Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

Chicken

nvoss
nvoss Posts: 5
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
What temp should my egg be when I am cooking a whole chicken?

Comments

  • TRex
    TRex Posts: 2,714
    The quick answer is: about 350. But, it also depends on your setup.

    I usually do whole chicken direct (no heat barrier, e.g., platesetter) on a raised/extended grid and run a dome temp of 375 - 400. The higher temps tend to give you a crispier skin, but that's also why I raise it up further from the coals. Alternatively you can crisp up the skin by flipping it over at the end.

    If you haven't heard of it, try the spatchcock method. The Naked Whiz gives you good instructions here:

    http://www.nakedwhiz.com/spatch.htm

    and I have some notes on this same method on my site as well here:

    http://houseoffaulkner.com/chicken.html

    Alternatively, some people do whole chickens with an indirect setup at a dome of around 325 - 350, and cook them longer. Experiment and find what you like!

    But, the easy answer is: about 350.

    Hope this helps.

    Jason
  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
    You have a lot of options on this.

    The most important thing is to cook the chicken to internal 165° and it will be very moist.

    Low and slow at about 250° 2 to 4 hours.

    From 350° to 500° from about 1hr 20 minutes to about 50 minutes on the hot end.

    Spatchcock or whole doesn't make much different. I finally settled in on 400° (calibrated dome thermometer) for about an hour.

    I really like cooking a whole chicken with a tub of potatoes, peppers, onions and cheese. I will put a link below for details.

    Here are some different temperature whole chicken cooks.


    500° 50 min to 1 hr cook. Direct.
    chick500.jpg

    400° 1 hr indirect with adjustable rig and a drip pan on the inverted spider (my favorite setup).
    This moist of breast is normal on all the cooks.
    chick400.jpg


    Low temperature cook
    chicken1.jpg

    It is common for the breast meat to be this moist on all of the cooks.
    chicken3.jpg


    Details for a tasty fun chicken & veggie cook.

    http://www.eggheadforum.com/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&Itemid=112&func=view&catid=1&id=626228#626228

    Also look in the recipe section for AZRP's The chicken.

    Ross in Ventura did a Chicken and White Sauce is also is excellent.

    All the cooks are very simple.

    GG
  • lowercasebill
    lowercasebill Posts: 5,218
    http://www.eggheadforum.com/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&func=view&id=626256&catid=1

    chicken over veggies is wonderful click the little pic in my post for a slide show
  • nvoss
    nvoss Posts: 5
    Thanks everyone for the answers
  • NoVA Bill
    NoVA Bill Posts: 3,005
    GG,

    I really like the look of the chicken at 500 degrees direct. Do you think using a woo2 at the felt line on mbge will get'r dun?

    Thanks,
  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
    If you are that low in the egg just put in a little less lump. Half way between the fire box air holes and top or maybe a little higher.

    Maybe use 450°. On my setup the skin is being cooked from radiated heat off of the dome.

    Towards the end of the cook look at the skin, if it is getting too dark and the meat temperature is not done yet then loosely tent the top of the bird(s) to keep the skin from getting too dark.

    GG
  • NoVA Bill
    NoVA Bill Posts: 3,005
    GG,

    Thanks, getting higher in the dome is a challenge on the medium, thought I'd died and gone to egg heaven when I got the woo2, never liked the extended grate.