Winter Alternative to Smoking Whole Chickens

We started the Kanzas City BBQ project several years ago in order to show my Russian friends and colleagues how to make great American style BBQ in St. Petersburg. Some of the major hurdles that we encountered were getting the ingredients and tools necessary to make authentic BBQ. However, an additional issue we encountered was the weather. It stays colder here longer than in Kansas City where I drew most of the inspiration for my recipes and cooking methods. Additionally, apartment style living in St. Petersburg isn't very conducive to maintaining a smoker.

Therefore, we have overcome many of these issues using our oven and indoor (George Foreman style) grill to create some great food that is practical and not very difficult.

In the attached video, I demonstrate how to slow cook a whole chicken to get that wonderful BBQ flavor without the use of a wood smoker. I think you'll agree that the results look impressive. I will testify to the taste since we ate the whole bird with the help of some friends.

The Video (Not the best work but we're improving)

The Process

Here is what you'll need to make this at home in your oven.

Ingredients

1. A whole chicken with the innards removed.
2. Some poultry seasoning/rub, chili powder, and crushed red pepper.
3. Your favorite BBQ sauce (I prefer a honey BBQ sauce for chicken).
4. Apple juice.

Tools

1. A flat baking sheet covered with aluminum foil.
2. A large bowl/plate for applying the rub - the chicken should fit easily inside.
3. A small bowl for mixing your rub.
4. A large Tupperware style container for carving/shredding and to hold leftovers.
5. A large butcher knife for carving.
6. A basting brush or a large spoon to apply the accumulated chicken juices from the baking pan.
7. A spray bottle for applying the apple juice to the chicken during cooking.
8. 2 large carving/serving forks or some Bear Paws for shredding.
9. An internal thermometer to ensure doneness and health.

Time and Temperature are Key

Set your oven to 125 degree celsius (about 225 to 230F). This is a low and slow cooking affair. The chicken will bake for about 4 hours total.

Clean your chicken and dry it using paper towels.

Make your rub using the poultry seasoning (4 parts), chili powder (2 parts), crushed red pepper (1 part). Mix well in your small bowl.

Apply the rub to the chicken liberally making sure to get behind the wings and legs. Turn your chicken over and get the underside coated as well. Now place it on the oven sheet and set a timer for 2 hours.

After 2 hours time, open the oven and gather the juices from the cooking sheet and brush them over the chicken lightly. You don't want to remove the rub, but you want to keep the skin juicy. Spray the chicken several times with the apple juice. This entire process will help create a nice crust on the chicken, keep it moist, and also lock in the internal juices of the chicken. Close the oven and set the timer for 1 hour.

After 1 hour repeat the basting and spraying process and then check the internal temperature of the chicken. It should be above 145 degrees Fahrenheit, but 155 is better (about 68 degrees celsius). This ensures that the chicken is thoroughly cooked and safe to eat. However, close the oven and reduce the temperature to 75 degrees celsius (175 F) for one more hour. This will allow the "crust" to form on the outside of the chicken without overcooking the inside.

After the last hour has expired, pull your chicken out and place it in the large Tupperware style container. Pour any excess juices from the pan over the chicken and begin carving.

During carving, it is best to remove the wings and legs first and then begin shredding with the Bear Paws or forks. If you want to carve it in a traditional way (no shredding) then use a sharp knife to cut away the breasts and thighs. The meat will be so tender that it will be easy to remove from the bone (it should nearly "slide" off the bone).

Add BBQ sauce (preferably warmed in saucepan or microwave) to the cuts of meat, serve and enjoy.

Let me know how your chicken turned out. Make comments with your suggestions and results. All intelligent comments get an upvote for me. Hope you enjoyed this.

Note: All references to Dtube, the so called "YouTube Replacement" had to be removed from this post because of "unknown error" issues that nobody at Dtube wants to address on their Discord channel. After being ignored for 2 hours, I uploaded the video and text to YouTube and posted it in 5 minutes. Can't imagine Dtube replacing carrier pigeons let alone YouTube until they get their shit together.

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Photos are mine.

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