Smoking Chicken Pieces

[7mmfan]

I'm smoking chicken for my sons b-day this next weekend. I have a whole bunch of bone in thighs and legs. I may even go pick up some quarters, haven't decided yet. I've done this before with great success, but it's been a couple years and my notes disappeared along with my last phone.

Trying specifically get a good brine recipe. I believe what I did last time was a mix of water, salt and the rub that I would be using on the chicken, but I have no idea what the ratios were. Pretty sure I tossed a bunch of minced garlic and onion in it too.

Any advice is appreciated. Feeding 25ish people, so I want it to be good. I have a reputation to uphold.

[Woodchuck]

https://www.amazon.com/Morton-Tender-Quick-Home-Meat/dp/B00XMZ0XZW/ref=sr_1_3?crid=25FSQ7JHO11B1&keywords=tender+quick+curing+salt&qid=1563817042&s=gateway&sprefix=TENDER+QUICK%2Caps%2C212&sr=8-3

Add some garlic, for small pieces I suggest short soaking it, like 6 hours ish. Rinse well and smoke away.

[Alchase]

Can be used for Chicken or Turkey
The ratio is 1 cup kosher salt to 1 gallon water. If you use another salt then use less (3/4 cup of sea salt or table salt) because kosher salt weighs less by volume than other salt because of the shape of the salt.

Makes 1 gallon
*       1 cup kosher salt
*       1/2 cup granulated sugar or brown sugar
*       Small handful of aromatics (garlic cloves, onion powered etc... )
* brine for 5-6 hours

     •Makes 1 gallon
Combine salt, sugar, aromatics and 1/2 gallon (8 cups) of water in a large pot and place over medium-high heat. Stir until sugar and salt are dissolved. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Stir in remaining 1/2 gallon water (or water and ice) and cool completely.

Pour brine into a container just large enough to hold chicken comfortably.

Brine for 5-6 hours preferably in the refrigerator, if not a cool location.

[Dhoey07]

The last brine I did for chicken was with lemon juice, hot sauce, salt, pepper and poultry seasoning.  I two spatchcocked chickens overnight, rubbed down and then smoked.  Turned out really good

[Alchase]

Basically anything with auger, salt and/or acidic will work the rest is taste.

[steeleywhopper]

I do this very simple, but tasty recipe with my Chicken. I put chicken thighs and drumsticks in a gallon ziplock bag with Yoshida's teriyaki sauce. Marinade over night and then toss in the smoker until proper internal temp is reached.

[Gamblin Guy]

I use 1 cup of brown sugar, 1/2 salt and maybe a 1/4 to 1/2 cup Montreal Chicken seasoning in 1 gallon of water, soak it over night in a food grade bucket or cooler.  Smoke for 3 to 4 hours with hickory or apple and then finish it on the grill to crisp up the skin and add a little more seasoning, rarely have any left overs......

[7mmfan]

I do this very simple, but tasty recipe with my Chicken. I put chicken thighs and drumsticks in a gallon ziplock bag with Yoshida's teriyaki sauce. Marinade over night and then toss in the smoker until proper internal temp is reached.

How long to have smoke on it? Not the entire time I'm assuming.

[Alchase]

I do mine until around 150 degree, then pull them and finish on the grill to get the caramelization and crispy skin.

[fast60eddie]

Skip the brine. Add a cup of soaked peppercorns on top of the wood chips.

[AL WORRELLS KID]

The most important ingredient in Smoking/Cooking Chicken parts on the BBQ (especially for a Crowd) is a Digital Thermometer !

 
 Last year I found out the hard way by Brining, Smoking, and then Barbecuing a bunch of Chicken Legs without using one. 
                                                                                                                                                                 

 The juices ran out "clear" from the Chicken Legs even though they were not fully cooked (because I had soaked them first in Brine.)

Fortunately I was the only on eating them.
 
So by the time the Doctor figured it wasn't the Flu, the Test Results showed, "Yes, the Salmonella had entered my Bloodstream," but it was the "kind that responds to Antibiotics".
The Doc said, "The Other Kind would Kill You", if we tried to treat it with Antibiotics. 

So use a Digital Thermometer and serve your Guests only Perfectly Cooked, Great Tasting Food, without the........
Nausea.
Vomiting.
Abdominal cramps.
Diarrhea.
Fever.
Chills.
Headache.
Blood in the stool.
 
Doug

[2MANY]

Buy boneless chicken thighs at Costco for your BBQing.
You will thank me later.

[Alchase]

I would go as far to say, a thermometer should be used for any and all meat smoked or grilled.

I use the iGrill Mini in my smoker and the iGrill 2 in my Grill. Both give you iPhone app real-time temps and programmable temperature control.

[AL WORRELLS KID]

I would go as far to say, a thermometer should be used for any and all meat smoked or grilled.

You bet! Alchase,
 Here's my choice 

 Poultry Brine:

1 gal. water

1 c. coarse kosher salt

¾ c. soy sauce

½ c. white sugar

½ c. brown sugar

½ c. honey

½ c. apple cider vinegar

4 Tbsp. black pepper

3 - 4 Tbsp. chopped garlic

1 tsp. Allspice

1 oz. Morton Tenderquick (optional)

2 tablespoons = ounce
6 teaspoons = ounce

Heat water/salt/sugars to rolling boil. Take off burner, add other ingredients. Allow mixture to cool before placing meat into solution in a non-reactive container and cover with brine. Refrigerate for 12 hours (or with a bag of ice floating on top in a 5 gallon bucket of brining Poultry.)
Load smoker wood box with 4 oz. Hickory or Apple wood. Remove Poultry from the refrigerator and discard brine. Rinse three times, pat dry and lightly rub skin with mayonnaise. Apply light coating of your favorite "Spicy Chicken Rub". Place Poultry in smoker and smoke cook at 200 degrees F for about one hour- per lb. (I like cherry wood too.)  Smoke until internal temperature of breast or thigh reaches 160 to 165. Remove from smoker and allow to sit for 30 minutes before slicing.

Note: Tenderquick.
If you smoke Poultry at temperatures of 180º to 225º F., you might want to consider using "Tenderquick" in the recipe. The Poultry will be spending a lot of time in the DANGER ZONE of 40º to 140º, so just be aware of this. If in doubt, use the Tenderquick, (it will give the meat a "pink tint" and Folk's will swear it looks and tastes like Ham.) No Kidding, you may have to show them the bones to prove it  really is Poultry they are eating. 😉

Doug

[7mmfan]

Thanks for the tips guys.

My wife will tell you that I'm the most anal meat cooker she's ever met because I live and breath my thermometer. Unfortunately, it's given me a reputation of being the only person on the planet that can bbq a juicy chicken breast, so I get invited to all the bbq's to do the cooking. Smoking is where I haven't had a ton of experience though.

@2MANY, you are right, that's all we ever buy. We get 2 of those big packs of Foster Farms boneless thighs every month, they are the easiest meat available to make taste good and cook up in an instant.