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why were the chicken thighs dry

bookswbooksw Posts: 324
edited July 2012 in Poultry
I made a fast no-fuss dinner tonight that I have made before with good results but not so much tonight and I am not sure why.  I made bone-in chicken thighs raised indirect and at the end I finished them with bbq sauce.  Some of them turned out good but some were dry and I am not sure why.  One thing that happened is that I was in a bit of a rush and after I got the raised grid in there and closed the egg, it took a while to get the egg back up to 400 so I put the thighs on at 300 and it took I think another 20 minutes or more before the heat came up.  Could that be why some turned out dry?  The other thought I had is that I should have done them direct instead of indirect?  Any insights appreciated- thanks!!  
Charleston, SC

L/MiniMax Eggs

Comments

  • Richard FlRichard Fl Posts: 8,251
    As the heat was rising the meat was cooking but not hot enough to dryout the thighs IMHO.  I do my chicken indirect all the time and never have a problem drying out unless I forget them and they hang around tooo long in the heat.
  • Hillbilly-HightechHillbilly-Hightech Posts: 966
    what was the internal temp of the meat?  My thoughts are that you most certainly overcooked them.  That'll dry 'em out every time... 

    HTH,
    Rob
    Don't get set into one form, adapt it and build your own, and let it grow, be like water. Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless — like water. Now you put water in a cup, it becomes the cup... Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend. - Bruce Lee
  • nolaeggheadnolaegghead Posts: 27,207
    Maybe the chickens were from a dry county..?

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  • allitnilsallitnils Posts: 109
    I had my parents over a week back (shocking, I know.. but that's another story all together) and while I cooked skinless chicken breast fillets for me, I made some thighs for them as I knew they'd appreciate them more.
    Essentially: browned the seasoned chicken in a skillet for 30 seconds per side, added relevant flavors (I used garlic and thyme), and transferred to the egg which at the time was at 250 degrees, and left it there for 10-15 minutes (direct).
    Turned out being the most succulent pieces of chicken I've made.

    Not sure why yours were dry - but chicken thighs are higher in fat and thus really hard to mess up..
    Was the chicken fresh or frozen?
  • nolaeggheadnolaegghead Posts: 27,207
    Direct will cook faster than indirect, with the same fire.  Your target temperature is about 160 before you to want pull them off and let rest (where they'd rise to maybe 165 F with indirect heat and 170-175 with direct).  I'll bet you overshot the temp into the 190 F range, or even higher, on some of them.  If you immediately served them, the proteins in the meet curl up and don't let any of that moisture back in, and evaporation is an issue. 

    Use a meat thermometer, is my recommendation, and pull them off at 160, then give them a 10-15 minute rest.  Thighs are pretty forgiving - they're the pork butt of a chicken. 

    I'm excited - ordered my Thermopen, waiting for it to come in.
    ______________________________________________
    This is my signature line just so you're not confused.  Love me or hate me, I am forum Marmite.
    Large and Medium BGE, Kamado Joe Jr, Akorn Jr, smoker with a 5k btu AC, gas grill, fire pit, pack of angry cats, two turntables and a microphone, my friend.  Registered republican.
    New Orleans, LA - we know how to eat 
  • bookswbooksw Posts: 324
    Maybe the chickens were from a dry county..?

    So funny- actually Charleston county is surrounded by dry counties but is historically (and notoriously) wet!  I think you all are right about the over cooking.  I have gotten less concerned about that type of thing on the egg and especially with thighs but I think that must be what happened.  I had pulled them out of the freezer the day before but they were still a bit stiff and in my mind I think I was overdoing it to keep from under doing the cold spots- maybe too that is why some of them were OK- different levels of frosty spots?  Live and learn.  My thermapen should be here any day- I couldn't resist getting one after all the talk on these boards about it.  I got the best one- ORANGE.  Thank you everyone!  Tonight I am making two beer can chickens (I know I should try them cut open and layed down direct and I will do that soon)- indirect and raised grill.  Maybe my thermapen will be here today.
    Charleston, SC

    L/MiniMax Eggs
  • woody's wood pitwoody's wood pit Posts: 237
    save your energy and do spatchcock chicken....it will never let you down and all you have to do is watch the internal temp...I use my "Orange" thermapen (Go Horns) and pull them about 160 and let them rest while we set the table and round up the kids..

    Rockwall Texas, just east of Dallas where the humidity and heat meet! Life is too short to get caught in the fast lane behind somebody slow!

    XL, LG, Sm, Mini and Weber for drink holder

  • nolaeggheadnolaegghead Posts: 27,207
    I ordered a pink Thermapen....I'm confident in my masculinity.  And I support breasts.
    ______________________________________________
    This is my signature line just so you're not confused.  Love me or hate me, I am forum Marmite.
    Large and Medium BGE, Kamado Joe Jr, Akorn Jr, smoker with a 5k btu AC, gas grill, fire pit, pack of angry cats, two turntables and a microphone, my friend.  Registered republican.
    New Orleans, LA - we know how to eat 
  • stikestike Posts: 15,597
    edited July 2012
    they were overcooked.  only thing that dries out meat is overcooking (in our practical day-to-day kitchens, i mean).

    you cannot cause meat to be dry by: cooking previously frozen meat; by using 'too much' salt; by pressing down on hamburgers (though you shouldn't do this anyway); by poking it; or by even air drying it (like, as with aging beef)

    now that you removed all those possible causes, you will be a temp-taking ninja.  never again overcooking meat (unless you are hinking dreavily while cooking :)  ).
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
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