How do you folks manage to smoke chicken and get the skin to be crispy instead of really hard and rubbery?

I smoke them hard and fast.

Ive been doing 225 and turn it up to 400 in the last stages

Dry, well salted skin. Put in fridge for an hour or so. Take out and pat dry. Smoke 250  time depends on the piece, I dont think you can overcook thighs. Crank smoker to 400 and go till you like it.

If im in a pinch, ill toss them in my airfryer toaster oven. You'll never get fried chicken skin on the smoker.

However, moisture is your enemy to crispy skin.

Oh yes you can.  The 2nd to last smoked chicken I did, I made the mistake of joy riding my RTV around; met a neighbor started talking to him, next thing I know, it's 45 minutes later.  Shit.  Burned the fuck out of the chicken.  Never did that before.  

Maybe thats my problem? I kept smearing the skin with chiavettas as it was smoking which is mostly vinegar and water.

Dry skin before smoking, then halfway through hit it with sprayable duck fat or beef tallow. Turn again a little later and spray the other side. I usually finish mine over direct heat for a minute or so just to get really crispy.

Dry skin as mentioned... then I pull it out, hit it with spray butter, and put it under the broiler in the oven.

Schuey’s BBQ has a good video on crispy chicken smoked on the weber.  I followed his Chicken Spatchcock video last week and added a few extra thighs to the grill.  Was excellent.  I should have added the thighs to the cook 15-20min after the full chicken because they finished early.

The key takeaways is:

A) oil rub as a binder

B) a couple tsp of baking powder or cornstarch in your favorite rub

C) throw some oak cherry or hickory on the coals and cook 0:45-1:15 at 400+/-20 F until temps are reached (165 for breasts or 185 for legs/thighs).


I used two chunks of hickory on 3/4 full chimney of charcoal and the rub I used was:
2 Tsp Kosher Salt
2 Tsp Garlic Powder
2 Tsp Onion Powder
2 Tsp Italian Seasoning
1 Tsp Black Pepper
1 Tsp Paprika
2 Tsp MSG
2 Tsp Corn Starch

I run chicken at 295-305 until done.  You are too cold.

I just did a half chikn on Saturday.  

Cook over coals.
Find some way to reverse flow or add fire brick under the chicken but over the smoke.

A reverse flow smoker approximates cooking over coals.  The chicken fat or rib fat drips on the hot steel and gives the effect.

Real bbq is cooked over coals.