and paprika. I like to put the seasoning rub under the skin the night before to give it time to dry brine it. Not a fan of wet brining, but other than that the other suggestions all sound great too. Just get yourself a good remote digital thermometer and experiment.
 

cowbell88

All-Conference
Jan 11, 2009
3,369
1,098
113
Drunkinate. Beer of choice (I like Budweiser for this) triangle can opener, yellow onion, bell pepper, cayenne pepper, worchesterchire sauce.

Drink a couple swallows of beer, open top with triangle can opener, cut up about 1/2 onion, bell pepper and place inside beer. Add a teaspoon or more of cayenne, and a good tablespoon of worchesterchire.

Sit chicken on can. Cut small slits in skin and put pats of butter all over. Dry rub season outside.

Put on smoker at 250 for about 4 hours or until he drunk and falling over.
 

Chris Mannix

Redshirt
Dec 29, 2016
797
0
0
I would agree with Strat, I smoke chicken pretty much every weekend because the wife loves it. I would use a little higher temp. I usually have to go between 300 to 350 for the skin to turn out crispy, or what they call bite through skin on the competition circuits.
 

PBRME

All-American
Feb 12, 2004
11,385
5,436
113
Agree with strat and mannix. Chicken fat does not render like pork and beef. If it’s a low temp cook the whole way you’ll end up with tough, chewy skin.
 

patdog

Heisman
May 28, 2007
60,467
31,680
113
Y'all do realize that's paint and epoxy resin on the exterior of those beer cans. Not exactly what I want to be cooking into my food.
 

Chris Mannix

Redshirt
Dec 29, 2016
797
0
0
Also, just a personal preference, I would advise using Bama white sauce with your chicken. That stuff is amazing and really not difficult to make.
 

oxfordrebel22

Sophomore
Oct 31, 2013
1,928
134
63
Drunk Chicken. With half a can of beer (i have a rack that holds the can perfectly)

You'll never do a whole chicken any other way.

I inject with garlic butter, and rub the cavity with Tony Chachere's.

Put a small onion in the neck hole and smoke for 1 1/2 hours.

Couple questions:
1. Do you make that garlic butter for injection or is it store bought?

2. What temperature do you grill/smoke it at?

I’m with you, a drunk chicken is where it’s at. If you have a large outdoor oil less fryer you can make the best drunk chicken you’ll ever eat.
 
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