# Smoked a Whole Chicken



## Sigma Man (Nov 7, 2006)

As a rehearsal for smoking a whole turkey, I smoked a whole chicken. It turned out moist and tender and wonderful tasting.



Sigma Man


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## kitchenelf (Nov 7, 2006)

Yep, I have smoked many chickens but I usually do it the "beer can" method.  I've often wondered how a turkey would turn out on one of those really tall beer cans!!!  If you put apple juice in your water pan it imparts a wonderful flavor in the bird.

YUM - that bird looks good.  How long did you smoke it?  5 hours?


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## Half Baked (Nov 7, 2006)

Really nice bird, Sigma Man.  Congratulations!


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## Sigma Man (Nov 7, 2006)

It took about five hours.  I soaked the wood in apple juice and then poured the apple juice into the 'water' pan along with some water.  It worked well.

Thanks for your comments.

Sigma Man


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## Gretchen (Nov 7, 2006)

They are good. When I had that style of water smoker I usually ran the chicken into a 400* oven for 30-45 minutes to heat through. This also rendered a lot of fat from the bird which in that style smoker does not seem to cook out of it.


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## Sigma Man (Nov 7, 2006)

Gretchen, do you mean that the bird spent 30-45 minutes in the oven after being smoked for some time?

Sigma Man


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## VeraBlue (Nov 7, 2006)

wait till you see how good the turkey comes out!   I strongly suggest a nice flavourful brine, too.


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## mudbug (Nov 7, 2006)

Looks divine!  Did the juice just burst out when you bit into a piece?


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## Gretchen (Nov 8, 2006)

Yes. When I have smoked chickens in a water smoker (emphasis), I find that the fat does not render as it does now that I do it in my side firebox without the water.  It was true of ribs also--great smoke flavor but the fat sort of "sets up".  For the chicken it was a part of the serving process--it needed to be heated so just stick it in the oven at 400*--crisped the skin and rendered the "held" fat.  It isn't that you absolutely "need" to do it--I just preferred it and when giving them as Christmas food gifts always recommended it.


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## goboenomo (Nov 8, 2006)

How did you smoke it?

If you have a smoker... then how to you smoke something without a smoker.


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## Robo410 (Nov 8, 2006)

I smoke by indirect roasting in a kettle grill with mesquite chips...similar results...very moist and tender ... love mesquite taste in a bird.  a fave way for me to do a whole chick.


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## kitchenelf (Nov 8, 2006)

If the fat doesn't render out what's all that "stuff" in the pan with my apple juice that I put in my water pan floating around?  Just a different method in cooking we have, I guess.  I cannot imagine cooking it for another 30 minutes at 400 degrees F for fear of it drying out.  BUT - I'm a firm believer that if one person says it's wonderful then I need to try it!  Next time I cook several beer can chickens I will try your method with one of them.

I'm just not sure what fat "sets up" - and the skin is already crispy.


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## kitchenelf (Nov 8, 2006)

goboenomo said:
			
		

> How did you smoke it?
> 
> If you have a smoker... then how to you smoke something without a smoker.



gobo - if you get a smoker it will come with directions.  Once you smoke something the first time it won't be so scary.  If you don't have a smoker you can use a gas or charcoal grill grill - started on one side only.  Place your soaked wood chunks in some aluminum foil and fold up then poke some holes in it so the smoke will release.  You might need to rotate whatever you are cooking since your heat source is on one side only.


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## goboenomo (Nov 8, 2006)

I know how a normal smoker works.
We use them at my work.

If you had something air tight you wouldn't have to rotate it right?


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## kitchenelf (Nov 8, 2006)

gobo - the rotation is because the heat source is only on one side.  Therefore the side opposite the heat source needs to be rotated 180 degrees to be closer to it and the side that was beside it needs a break for awhile.  Airtight wouldn't have anything to do with it.  If it's airtight you're gonna have a heavily smoked piece of food that you can't eat.


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## Gretchen (Nov 8, 2006)

kitchenelf said:
			
		

> If the fat doesn't render out what's all that "stuff" in the pan with my apple juice that I put in my water pan floating around? Just a different method in cooking we have, I guess. I cannot imagine cooking it for another 30 minutes at 400 degrees F for fear of it drying out. BUT - I'm a firm believer that if one person says it's wonderful then I need to try it! Next time I cook several beer can chickens I will try your method with one of them.
> 
> I'm just not sure what fat "sets up" - and the skin is already crispy.


 
If you cook yours at a high(er) temp then maybe your fat does render out. When I did mine--in the torpedo, mind you--it did not. I cooked at a pretty low temp for a long time. 
That is about all I can say. You can tell if the fat has rendered (and maybe my birds were extra fat--they were 5+#) by looking in the cavity and around the thighs--it will be yellowish. The skin is dark and well cooked. After the bird has been refrigerated, it needs to be brought to eating temp and that is what I do--and recommended with the gifts, which were always greeted with pleasure. And the skin gets extra crisp.
As I said in another thread you may just have to let your common sense be the guide--if yours are as you like them then I wouldn't do it. Mine needed this, in my opinion.


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## kitchenelf (Nov 8, 2006)

Thanks for the info and thought-process on that Gretchen.  I have always smoked mine "beer can" method, maybe that makes a difference?  

I'll have to pay attention to this next time I cook some.  Again, thanks.


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## devora (Nov 8, 2006)

*big bird*

I used to have one of those R2-D2 smokers that used a bowl of liquid under the meat to add flavor (and moisture?) while heating w/ coals/wood . Is that the ‘water smoker’ Gretchen refers to? I loved that thing! It made the best chicken. I must have purchased smaller ones than you did, Gretchen, b/c those puppies were always cooked thru w/ crispy skin. Of course, this took 5-6 hours! 

My goodness, how long would a turkey take?


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## Gretchen (Nov 9, 2006)

The "air tight" wouldn't work either because the fire would go out.
I am really having trouble explaining the "doneness" of my chicken--and it may be size and kind of chicken. The chicken IS done and brown and good--and actually can be eaten exactly as is.  But with that type of smoker and perhaps the steam/water, the pockets of fat sort of "congealed"--they were cooked, but still there. It happened with ribs also. They were done, but not (totally) fat rendered. So, in re-heating (a necessity anyway), the fat renders.  If it is working well for everyone else the way they do it on their smokers, then my "addition" is not really cogent for your use.  It's still really good.
With the side firebox, the effect does not seem to happen. I don't use water, or at least it isn't in the same proximity as in the small one where the contents of the smoker are right over the water all the time--and the water is boiling hot all the time.
And the beer can method may be the reason. I have really never cared for that particularly so don't do it.


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## Uncle Bob (Nov 9, 2006)

Great looking bird Sigma man....Smoked/roasted one yesterday on a spit over a camp fire...was excellent.

Uncle Bob


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## Dubiago (Nov 10, 2006)

When my electric Brinkman wore out, I bought some other brand of electric smoker, because it was the only black one I could find.  The element is smaller than I had before, and I think it takes longer to cook with it. The thermostat never worked, and if the outside temp is below 60...forget it 
I've got five hens on right now...maybe they'll be done by lunch tomorrow. Grrrr.


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