Chicken thighs, braised then grilled?

[jjdbike]

Hello Pitmasters,

Gearing up to host a BBQ for out neighborhood. Doing brisket on the stick burner. Also doing poultry for those who don't eat red meat. Was going to do boneless turkey breasts along w/ the brisket in the KBQ, but then I need to worry about what is dripping on what and track two different internal temps. Wife doesn't like wood smoke in chicken and prefers chicken. In an attempt to make her happy, and perhaps other who may not like smoke, I'm considering grilling chicken thighs on the weber kettle.

I've had trouble in the past getting the exterior w/ a color and perhaps a tough of char and the interior juicy and fully cooked w/out drying it out.

Been googling around in the interwebs and keep bumping into thighs that are 1st braised in the grill, then sauced and grilled. Apparently this is a competition technique? Is this a good way to get flavorful juicy chicken thighs w/ a bite through sauce glazed skin?

I do have two weber charcoal baskets and a SnS.

What are the pros and cons of this method?

Any tips for this, suggestions or warnings?

Thanks in advance!
JD

[jfmorris]

I've done some great chicken thighs just using high indirect heat with coals in the SNS. All vents wide open, top vent opposite the SNS, and no wood. Take the thighs to 175 to 180 and they should be crispy skin and rendered well. If you need extended cook times, I would fill the SNS about halfway up, then top off with a half chimney of lit charcoal.

I will say that since I got a Vortex, I use it rather than the SNS, but both can get the job done. Give the thighs about 45 minutes. If you want a little more color when they temp done, move them over the SNS *very* briefly to get some char.

I would stay away from that braising and chasing after the "bite through skin" and stuff you see for the competition circuit. The competition BBQ is *NOT* what you and I want to feed our friends in the backyard, for the most part.

[fzxdoc]

I wish I could double "like" this post.

K.

[smabrito]

Do you use your Vortex mainly for chicken?

[jfmorris]

smabrito pretty much. I'm not sure I've used it for anything else, as I tend to use the SNS for smoking.

[DTro]

What he said ^
Can't answer on the competition technique. But, I have had great luck marinating thighs, usually in Alabama white sauce or a Peruvian sauce, and cooking them indirectly in a hot kettle, 380 to 415 degrees. You can put your baskets in the middle and cook the thighs around the sides. If needed give them a little char at the end to crisp the skin.

[bbqLuv]

maybe cook ahead of time and warm up in the oven at 250*F, which takes about an hour.
It appears you're on the right path, planning your cook and cooking your plan. This works best for me, anyways.

[bbqLuv]

Which chicken things are you talking about? I am just a little confused, as I don't think I have ever eaten the things of chickens.

[jjdbike]

Those thigh things : )
Once again, too much blood in my caffeine when I typed that.
Sorry.
JD

[bbqLuv]

jjdbike 👍

[jjdbike]

I've done some great chicken thighs just using high indirect heat with coals in the SNS. All vents wide open, top vent opposite the SNS, and no wood. Take the thighs to 175 to 180 and they should be crispy skin and rendered well. If you need extended cook times, I would fill the SNS about halfway up, then top off with a half chimney of lit charcoal.

I will say that since I got a Vortex, I use it rather than the SNS, but both can get the job done. Give the thighs about 45 minutes. If you want a little more color when they temp done, move them over the SNS *very* briefly to get some char.

I would stay away from that braising and chasing after the "bite through skin" and stuff you see for the competition circuit. The competition BBQ is *NOT* what you and I want to feed our friends in the backyard, for the most part.

Thanks so much!

You always give such specific and helpful advice. I greatly appreciate that.

I still had too much blood in my caffeine when I typed that post. I don't have an SnS, just Weber charcoal baskets and a Vortex! Duh! So yes, I'll use the vortex.

I was originally planning on wet bringing the turkey w/ Meat Church Bird Baptism which contains phosphates to help w/ flavor and moisture retention. Would that still work w/ the thighs or would it create spongy skin regardless of sear at the end?

Thanks again!!!
JD

[jfmorris]

I don't ever wet brine chicken - just dry brine - so cannot comment. I will advise looking at the package labeling on the chicken thighs, and see if it already has a solution. I am betting it does. For example, the "fresh" wings I fried on Friday had "up to 15% solution" of phosphates from the processing plant. I.e. they were already brined, so doing another wet brine is kinda redundant.

