Temperature advice for done chicken

[Jim Burgin]

I'm smoking two whole chickens on the PBC tomorrow - lying on their backs on the grill. Meathead's book advises 160 for the breast, 170 for the dark meat. What do you chicken addicts out there recommend? Measure what part of the chicken? To what degrees? Thanks, Jim Burgin

[Jerod Broussard]

I hook and hang mine and run 350 to 400 degrees, and when the internal temperature of the breast gets to 160, the dark meat is perfect and you can literally just pull the legs off.

[HawkerXP]

Hook them and cook them to 160 in the deepest part of the breast. In a hurry cut out the backbone. Delicious!

[kenrobin]

Check out the video recipe on the PBC website... hanging the chicken produces outstanding results. I cook mine until the breast reaches 165.

[Jim Burgin]

Thanks guys! Jim Burgin

[Gator Lau]

I do half chickens hanging on the PBC. For whole chickens, I too, would cut out the backbon (save it for soup or use it for crab bait). I also cook until breast reaches 165.

[[email protected]]

I do mine just like the PBC video suggests (cut the chicken in half and hang to cook), and the results are outstanding. Took about 2 hours to get to 160 in the breast. Here is a picture of my first attempt at smoking ever. The results soured me on eating BBQ at most any BBQ restaurant ever again. That means something a fter growing up in NC and now living in TX.

[Huskee]

That is a gorgeous chicken! And welcome to The Pit! We'd love to get an intro from you over in the Introduce Yourself channel when you get a minute. https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/fo...troductions-aa

[Huskee]

I do ~160 breasts (155 or 165 ok too) and I happen to like dark meat & wings up to 185 or 190...personally I think the more done the dark meat the better because I don't care for the sliminess of just-done dark meat & wings.

[Nate]

I agree. I take dark meat at least 175 - 180 usually.

[Slim Pickens]

At say 200-220 how long for a whole bird. I'm using a lns cooker.

[Huskee]

I very much agree with Mbmorgan below. But to answer your question it depends on how big the bird is and if you're spatchcocking (butterflying) it too. An standard 4 or 5 lb chicken spatchcocked at 220 might take 2hrs, give or take, whereas at 325-350 might take 1:15 to 1:30.

[MBMorgan]

At say 200-220 how long for a whole bird. I'm using a lns cooker.

Not sure what a "lns cooker" is ... but at those low temps you're almost certainly going to have problems with rubbery skin. You really need to cook somewhere between 325 and 350 F to get the skin properly crisped.

[EdF]

So what about that Kenji guy recommending 425 for spatchcocked turkey? Any thoughts?

[EdF]

Thanks. Now to convince the wife that Kenji's alright again. She's a bit skeptical, but we have a little 8 pounder for tomorrow, so my gut says this is a go.

[Gator Lau]

Hey Ed, How did it go?

[EdF]

My only turkey failure in 15 years. I may have pulled it too early, though the breast read 160. Anyway, into pot pies with it.

[Lakeside Chef]

I have been cooking turkey breasts lately using the "Herb Butter-Rubbed Spatchcocked Roast Turkey" method at Kenji's site. I highly recommend the method. I am using the Roast setting on my oven and I set the rack about 1/3 from the bottom of the oven. Every oven is different so you may need to adjust the rack height during cooking or switch to the baking mode if the skin starts to get overcooked. I use minimally processed birds (no injected additives) and I dry brine them for 48 hours to let the skin dry out. I have a new Smoke from Thermoworks to monitor the meat temperature. Be generous with the herb butter! and Good Luck!