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Cooking & Food Talk => Charcoal Grilling & BBQ => Topic started by: hansonb4 on October 17, 2020, 10:42:21 AM

Title: Chicken Thighs assistance
Post by: hansonb4 on October 17, 2020, 10:42:21 AM
Hello everyone, happy weekend to you. I could use some guidance with chicken thighs. As you can see, I seasoned some chicken thighs, tossed them on the grill indirect, then finished them off direct. The skin shrank on most of them. How do I prevent them from shriveling like that? I was hoping for crispy skin covering the top.

Thanks, Bob / hansonb4

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Title: Re: Chicken Thighs assistance
Post by: bamakettles on October 17, 2020, 11:18:30 AM
Since I got my vortex I cook them just like wings, arranged around the circumference, all vents open and the kettle as hot as I can get it.  Takes about 40 mins, skin is nice and crispy.  I don’t even turn them.


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Title: Re: Chicken Thighs assistance
Post by: HoosierKettle on October 17, 2020, 02:41:38 PM
This may be considered treachery, but I’ve gotten to where I pretty much only grill boneless skinless thighs. They are amazing.


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Title: Re: Chicken Thighs assistance
Post by: 22ket~tle on October 17, 2020, 04:00:59 PM
they are gonna shrink some but you can apply veg oil to grill on indirect side and place em skin side down to start.   350-400 degree after 15 minutes flip ( gently) and spray w apple or pineapple juice - close lid for at least 15 min more before checking. at 150 -155 internal temp. sauce em up twice while letting em finish to 170.    even doing all that I sometimes mess up one of em by moving em around too much. still learnin always [emoji14]


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Title: Re: Chicken Thighs assistance
Post by: P0234 on October 17, 2020, 04:42:27 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAPl57h0o5w

The guy above seems to have a good technique, he has a couple of other videos worth watching as well.
Title: Re: Chicken Thighs assistance
Post by: hansonb4 on October 18, 2020, 04:20:41 AM
Thanks, everyone. @P0234 I've seen that before. I rember thinking that guy cooked it way too long (200 degrees???) but it did look good.
Title: Re: Chicken Thighs assistance
Post by: P0234 on October 18, 2020, 06:15:49 AM
I cook my fatty chicken longer too, the breasts no, but the rest I like to cook longer as I find the meat gets more tender.  It does dry it out a bit more tho, but that's not a big issue in a kettle.
Title: Chicken Thighs assistance
Post by: AZ2FL on October 20, 2020, 04:25:22 AM
This may be considered treachery, but I’ve gotten to where I pretty much only grill boneless skinless thighs. They are amazing.


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I agree, they are amazing

Last Friday evening I grilled boneless skinless thighs.
Title: Re: Chicken Thighs assistance
Post by: bbqking01 on October 20, 2020, 06:46:20 AM
I do a skin off, boneless marinade. 24 hours in orange juice and Tony’s. Drain out, the add Worcestershire, soy sauce, ground ginger. Fresh garlic, tomatoes, parsley red devil sauce. Large onion. Let soak for minimum 4 hours. Indirect then about 30-45 minutes before done I dump the marinade over the chicken thighs. They end up covered with onion garlic tomatoe, and parsley.  So good


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Title: Re: Chicken Thighs assistance
Post by: Jasonkuse on October 20, 2020, 07:31:20 AM
Try removing the skin completely, and using a knife, scrape away the fatty nastyness from the underside of skin, then replace skin and smoke slow, skin side up. The skin will adhere back onto the meat and won’t shrink as bad. I’ve used this technique in KCBS BBQ contests to achieve a clean bite without the skin pulling off...


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Title: Re: Chicken Thighs assistance
Post by: JEBIV on October 20, 2020, 07:43:47 AM
Try removing the skin completely, and using a knife, scrape away the fatty nastyness from the underside of skin, then replace skin and smoke slow, skin side up. The skin will adhere back onto the meat and won’t shrink as bad. I’ve used this technique in KCBS BBQ contests to achieve a clean bite without the skin pulling off...


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It is a grate put tedious technique
Title: Re: Chicken Thighs assistance
Post by: SMOKE FREAK on October 20, 2020, 06:19:53 PM
Try removing the skin completely, and using a knife, scrape away the fatty nastyness from the underside of skin, then replace skin and smoke slow, skin side up. The skin will adhere back onto the meat and won’t shrink as bad. I’ve used this technique in KCBS BBQ contests to achieve a clean bite without the skin pulling off...


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That is your answer...
Title: Re: Chicken Thighs assistance
Post by: P0234 on October 21, 2020, 03:52:29 AM
So I just tried the Herman Lyons method from the video I linked above last night. Just a quick sear over the coals then indirect. Thighs came out excellent. Juicy inside and crisp outside. The skin was almost like a cracker. One thing I was thinking about is 6-8 is probably the max you can do in a batch otherwise you’ll probably have a lot of moisture in the dome that will make the skin softer.
Title: Re: Chicken Thighs assistance
Post by: P0234 on October 25, 2020, 05:24:42 PM
Just did another batch this time with Parmesan garlic wing sauce. Awesome. Skin was so nice and crisp and the meat was very nice and juicy.