Chicken Skin

Puppyboy · Mar 15, 2007

Last night I smoked up some chicken using a vinegar based mop. I think it turned out pretty good.

Anyway after smoking them for a several hours, I wrapped them in foil. As in the past, the skin was not crisp. I usually remove this skin and feed it to the dogs because I do not like the chewy skin.

The way I under stand it, it's the foil that makes the skin this way.

When I grill chicken the skin is crisp.

With that in mind, I can do a couple things to firm up the skin....

1-eliminate the foil all together
2-after foiling just before before the chicken is done, move to near the fire

Thoughts and suggestions??????

Pig Headed · Mar 15, 2007

I don't believe it's the foil. It's the temperature. Rubbery skin is common when smoked.Most teams I know put the chicken on a grill for the last few moments to crisp the skin.

MilitantSquatter · Mar 15, 2007

I'd eliminate the foil and raise the temp a bit (depending on what temp you're cooking at already) or put over some hi heat like ron said.

It's not the skin that is the problem, it is getting the fat to render out.

backyardchef · Mar 15, 2007

The other option I've heard people look at is shooting for 'bite through' skin instead of the crispy skin. One way to do it that I've seen is to smoke the chicken for an hour or so, then put it skin down in an aluminum pan w/ some sauce and apple juice, cover it and let the chicken sit in the sauce for a while, then remove it and finish with a sauce/glaze.

RichardF · Mar 15, 2007

PH has it right - Need higher temp to get the skin crisp. A few well supervised minutes over coals or the gasser makes all the difference in the world. How long are you smoking the chicken that you would need to foil??? Are you continuing to cook after foil?

You can also try letting your chicken peices "dry" overnight by putting it uncovered in the fridge. this step wouldn't be helpful if you foiled.

Plowboy · Mar 15, 2007

What helped us was using a different chicken to begin with. The difference in skin between what we find in the grocery store and what we get for contest is huge. The skin is pretty thin to start with. We get our comp chickens whole from Alewel's in Warrensburg, MO.

Puppyboy · Mar 15, 2007

What I have been doing is cooking it at 250* for 2.5hrs then putting it in a aluminum pan and foiling for 2.5hrs.

When I first started, I picked up a nasty habit of foiling 1/2 way through a cook. As I have learned more from my brothers here, I think I need to change a few things.

MoKanMeathead · Mar 15, 2007

I think there are two schools of thought on chicken, especially the skin; one is to get the skin crispy (so you can bite through it) and one is to get the skin soft (so you can bite through it).

I believe for crispy you can put on the grill (direct) for a while before turn-in but watch the temp since it can burn easily at this time. For soft skin you can do as Matt suggests above - put it in an aluminum pan with sauce for an hour or so (this also tenderizes it).

Just my thoughts on comp chicken. For home I cook beer can chicken in the smoker or rotiserie chicken on the "Set It and Forget It" machine. If the skin is not right I discard it and don't have to worry about what some judge might think.

kickassbbq · Mar 15, 2007

I have a Chicken on right now at 250. When it is ABOUT done, I'll crank the heat to 375. The skin WILL be crispy.
Chicken needs a little different method than other meats.
Smoke On!!!!!

Yakfishingfool · Mar 15, 2007

Is chicken that is "finished" over coals or higher heat competition legal??? I have found chicken to be my biggest disappointment with the smoker as the skin is always so nasty. Scott

Pig Headed · Mar 15, 2007

Yes it is legal as long as it's charcoal or wood that you.re cooking with. (pellets count as wood), that is unless you're entering the new catagory of comps that mandates lp gas.

MoKanMeathead · Mar 15, 2007

Yea, you can definately cook direct over coals - either for the last few minutes or the whole cook. I know a couple of guys (B&J) who cook direct over hot coals, in a trash can and finish their chicken in 30 to 40 minutes...and I've seen them walk to a first place showing.

RichardF · Mar 15, 2007

kickassbbq said:
I have a Chicken on right now at 250. When it is ABOUT done, I'll crank the heat to 375. The skin WILL be crispy.
Chicken needs a little different method than other meats.
Smoke On!!!!!

nice plump breast and thighs i bet.

big blue bbq · Mar 15, 2007

What temp are you guys cooking chicken at. I did two chickens with the back bones cut out and butterflied for about 4 hours at 230 Sunday. They meat was good but the skin still needs work before my first comp in April. I tried to crisp the meat in the firebox for about 5 minutes and it was better than the one I did not do that on.

jacob · Mar 15, 2007

I tried a method I read about, which was to put back in fridge uncovered and let air dry after applying rub. I did this then smoked. The skin still wasn't crisp but it it wasn't rubbery either. You could take the first bite without pulling all the skin off when you did. Chewed nicely.

DaChief · Mar 15, 2007

I think the chicken skin discussion really needs to differentiate (damn that's a big word sp?) between comp and eating at home. I usually crisp it up over hot coals at the end but certainly wouldn't say it looked ready for a turn-in.

The_Kapn · Mar 15, 2007

DaChief said:
I think the chicken skin discussion really needs to differentiate (damn that's a big word sp?) between comp and eating at home. I usually crisp it up over hot coals at the end but certainly wouldn't say it looked ready for a turn-in.

Well said!

Chicken skin in comp is almost a Voodoo subject and so elusive.
Kinda like a Holy Grail kinda thing :lol:

No need for that effort on recreational cooking!
Crisp it over high heat and enjoy it!

TIM

Chicken Skin

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