I did chicken on the rotisserie today. 190 Celsius / 375 Fahrenheit for about 90 minutes.
The chicken was cooked tender and juicy but the skin wasn’t crispy. How can I improve?
Any got some tips? I’m thinking to put the temp much higher for maybe the last 15 mins or so you have better solutions? Or just remove the drip pans before the end?
by woeiiii
20 Comments
Umm did you pat your chic dry? Did you include garlic in your seasoning? Did you rub your chicken down with any sort of cohesive “lube”?
Remove the drip pans to allow for more direct heat
Backing powder will help with crispier skin has something to do with the ph.
When the chicken itself is close to being done you can crank up the temp and remove the drip pans. 400-500 is probably good. That will crisp up the skin.
Recipe I followed when I did chicken on my grill was to slide your hand under the skin to “separate” the skin from the chicken while leaving it attached. And then rubbing olive oil all over the chicken on the under side of the skin. Then season the outer layer of the skin. Came out super moist and the skin was nice and crispy.
For chicken, best way for crispy skin is to dry out the skin first. Pat it with some paper towels and leave it in the fridge on a raised rack. Overnight preferably, but can do a few hours if needed. I like to put a little bit of mayo on and under the skin with some seasoning. After that bump up the grill to at least 325 and cook away!
Prep is key for chicken skin to be crispy. Dry as much as you can, and season and set it in the fridge overnight which will help pull moisture some more. You can use a little cornstarch on the skin as well to help further. This is what I do for wings
https://preview.redd.it/6c4p3evwogff1.jpeg?width=6144&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9fa940d81fb5985372cd15cf920a69e24db2dfd8
One part baking powder, three parts salt, dry brine 4-24 hours. Extra crispy skin. Kenji’s trick.
Dry skin = crispy skin
I dry and season the day before and keep in fridge, uncovered overnight. Add a little baking powder to your rub
So this is very indirect so for the last bit I’d remove the drip trays and turn up the heat.
I have a different brand of grill, but I made a huge batch of wings last night using this technique: cook at a low tenp (225-250) until the poultry is almost done. Then crank to max (400-450) for 20-30 minutes at the end to crisp the skin.
Also: rub with toasted sesame oil before applying BBQ seasoning.
Mix 1 part baking powder, 1 part corn starch, 1 part salt. Coat the chicken (not super heavily, use your best judgement) and leave uncovered in the fridge for 8+ hours if possible to dry out the skin.
If all else fails, use a torch.
Lather it in mayo then rub, always crispy skin, not healthy tho lol
I haven’t tried it yet, but it works on chicken wings, dust then good with some corn starch near the end of the cook and the crank the heat. Corn starch is better than baking powder, as it won’t impart an off flavor.
I hit mine with a butane torch, mid-cook, just to get all the skin perfect.
Peking duck’s trick sorta works in a unique way. Pour a little boiling water over the skin, blanching it. You’ll see it tighten up. Pouring ice water (or an ice bath dunk if you’re dedicated. I’m not, lol).
(Skin and fat are already insulators, so the underlying meat does not become instantly cooked.)
Doing that before you marinate and work with the bird radically changes the skin texture. It will not be so gummy.
I’ve used it for sous vide, and it’s amazing. I also do it on the smoker, and it helps, too!
As fancy as it sounds, I’m oddly lazy, despite such elaborate experimental steps. I usually don’t bother raising the temperature to sear/broil the skin.
This let’s me set it and forget it with a much nicer skin than untreated.
I’ve tried it on wings and whole chickens.
I use potato flour on my chicken wings for an excellent crispy skin. Or pop that sucker under the broiler or in an airfryer to finish
After you get the meat to a temperature that is just below where you want it you turn the heat up to 450 and let it run for 10 or 15 minutes and you’ll have crispy skin