Ruined Chicken Tonight

[AZEngineer]

I spatchcocked two 7 lb chickens and brined them for 3 hours.  Put them in the smoker at 250 with them temp probe in the breast of the chicken on the top rack.  Read on the forum to pull at 165-170.  I set the smoker temp trigger at 170 when I checked the smoker at 2hrs 45min it was already dropping the temp (hit 170).  The chicken was beautiful but tough rubbery both the dark and light meat.  Dinner was ready so I put the chickens in a convection oven at 400 for another 40 min.  The breast was ok, but the dark was no better.

Suggestions?

 

[SconnieQ]

Welcome back to the forum AZ! With 2 hours 45 minutes in the smoker at 250, plus another 40 minutes in a convection oven at 400, your chickens were way overcooked. 40 minutes in a convection oven alone would probably be enough to roast 2 whole spatchcocked chickens, much less the additional smoking/cooking time. I think if you trusted your original temp probe and pulled them from the smoker at 165, they would have been moist. Did you rest them for 20-30 minutes before you determined that they needed more cooking? If you are talking about the skin on the chicken being tough and rubbery, you are absolutely right! Skin on smoked poultry is inedible (in my opinion, but my dog loves it!). The meat on the other hand should be moist and succulent. Hope we can help you get some chicken success! Chicken has become one of my favorite things to smoke on my #1, because I can brine and smoke, all in one day, with little advance planning or prep.

 

[AZEngineer]

I tried some of the dark meat where the skin had pulled away right off the smoker and it was rubbery.  I thought maybe it was undercooked.  I did have the smoker set for 170.  165 is the right temp I guess.  I'll have to try again without guests

 

[SconnieQ]

170-180 is actually fine in the dark meat. It can take more heat, and is more forgiving. It will actually be more tender at 170-175 or so. You don't want to go more than 165 in the breast though or it will get dry. So that's why I suggest 165. If you are already spatchcocking more than one chicken, you can go a little further, and separate the breast half from the leg/thigh half. Put the leg/thigh halves on a lower rack closer to the heat source, and the breasts on a rack directly above. The dark meat will get the extra heat that they need, and shield the white meat. Or...if doing whole chickens, make sure they are back-side-down. Take everything out when the breasts register 165. And make sure you loosely tent with foil, and rest for 15-30 minutes. I think it was the 40 minutes in a 400 degree oven that ultimately did you in. Remember also that smoked poultry can have a pink tint to it and look undercooked, even when fully cooked. This is a challenge to look past for many first-timers. Once you nail one, you will do them over and over again. A good smoked chicken is surprising moist. Good enough to forgive how bad the skin is.

 

[Walt]

The skin is actually excellent, if placed on a baking stone an crisped up in the oven. Salty, smokey & crunchy! A very bold chip. Particularly, if making a chicken soup or salad. A great textural element. My girls call it "chicken bacon". Only one more step......

 

[SconnieQ]

The skin is actually excellent, if placed on a baking stone an crisped up in the oven. Salty, smokey & crunchy! A very bold chip. Particularly, if making a chicken soup or salad. A great textural element. My girls call it "chicken bacon". Only one more step......

Walt, do you remove the skin and then crisp in the oven? My dog might hate you for this.

 

[Walt]

Yes. After the smoke, instead of passing it to the dog, lay it out fat side down on a cooking stone and roast it until crisp. A crispy flavor explosion. Condolences to Fido.