help with wings or thighs?

[power]

Hi, how do I cook chicken wings & thighs in the wsm? I have done them 3 times, they come out tasty but the skin is like plastic!! if I cook them in the kettle all good!
but I like playing with the wsm, so I wish to get this meat right! we have people coming over this weekend, and iam going to do 25 wings in sweet baby rays buffalo sauce and 25 wings in sweet baby rays bourbon glaze! any hints and tips! I also like to do long and slow 2 hour cooks for the wings if possibe!
cheers

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[Tiny]

Hi,
Its temp old chum, at the temps you smoke at your chicken skin will always end up rubbery <insert 70s stereotype joke of choice here>>

If doing thighs I tend to skin them first but for wings I give them a blast of smoke and then crank the temps right up whilst the rest of the goodies are resting, you can even give them a blast of direct to crisp and then let glaze after.

Another thought is to crisp and then serve your glaze as an dip, that way you guarantee skin based crispiness,
HHope this helps
Cheers
Tiny

[power]

Cheers tiny! Like the idea of no skin. Might even swap over to drumsticks! & take all the skin off!


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[Strongarm]

Has anyone tried crisping the skin of chicken thighs up post-smoking?

I'm thinking x-amount in the ProQ Frontier low and slow, then dropping the grill down onto the coals and finishing the skin off. Not sure if it's too late once they've had a good while smoking though, like does the going rubbery stop them being able to crisp up?

[stevenscustomguitars]

Has anyone tried crisping the skin of chicken thighs up post-smoking?

I'm thinking x-amount in the ProQ Frontier low and slow, then dropping the grill down onto the coals and finishing the skin off. Not sure if it's too late once they've had a good while smoking though, like does the going rubbery stop them being able to crisp up?

That's how i do it. I smoke them indirect on the kettle with a dry rub or marinade until nearly done, then grill them over the remaining coals with the lid down. Just a minute or two each side (or sometimes just the presentation side) so they don't burn, then i dip/baste in bbq sauce and then leave to cook indirect for another 5mins or so so that the sauce tightens. De-lish! Adding the sauce at the end means the skins soften a bit but grilling with the sauce on always seems to burn the sugars too quickly for me.

As Tiny said, that low and slow temp of around 250f is never gonna give you crispy skin.

[Scantily]

The answer is simple, smoke chicken hot and fast at 300f+. Brine the thighs and wings for 1-2 hours (makes a big difference in tenderness), then remove from brine, pat dry and leave to air dry uncovered in the fridge for a few hours.
Add 1/2 to a full chimney of unlit to the charcoal ring (lump is best for high heat) and get a whole chimney full red hot before adding, don't put any water in the pan and just double foil it.

[Strongarm]

Has anyone tried crisping the skin of chicken thighs up post-smoking?

I'm thinking x-amount in the ProQ Frontier low and slow, then dropping the grill down onto the coals and finishing the skin off. Not sure if it's too late once they've had a good while smoking though, like does the going rubbery stop them being able to crisp up?

That's how i do it. I smoke them indirect on the kettle with a dry rub or marinade until nearly done, then grill them over the remaining coals with the lid down. Just a minute or two each side (or sometimes just the presentation side) so they don't burn, then i dip/baste in bbq sauce and then leave to cook indirect for another 5mins or so so that the sauce tightens. De-lish! Adding the sauce at the end means the skins soften a bit but grilling with the sauce on always seems to burn the sugars too quickly for me.

As Tiny said, that low and slow temp of around 250f is never gonna give you crispy skin.

Cool. I was worried that a suagr filled rub would burn when crisping too so was thinking of leaving the suagr out, and just going spicy. Does your dry rub have sugar in?

Also how long do you normally give them at 250? Will use a thermometer, but have to open to use it so try and minimise how many times I do.

[Strongarm]

The answer is simple, smoke chicken hot and fast at 300f+. Brine the thighs and wings for 1-2 hours (makes a big difference in tenderness), then remove from brine, pat dry and leave to air dry uncovered in the fridge for a few hours.
Add 1/2 to a full chimney of unlit to the charcoal ring (lump is best for high heat) and get a whole chimney full red hot before adding, don't put any water in the pan and just double foil it.

Was about to say I dont reckon I can get 300 in my ProQ, then read the bit about no water.

I need to smoker 250 for other bits so think I'll have to go for the lower temp then finish off on the grill method. May give brining a go though.

Cheers

[stevenscustomguitars]

Cool. I was worried that a suagr filled rub would burn when crisping too so was thinking of leaving the suagr out, and just going spicy. Does your dry rub have sugar in?

Also how long do you normally give them at 250? Will use a thermometer, but have to open to use it so try and minimise how many times I do.

no sugar in my rub, but i do use marinades with sugar in, like jerk for example. I think i tend to cook my chicken at about 350f, the skin comes out fine, not rubbery but not super crispy so i still char over the coals at the end.

[YetiDave]

Cook hot and fast - 300 - 350F and take that diffuser out