[jjdbike]

maybe cook ahead of time and warm up in the oven at 250*F, which takes about an hour.
It appears you're on the right path, planning your cook and cooking your plan. This works best for me, anyways.

Thanks bbqLuv!

I love to and always cook in advance if possible. That allows me to prep other things to prepare for guests and to be more relaxed when guests arrive as opposed to running around rushed and stressed.

I was concerned about cooking chicken thighs ahead would risk drying them out or screwing up the skin. I will in fact smoke my brisket the day before and hold it in 150 degrees oven. Could I hold the chicken in that oven as well? I can put in aluminum pan and cover in foil. Hopefully the glaze and sear will seal in moisture.

Thoughts?
JD

[bbqLuv]

You should be fine.
Let us know how it works out.

[jfmorris]

I will advise AGAINST holding the chicken for an extended time or reheating covered in foil, as your skin will lose all crispiness, and become soggy. If you hold it the day you are grilling it, don't cover it, as that makes it steam and get soggy as well.

To me, the best bet is cooking the chicken the day of, so that they can see you grilling something. How many thighs we talking about? I am thinking you can fit a LOT around the vortex on a kettle. Maybe two rows in a ring all the way around.

[jfmorris]

I always regret when I have to take the thanksgiving turkeys down the road to my in-laws, as the skin gets soggy on the 5 mile trip wrapped in foil down in a cooler. Same for chicken parts covered for an extended time in foil on the counter or in the oven. You gotta do what you gotta do to keep it warm, but best is always gonna be fresh off the grill if possible.

[CandySueQ]

This morning I visited with a cooking friend about chicken. He gave me some great tips that I'll share. Next month, I'm doing an event for about 50+ people. The plan is to do full-size pans of pulled beef, pork and chicken for sandwiches. Pork and beef are easy and they will reheat well. Chicken, not so much, it's best cooked fresh! I'm going to fill 2 full-size pans with boneless, skinless thighs, this should yield one pan of pulled chicken. Season the thighs and put pats of butter on the top (that's the braise). Cook uncovered for one hour then cover the pan with foil and continue cooking another hour. After this, drain the juices from the cooking pans, then pull the thighs apart. I will sauce the pulled chicken and toast the sauced pulled lightly to toughen up the pulled.

[fzxdoc]

I wish I could double "like" this post, too--it's the same wish I had for Jim Morris's earlier post. This sounds like such an easy way to have great pulled chicken. I'm going to give it a try. Thanks a bunch!

Kathryn

[jfmorris]

This was my plan when I thought I was doing the pulled pork and pulled chicken for my youngest's wedding (it was a budget thing). Then the 150 person wedding dropped to a 15 person wedding in the backyard (May 2020)...

[jjdbike]

Thanks again everyone!
JD

[Mosca]

During the summer I do boneless skinless thighs as often as I do burgers. I marinate them in 50/50 bottled Italian dressing/bottled bbq sauce, anywhere from 15 minutes to a few hours (doesn’t really matter), and grill them same as burgers, turning frequently. When they’re done they’re slightly brown, with crispy edges.

The advantage here is that you don’t have to worry about the skin crisping up. The heck with the skin, it gets done properly so infrequently that it’s not worth the trouble. Get that flavor on the meat and move forward.

[randy56]

The last 3 times cooking chicken things, Thighs, I cut excess skin, then uncovered in the frig for 24 hours, skin side up. It helps dry out skin, not meat.

[jjdbike]

During the summer I do boneless skinless thighs as often as I do burgers. I marinate them in 50/50 bottled Italian dressing/bottled bbq sauce, anywhere from 15 minutes to a few hours (doesn’t really matter), and grill them same as burgers, turning frequently. When they’re done they’re slightly brown, with crispy edges.

The advantage here is that you don’t have to worry about the skin crisping up. The heck with the skin, it gets done properly so infrequently that it’s not worth the trouble. Get that flavor on the meat and move forward.

Thanks!
I appreciate this pint of view. Moist and flavorful wet brined meat, rub, glazed w/ sauce, quick sear on top of vortex.
Given the options of moist flavorful meat, flavorful run & sauce on skin, and crispy skin, to quote Meatloaf, “… two out of three ain’t bad”.
Best regards!
JD

[Mosca]

“The perfect is the enemy of the good.”

[Stuey1515]

Mosca you are a very wise man