Smoked Split Chickens

[Dieter]

Light-off, kingsford blue bag.


Cut down the sides of the spine and toss it out. Flip it over, push down on breast—you’ll hear a crack. Then with a very sharp butchers knife cut down the middle of the breasts and bone, effectively “splitting the chicken.” Wash really good in cool water and pat dry with paper towel. Cut/remove undesirables off, excess fat and skin. Rub down with your favorite rub. You can rub down with olive oil to help it stick if you want. I roll without.


Cherry is the flavor of the day. Excellent sweet and mellow smoke for poultry.


We’re off, ready to stink the joint up..


Finito! I let them go till I get 160 off the breast. Pull em and let em rest for about 20 under foil. Cut wings and legs at joints, grab rib cage and pull it off. Won’t need a gallon of water to wash these back.

[JoeG52]

Wow, does that look good! Now I'm hungry.

[tinhorn97062]

I just spatchcocked a chicken and grilled it for dinner. Similar approach, just a different cooking method.

Whole chicken, cut the back out, brined it for an hour in a solution of water, salt, sugar, and garlic powder. After brining, rinsed and patted dry. Then- the crack. Yep...crack those ribs and flatten it out. Rubbed with olive oil, salt, pepper, and a “chicken blend” of spices. Skin and breast up on a hot grill for around 30mins, or until the thickest meat hits about 155*. Flip, and cook the skin side until the thickest meat hits 165* on an instant read thermometer (I use a Thermopen).

Let it rest for about 20 mins and eat!

[tinhorn97062]

[MDC]

That looks good enough to eat

[Dieter]

Looks great! I haven’t spatchcocked one yet. I need to give it a shot on the weber.

[Moonie]

Ok, I do have a new kamado grill, I guess I'll be smoking some chicken this weekend. Good idea, been a few years since I smoked chicken, wife did enjoy it.

[Wayne Smith]

Debark the wood. It cuts much of the bitterness out. Easter Sunday I did one with Pear and a little White Oak. Mine is in the smoker with a side fire chamber and only the wood in there. Takes about three to three and a half hours in that for a whole chicken.

[MaryB]

And DRY wood, no need to soak it. Wet wood produces steam and nasty smoke... clean burning fire, the smoke should be clear not billowing white

[Dieter]

And this is smoke from the unburnt charcoal after I dumped the ashed over coals from the chimney starter over the top of the fire basket.... That’s what the PBC manufacturer designed it for.