Weber Kettle Club Forums

Howdy folks,

I hope all of you are well this Saturday morning. I am planning on grilling / smoking chicken quarters and hope for some suggestions / recommendations. The knowns are:

1. It will be chicken quarters with the skin on
2. I will finish them off with homemade BBQ sauce. Not a Carolina-style, more of a ketchup-based, tangy
3. They will be smoked

Here are my questions:

1. Any well-known rub that I can get at a large chain or perhaps if you live in TX, one I can pick up at a Buc-cees? Interestingly, they have a decent selection and I will be driving by the one in Denton today. I've got a chili powder based rub (John Stage's) that I found on the internet and it is great, but was hoping to try something different. I see Ry use Desert Gold but I might have to hunt to find that

2. Any recommended wood to use? I regularly use mesquite for pork, beef and chicken, however I've read fruit wood is a good choice for chicken. I just want something different.

Thanks Friends!

Regards,

Bob / hansonb4

I love It's Incredible seasoning on chicken.  A store bought version that is similar is called Morton's Nature's Seasons.  They claim it to be lower in sodium and msg free if that matters to you.  Good luck with your cook!


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Poultry tends to take on a lot of smoke so I like to use something on the mild side like apple. Not sure if it's available in your area but I like Yard Bird and Loot N Booty Gold Star Chicken Rub.

My favorite rub/seasoning for chicken is Herbs de Provence and copped fresh Rosemary.  Herbs de Provence should be available at any grocery store and if you don't have a Rosemary plant, I bet you'll find a neighbor that has one.  I pull back the skins and apply the spices directly on the meat, pulling the skins back over the chicken. This allows the spices to permeate the meat while protecting the spices from the smoke.  My go to wood for chicken and turkeys is apple. Any fruit wood would be good but I've found cherry wood darkens chicken skin much more than apple wood. Here is a good reference guide for use of smoking woods.

(http://pics.weberkettleclub.com/images/13466245_10206452049250954_8987087662782884595_n.md.jpg)

Thanks. Do you direct cook it at all, or do you indirect the entire time?

Quote from: Cellar2ful on November 07, 2020, 06:35:11 AM
My favorite rub/seasoning for chicken is Herbs de Provence and copped fresh Rosemary.  Herbs de Provence should be available at any grocery store and if you don't have a Rosemary plant, I bet you'll find a neighbor that has one.  I pull back the skins and apply the spices directly on the meat, pulling the skins back over the chicken. This allows the spices to permeate the meat while protecting the spices from the smoke.  My go to wood for chicken and turkeys is apple. Any fruit wood would be good but I've found cherry wood darkens chicken skin much more than apple wood. Here is a good reference guide for use of smoking woods.

(http://pics.weberkettleclub.com/images/13466245_10206452049250954_8987087662782884595_n.md.jpg)

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Thanks. Do you direct cook yours at all or indirect the entire time?

Quote from: mcyork28 on November 07, 2020, 06:19:38 AM
Poultry tends to take on a lot of smoke so I like to use something on the mild side like apple. Not sure if it's available in your area but I like Yard Bird and Loot N Booty Gold Star Chicken Rub.

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Apple, or Maple for me.

did a  large spatchcock chicken last night  - used Jack Daniels Chicken  rub - cherry and apple for smoke - tasted Great .  indirect w high heat ( around 375-380 )   took  1 1/2 hr.   - skin side down first 40 min - next 40 + skin side up. when internal temps got to 160 started slathering the baby rays every ten minutes or so until 170.   good luck


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Pecan or apple are good.  When using a sauce on top, I like to keep the base simple, for me chicken is salt, paprika, white pepper and garlic.

If you want to smoke, offset the entire time low & slow is the trick.

Can I ask everyone what grill temp are you shooting for when doing an all indirect chicken quarter cook?

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375


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Quote from: hansonb4 on November 07, 2020, 08:04:16 AM
Thanks. Do you direct cook it at all, or do you indirect the entire time?

I cook chicken indirect.  Charcoal baskets on each side with a drip pan in the middle beneath the chicken. Top and bottom vents wide open. Lid temp runs between 350-400 degrees.   I sauce after the chicken is off the grill.

(http://pics.weberkettleclub.com/images/DSC03810.md.jpg)

Quote from: Cellar2ful on November 08, 2020, 01:49:36 PM

Quote from: hansonb4 on November 07, 2020, 08:04:16 AM
Thanks. Do you direct cook it at all, or do you indirect the entire time?

I cook chicken indirect.  Charcoal baskets on each side with a drip pan in the middle beneath the chicken. Top and bottom vents wide open. Lid temp runs between 350-400 degrees.   I sauce after the chicken is off the grill.

(http://pics.weberkettleclub.com/images/DSC03810.md.jpg)

exactly!


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So after posting my questions about chicken quarters, I went to the store and they were sold out, so I opted for chicken thighs. While the end product was good, the cook was not optimal.

The last time I made thighs, I seared them with direct heat a couole of minutes on each side, then backed them off to indirect, which took a total of perhaps 40 minutes or so. This time I did direct the whole te at 300 and it too easily 90 minutes to reach 165. Luckily the baked potatoes were still hot, but perhaps one basket of charcoal wasn't enough. I used cherry would, so thank you to the who made their wood recommendations. I wanted peach but Albertsons didn't have it, so I took the next best thing.

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Good looking chicken! I love my SnS basket it is big and can put out some heat! I think that if you set yours up like cellar2fulls you should get the heat you need to do direct and indirect. Good luck!

Cherry is a really nice wood to use, but it makes the chicken really dark.

I really didn't noticea difference in color. Are you talking cooking with the skin on or skin off?

Quote from: Darko on November 10, 2020, 10:56:36 AM
Cherry is a really nice wood to use, but it makes the chicken really dark.

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While you're chimney is getting lit, have your quarters laid out of a big plate, with only a drizzle of salt.

Full chimney of charcoal, poured into your baskets and placed in the center of the grill.

Arrange leg quarters around the perimeter, but not directly over the coal.

Get a temp of 400-450 and cook until IT is 180-190.  (Thighs and legs are extra greasy, so I cook em longer to remove the extra grease. Adjust to your preferences). It'll take about an hour or so.

If you want smoke flavor, just place a wood chunk over your coal while you cook. It'll pick up the smoke quickly.

Remove the chicken and sauce em up as you see fit. If you prefer a different rub, feel free to rub it up before you cook the chicken.

Final result will be tender, pull apart meat, with a smoky flavor, yet crispy skin as if you fried them up.


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Quote from: Schaefd2 on November 12, 2020, 03:08:38 PM
While you're chimney is getting lit, have your quarters laid out of a big plate, with only a drizzle of salt.

Full chimney of charcoal, poured into your baskets and placed in the center of the grill.

Arrange leg quarters around the perimeter, but not directly over the coal.

Get a temp of 400-450 and cook until IT is 180-190.  (Thighs and legs are extra greasy, so I cook em longer to remove the extra grease. Adjust to your preferences). It'll take about an hour or so.

If you want smoke flavor, just place a wood chunk over your coal while you cook. It'll pick up the smoke quickly.

Remove the chicken and sauce em up as you see fit. If you prefer a different rub, feel free to rub it up before you cook the chicken.

Final result will be tender, pull apart meat, with a smoky flavor, yet crispy skin as if you fried them up.


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True story


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