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[darita]

I've watched a ton of vids on how to smoke chicken.  Most times, the skin is not even addressed.  When it is, it's just a side note and almost never talked about in the final product.  It's sliced and eaten and they talk about how juicy and tender the meat is, but the skin...not a peep.  I know good skin is hard to get, so it seems like it gets ignored.
Im a huge fan of good skin, crispy or not, it's got to be soft enough to bite through and enjoy,  To me, it's like pork or beef fat...it's where all the flavor is, especially if it's seasoned and rendered right.  I've even made chicken skin taquitos, with left over chicken and boy...are they the bomb!  So to me, if I can't get the skin right, I might as well toss the bird.  I don't know...maybe it's just me.

[Canadian John]

I am with you on that one. Unfortunately for us, medical issues dictate no skin. We do miss it. At times I have managed to accidentally chew off a piece of skin - a real treat.

[Kristin Meredith]

I cook the chicken for our comp team and have cooked hundreds of thighs.  Trying to get bite through skin with appropriate taste and texture is the bain of my existence.  I have judged 29 KCBS contests and a few IBCA contests and, as a judge, can tell you that the skin must be the bain of other comp cooks existence also.

Even if I get bite through, I just don't like the feel in my mouth.  Crispy is difficult for me without drying it out.  Bent did chicken a couple of times with the PH team and did skinless breasts and did not do too bad.  I like the skin, but am not that successful on the pit with cooking it.  I would love to read some suggestions.

[Trooper]

I don't do skin from baked chicken at all. (except for comp. judging)

However the skin from broasted chicken?
Get out of my way! I love it
Is it healthy? Proably not!
But I love it anyway.

Best part of the feast is ripping off a large section from the breast or top of thigh
and slam dunking it into yo jaws!

[triplebq]

Crispy and Fried chicken skin is 

I do eat skin when I do smoked party wings but not when I do smoked Turkey.

[pmillen]

I generally avoid it because it's lacking when smoked.  It's okay when Broasted or fried, but smoked...yuk.

[Rydes84]

I have had good luck using the cornstarch trick from the below recipe at the end of a chicken cook. I'm not sure on the science part of it but it seems to give it a reliable crispy skin after sitting on the smoker for a couple hours. 


https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/jeff-mauro/smoked-crispy-chicken-drums-with-maple-butter-hot-sauce-5406033 

I believe Americas Test Kitchen did something similar but I've never found their write up online.

[triplebq]

I have had good luck using the cornstarch trick from the below recipe at the end of a chicken cook. I'm not sure on the science part of it but it seems to give it a reliable crispy skin after sitting on the smoker for a couple hours. 


https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/jeff-mauro/smoked-crispy-chicken-drums-with-maple-butter-hot-sauce-5406033 

I believe Americas Test Kitchen did something similar but I've never found their write up online.

Will give this a try.

[Bobitis]

I smoke/cook my chicken with the skin on. I'm not a white meat fan. When up to temp, I remove the skin and put it back on the grill and ramp up the temp. I'll sauce the 'clean' meat and add about 30 minutes to set.

Remove the meat and let set a bit while the skin continues to cook. The end results are a pretty much fat rendered skin that is bacon crispy and Oh so delicious.

Hey, it's skin! What have ya got to lose? 

[SurfAndTurf]

I must be too dumb not to know better. We smoke thighs weekly, usually with the name brand Traeger Pork N Poultry Shake, and leave only the bones when finished!

SurfAndTurf

[SparkyLB]

Chicken simply isn't chicken without the skin.  If I watch other eating habits, I can help myself.  Fat is not the foe.  Eating chicken without skin is like listening to a symphony with hearing protection. 

[bregent]

I always eat the skin. Cook at high heat for at least one portion of the cook to render the fat under the skin and crisp it up. For wings and thighs, I use baking powder to raise the pH and dry uncovered in the fridge for 8 hours or more so it browns and crisps more. 

[darita]

I always eat the skin. Cook at high heat for at least one portion of the cook to render the fat under the skin and crisp it up. For wings and thighs, I use baking powder to raise the pH and dry uncovered in the fridge for 8 hours or more so it browns and crisps more.

bregent, please be more specific on how you do your cook.  What does ph got to do with it?  Sounds interesting.

[bregent]

>bregent, please be more specific on how you do your cook. 

Hopefully this does not violate any rules:
https://www.seriouseats.com/2010/02/the-best-baked-buffalo-chicken-wings-in-oven-not-fried-appetizers.html

[Conumdrum]

I do.  Fat is flavor.  I don't cook any chickens on my smoker unless it's full chickens, like 9 at once to eat and vacupack.

I use my Weber for other bits of chicken, It's versatile as heck with the Vortex.  I can control temps for slow cooks and then crisp skins, even thighs.