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Tips on getting spatchcock chicken skin crispy

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    Tips on getting spatchcock chicken skin crispy

    Hey y'all,
    So whenever I do chicken the skin is always rubbery, but the meat is always delicious. The skin looks good but I never eat it due to the chewyness. I know cranking up the heat the last 20-30 degrees is supposed to help. So I have a couple questions:
    • How long do you dry brine prior? I try this to maybe help dry the skin.
    • Do you put anything on the skin with the rub to aid in crisp it up? Maybe even in the middle of the cook?
    Here's a pic of the work.
    Thanks for the help!
    Attached Files

    #2
    I will oil rub or spray and then put on the grill or finish in the air fryer. Inside is smokey and moist, outside is crispy.

    Comment


      #3
      I often have trouble as well but couldn't help but notice the tin foil. Even if it was crispy, covering with tin foil after you're done will ruin it

      Comment


      • jitsntricks
        jitsntricks commented
        Editing a comment
        Thank you for tip. I didn't think of that. You're awesome!

      #4
      Pat it dry before you put it on the smoker. Rub a little oil on it then apply dry rub. Smoke it at 350 degrees until internal temp hits 165. Do not use a water pan and do not cover with foil at any time during or after the cook. Eat crispy skin.

      Comment


      • MTurney
        MTurney commented
        Editing a comment
        Out of curiosity could you brush with butter instead of oil with similar results?

      • Hulagn1971
        Hulagn1971 commented
        Editing a comment
        MTurney yes you can. Just don't baste it with it during the cook or after. You can use it to get your rub/seasoning to bind to the chicken.

      • RonB
        RonB commented
        Editing a comment
        MTurney - butter is ~ 15% water. If ya want a butter flavor, you'd be better off using ghee.

      #5
      Did you cover it with foil to let it rest? That will turn crisp skin to rubber.

      Comment


      • jitsntricks
        jitsntricks commented
        Editing a comment
        I did! I didn't think of that, thanks so much! Tonight's chicken will have NO foil!

      #6
      Dry brine overnight, preferably longer, uncovered in fridge, 3 parts salt to 1 part aluminum-free baking powder (not soda). You want a dry bird going in the barrel. Smoke as usual, then 350-ish for the final step.
      Last edited by BourBonQ; January 19, 2021, 02:22 PM.

      Comment


      • BourBonQ
        BourBonQ commented
        Editing a comment
        fracmeister I haven't noticed anything with the aluminum-free stuff, but maybe I'm just not as sensitive to the baking powder in general. I haven't noticed it with any other recipes that call for BP. Definitely helps with the skin though.

      • smokin fool
        smokin fool commented
        Editing a comment
        I didn't even know baking powders contained aluminum so that's an eye opener for me.
        My wife uses BP to crisp up the skin on chicken wings and I do agree with fracmeister there is a taste to wings done that way.
        Going to look for the aluminum free BP

      • Dewesq55
        Dewesq55 commented
        Editing a comment
        FYI, you can make your own aluminium-free baking powder with baking soda, cream of tartar and cornstarch. Google for the recipe

      #7
      Are you cooking in the PBC? Are you leaving a rebar out to get that fire hotter?

      Comment


      • jitsntricks
        jitsntricks commented
        Editing a comment
        I am cooking in a PBC! Yes I take the rebar out as well.

      #8
      If you are cooking low and slow, it will never get crisp skin. You need 325F or higher to get crispy skin, but you won't get much smoke. If you want smoke and crispy skin you have to start low, then crank the heat near the end to crisp the skin, making sure you don't overcook. I don't use a PBC but I assume it won't go from 225F to 350F quickly. What I would do is cook low and slow on the PBC to an IT of around 125F, then transfer to a pre-heated oven to finish. Personally I cook all my chicken at 400F on my pellet grill and I get plenty of flavor and crispy skin.

      Comment


      • BourBonQ
        BourBonQ commented
        Editing a comment
        It's not hard to crank the heat in the barrel in a short period of time, depending on how you use the lid and/or rebar holes.

      • Rod
        Rod commented
        Editing a comment
        Yep. The PBC can get screaming hot quick by just cracking the lid. For smoke, he can just drop in a couple wood chunks right before hanging.

      #9
      Just another quite hack I've been doing lately is do everything that's been mentioned (dry brine, dry skin, high temp cooking) but at the end when the chicken is around 155* in the breast, spray it all over with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter. The stuff is mostly oil and does a good job of helping the skin to crisp. That and really crank your heat the last 20-30 minutes.

      Quite honestly I get fairly crispy skin but I would consider it more bite through. Crispy only lasts for a short time anyway regardless of how well you do (at least that's my experience). But as long as its bites through I'm happy. Rubbery really sucks.

      Comment


      • ecowper
        ecowper commented
        Editing a comment
        yeah, the potato chip crispy part is only the first 5-10 minutes coming off the grill. That's good advice. Bite through makes folks happy.

      • smokin fool
        smokin fool commented
        Editing a comment
        Last Thanksgiving I smoked a turkey using Malcom Reed's recipe and sprayed the skin with a canola cooking spray with great results so I'll vouch for this.

      • jitsntricks
        jitsntricks commented
        Editing a comment
        Thanks. Yeah I'm just looking for bite through and not gnaw through lol

      #10
      You can add a little baking soda to your rub and also crack the lid the last 15 - 20 minutes of the cook.

      Comment


      • Alabama Smoke
        Alabama Smoke commented
        Editing a comment
        IMO baking powder is better than baking soda. Baking soda has a metallic taste.

      #11
      I don't cook on a PBC, but I don't think it matters for crispy chicken skin. All of this is what I've learned over the years.

      - dry brine early, with salt both under and over the skin.
      - If you can, let the bird sit out in your fridge for 24 hours. The more time in cold air that bird gets, the better.
      - a bit of oil on the skin helps a lot
      - fast and hot is the trick, above all else. Get your grate temp at 350-375
      - Do not baste the bird, it just gets the skin wet

      Comment


      • Burkester
        Burkester commented
        Editing a comment
        I agree, the dry brine for 24 hours is the big player. I have tried to work past poor planning and laziness on my part but having a dry bird and dry brining is the single most important start to crispy skin.

        I also agree with a little oil and making sure you are running at least 350. Not hard to goose the temp by cracking the lid.

        Chicken on the PBC is where lump charcoal shines!

      #12
      I have been pulling the chicken with breasts at 150 and legs at 170. That change (not going to 160 in the breasts) has been my best change

      Comment


        #13
        A whole chicken I would dry brine 1-2 days. If just one day, I leave uncovered on a rack in the fridge, if 2 days I cover with plastic first day and then uncovered the last day.

        Then when cooking on PBC - cook on as high a temp as you can go, either by cracking/offsetting the lid or removing a rebar. Higher temp = crispier skin. I do this for the whole cook.

        Comment


        • jitsntricks
          jitsntricks commented
          Editing a comment
          I think I'm going to leave one rebar out this cook. Thanks for the tip!

        #14
        If you're doing 2 zone grilling flip it over and crisp the skin on the hot zone.

        Comment


        • MTurney
          MTurney commented
          Editing a comment
          So I’ve tried this with thighs and the skin ends up shrinking down by 50% or more. Have you encountered that?

        • TheQuietOne
          TheQuietOne commented
          Editing a comment
          Yes, the skin usually shrinks. But it's quick, simple and tasty.

        #15
        Everything that is said here is spot on. Agree that rubbery is not good, but it sure happens. The hotter the better with chicken.

        Comment

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