Chicken Thighs
- Thread starter UT-longbeard
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TboneD
Well-Known Member
Hard to beat smoked chicken, especially if you can crisp up the skin somehow, and with the prices nowadays I usually just buy a bag of leg quarter. I'll smoke them with hickory splits on my offset smoker in the 275-325* range and sometimes will finish by crisping them up direct over charcoal on my grill.
Yeah getting the skin crisp is tough. If I'm doing wings, I'll finish them in an air fryer as they come off the grill. I'd like to try dropping wings in a deep fryer and see how that turns out after they are smoked.
Post cook. Gonna make some good lunch meals this week.
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TboneD
Well-Known Member
Ever tried a light smear of mayo? Helps keep the skin moist until the fat under the skin renders.
I bet that was GOOOOD !!!
Love me some thighs.
Love me some thighs.
The best wings I've had, that's how they did it - smoked then deep fried (quickly) to get the skin crisp. Uncle Gus's BBQ in Ten Mile does them this way.
TboneD
Well-Known Member
What is this strange magic you allude to because I cooked a lot of chicken in my old offset cabinet smoker and never got crisp chicken skin, even with no water in the pan. I know how to get tender and mostly bite through skin but not crispy on a smoker. Would have to finish direct on a grill or as previously mentioned folks even go to the trouble of deep frying after first smoking. What cooking temp? I've gotten pretty crisp skin indirect on a grill at high temp but never in a smoker.
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LOL. Dumb luck mostly. But the skin is like a potato chip when I get done. I was making "chicken cracklins" before some bearded hipster with meaningless hieroglyphic tats on his forearms was serving them with some IPA he'd strained through his grandma's stockings.
I'll post my method when time allows later today.
TboneD
Well-Known Member
Lol. I just edited my post above, but yes sir, would love to hear your method. TIA
Mine are crispy and juicy. I brine in ACV and water with salt overnight. Let them dry then add spices, then put on green egg for about 2.5 hrs at 210-235 ish. I cut a cherry disc and place it over my charcoal as almost a heat deflection and lots of smoke.
TboneD
Well-Known Member
I want to do more chicken in my Kamado Joe. So just just how wide across is this disk of cherry you cut and do you still use your plate setter for indirect heat?
No I haven't, but I sure will try it!
Best piece of meat on a chicken. I love them. Smoked a big batch last night. Burned some pecan logs down, added a light shovel load of hickory/oak lump charcoal, and let it go about an hour. Finished in the oven to crisp up the skin. It'll feed us for a few days, and we'll make stock out of the leftover bones/skin/gristle/meat
I don't use a plate setter when using the wood disc. I cut a green piece about as big as a pie pan and lay it on the hot coals . I have a large green egg and I can only fit 40 wings on there.
i use darren warth's method for thighs.
TboneD
Well-Known Member
DaveB
Well-Known Member
I love eating thighs, most flavor on the bird in my opinion.
I like brining my Turkey so much I won;t share the recipe BUT I never gave thighs so much as a passing thought. Thanks for the tip will start thawing some later this week.
Vols are 5-0 in big games with me smoking wings and thighs , wearing an old orange shirt, and saying I think they will lose the ballgame. I will keep it up until it don't work.
. Good luck with your bird!
Smo
Well-Known Member
A chicken ain't nothing but a bird…..
TJS209
Well-Known Member
Love thighs at our house. I'll pull them out of the package and wash. Pat dry. Put on a rack in the fridge for a couple of hours to dry. Pull back out and season with ap seasoning and rub of choice. Put rack back in fridge and let sit for a few hours. I like smoking them but sometimes the skin doesn't crisp up enough. Lately I've been using the vortex on the Weber. The vortex performs well with chicken. Cooks it hot and fast. Crisps the skin and the chicken is very juicy.
