When smoking whole/ half chicken I always end up with a crispy or harden skin that comes off in one bite. What's the best time, temp or tricks to smoke a chicken to get tender skin that doesn't come off in one bite?

Wrap it in foil when it gets to the color your want

What temp are you cooking at?
What temp are you cooking the chicken to?
Who's long is it taking?

IMO chicken at 350 until it gets to 160ish is the way to go.

Pre heat to 185.

Cook it to 160.

Learned this from an old Belgian chef. I was very hesitant. But it is the best I have ever cooked. I use my electric smoker.

Are you saying you see your pit to 185? That seems so low

GSPag` said:

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Pre heat to 185.

Cook it to 160.

Learned this from an old Belgian chef. I was very hesitant. But it is the best I have ever cooked. I use my electric smoker.

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Apologies for my ignorance but i don't understand. What are you preheating to 185?

Watching those competition shows, don't they always scrape the inside of the skin so that it crisps and doesn't all come off in one bite?

Yup, they remove it, scrape it, and toothpick it back on. Way too much work for me!

One trick I learned one year helping the Camp Brisket was coating the skin with real mayonnaise and then add your seasoning. Most of the oils will cook of and the egg within the mayo will help the seasoning to stick along with retain moisture. I hate mayo but surprisingly it doesn't leave much residual flavor. Another key thing is to watch the internal temp. Once you hit 165 pull it, after 165 all you are doing is drying it out, thermometer is your best friend when cooking poultry.

165 is too high to pull.

https://blog.thermoworks.com/2016/04/thermal-tips-simple-roasted-chicken/

Good article on chicken and pasteurization temps. At 150 for 2.7 minutes it's equivalent to a 165 degree bird. Smoking makes holding that temp pretty easy especially if you have the fire around 275-300 to the end of the cook.

If you want smoky flavor roast chicken, roast it hot (400-450) with enough smoke to make Cheech and Chong gag. A typical 4-4.5# bird will be done in about 45 minutes.

If you're going to smoke it, use a rub that is heavy in paprika, and light on the herbs. If you're going with no smoke, reverse that ratio, unless you want to throw some rosemary on the coals for some smoke. Lots and smoke and a rub heavy in herbs doesn't work well together.

That is dependent on the cut whole bird vs half etc. With a whole bird you may be able to pull off early and it continue to cook allowing it to hit 165 but a half or pieces is going to be different. I would never risk the possibility of a food born illness for myself and others in hopes that the internal temp will rise and hit 165.

I smoked one on Friday and one today on my Akorn. The Friday bird I took to 180....it was pretty good. Today's bird I took to 160 (per this thread), it was significantly better.... grate temp for both was 275-290.

04.arch.ag said:

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https://blog.thermoworks.com/2016/04/thermal-tips-simple-roasted-chicken/

Good article on chicken and pasteurization temps. At 150 for 2.7 minutes it's equivalent to a 165 degree bird. Smoking makes holding that temp pretty easy especially if you have the fire around 275-300 to the end of the cook.

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Wow I am glad I found this thread. I've never been happy with my smoked chicken but after reading this thread and especially that blog post, I can see I've been doing it wrong. Smoked chicken is on the menu for this weekend!

I'm going to get flamed for this, but I like to take the chicken up to 165 also. I find that sometimes, while I know the chicken is done, the texture is kind of mushy if I pull it too soon. I like for the meat on the leg to start pulling up pretty good before I pull it.