Hi Dr. BBQ:

I want to try smoking chicken and hear thighs are the way to go. How long for thighs or quarters? Could I do breasts as well with bone in and skin on? Any ideas would be great. Thanks,

Bill

Hi Bill,

Thighs are definitely the way to go for us cookoff guys, but at home I use different parts. Dark meat does best for low temp cooking, so I often cook drumsticks, and leg quarters do fine too. Breast meat seems to get mushy, although I like to do whole chickens sometimes. Always leave the skin on no matter which parts and always use a dry rub. You can brine or marinade if you like, but I usually don’t. I like the flavor of the chicken to be the dominant taste. If you're cooking at 250°F, parts should take 2-3 hours and whole chickens 4-5 hours, but you should always use a thermometer with chicken. Dark meat needs to be 180°F and white meat 160°F.

Dr. BBQ