Help with chicken

[GSWHoops]

Anyone have any good techniques for getting a nice crisp skin when cooking chicken? Whenever I cook, the meat is really good, but the skin is not so good.

I don't have the rotisserie. Does that make a difference?

[Jim Malter]

Hoops-

I cook over direct heat, main grill at 325-350. I cover the skin with a olive oil wet rub, butterfly, cook bone down for 20 min, flip, cook 15 min and finish with the bone down for 10-20min, depending on the chicken's size.

Jim

[GSWHoops]

hmmm...this is similar to what I do. I wonder what I'm doing differently.

[TheNakedWhiz]

You might try cranking up the temps to 450 for the last few minutes to crispen up the skin.

[Jim Malter]

Hoops-

I have no troubled getting a crispy skin with the 350 (dome temp, not grill surface temp as determined by a guru probe) direct approach. As Whiz suggests, you can try to finish over more heat. I usually burn it at those temps.

Jim

[Porkchop]

here's what i did this weekend, tho it was a departure from my usual method. left the chicken whole and covered with rub (combo of mine and store-boughten!) and let it sit out for about 1/2 hour...

got larry set up for indirect and 425, couple good chunks of hickory. put chicken on v-rack (breast up) over stone for about 1/2 hour, til the skin got dark brown (darker than golden, but not TOO dark), and then shut down and let dwell for 15 min.

skin perfect! crispy and delish! juicy breast meat and thigh was done perfectly! should have done 2!

part of the success might have more to do with "preheating" the stone. it took a bit of time from 350-425, probably 10-15 min. had to finagle the upper draft a bit, and, this is kinda off topic, but weird enuf to bring up. while i was standing there adjusting, i noticed the upper draft spinning closed by itself! the hot air coming thru the upper draft was enough to cause the damper top to spin! so, does the stainless bind in the heat?? dont think so! maybe operates a little too smooth! had to wedge a little bit of lump under the damper to keep it from moving while the cooker was coming up to temp. after i got to 425, it stopped moving by itself when i removed the lump.

so, anyway, you might try that. i know alton brown used a similar method on thxgiving turkey; high temp to start to brown the skin, then cover and lower temps to cook...