So what am I doing wrong?

SfScott · February 2013

Did a large whole chicken tonight using a porcelain "beer can." Did a rub, basted, etc. Set up the egg with a plate setter, drip pan and temp (per my dual probe Maverick) at around 375-380 at grate and probably 325-350 on the dome thermometer.

I put the food probe vertically in the thickest part of the breast. Cook to 155 and pull to rest. Carve at around 165. The breasts are perfect, but the legs and thighs are undercooked. Probably by 20+ degrees. Very pink, despite one leg having meet pull away from the bone.

With the breast being the meatiest part, I'm not sure what to do other than go by the thighs...and risk overcooking the rest of it.

So...what am I doing wrong?

XLentEGG · February 2013

Hello,
I always go by the thigh, and I go to 160*. Even though the bird looks over cooked by the time it is done, under the skin lies nothing but juicy meat. I use a ps , 350 dome and the bird impaled (sp) on a turkey stand to get it high in the dome.

Skiddymarker · February 2013

Little Steven does his inverted, gets the legs higher in the dome, more heat. Try it.

My son does them that way on his gasser and it works well.

I cut my chickens into 6 pieces, 2 breast, 2 leg/thighs and two wings. Legs/thighs go on indirect at 400 first, 5 min later the breasts and 5 minutes later the wings. Lots of rub on everything, more surface to cover and smoke and it is almost already carved. Stumbled onto this trying to fit three spatchcocked birds on my medium BGE.

jfm0830 · February 2013

Bird high (in the dome) and (measured) in the thigh.

burr_baby33 · February 2013

Cook to temp in the leg/thigh. Breast will still be fine.

lousubcap · February 2013

Another option-let the chix warm a little then ice the breasts for around 20 minutes before cooking. That way they are cooler and everything gets to the finish temp (160 breast/180+ in the legs) at around the same time. YMMV-