How to Get the Crispiest Chicken Skin on a Pellet Grill
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Getting crispy chicken skin on a pellet grill isn’t as hard as you think. I love smoking chicken as much as the next person but there is nothing worse than biting into a piece with rubbery skin.Â
If you’ve tried to smoke chicken only to be disappointed with soggy, rubbery skin, then this guide is for you.Â
By preparing your chicken before the cook and knowing what to do during the cook, you can have great smoked chicken with crispy skin using a pellet grill.Â
What’s the key to crispy chicken skin?
The key to crispy chicken skin is removing the moisture. There are several ways you can achieve that:
- Salt brine and air dryÂ
- Use cornstarch with your seasoningÂ
- Smoke at high heat for part of the cook
I use all three methods to ensure crispy skin, whether I’m making wings, chicken thighs, breasts, or whole chicken. High heat is the most important part, so don’t skip that.
How to get the crispiest chicken skin using a pellet grill
1. Prep the chicken
I used chicken thighs for this guide as they are one of my favorite cuts to cook on the smoker, but the advice applies to any cut. Here’s the full recipe for my smoked chicken thighs.
Prepare the chicken by laying it on an elevated wire baking rack with a baking pan underneath and pat them dry with a paper towel.Â
I like placing the chicken on a wire rack to ensure it doesn’t sit in its own juices while it is drying out.
2. Salt brine
I like to use Kosher salt so I can see the flakes to make sure I cover each piece evenly. This also ensures I don’t over-salt the chicken.Â
Simply sprinkle Kosher salt all over the chicken and refrigerate it uncovered.
The salt will start drawing the moisture out from the skin and leaving it uncovered also aids in the drying process as the air circulates around it.Â
Allow the chicken to salt brine for a minimum of 4 hours and up to 24 hours.
After removing the chicken from the refrigerator pat any excess moisture and salt from the chicken skin with a paper towel. Â
3. Seasoning
Add a little drizzle of olive oil to each piece of chicken, rub it all over the skin, then sprinkle on cornstarch and your favorite seasoning or rub. I used Smoke Kitchen Honey Garlic rub.
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Make sure you get good coverage of both the seasoning and cornstarch on the chicken skin.
4. Smoking
Heat your pellet grill to 225°F.
Place the chicken directly on the grill. Make sure you have a bit of space between each piece.
Smoke your chicken for the first 30 minutes at 225°F. Chicken tends to take on smoke better than most proteins you only need a short time smoking to impart some flavor.Â
If you want crispy chicken skin the key is to turn up the heat! High heat is essential to remove moisture and tighten up the skin.Â
So, crank the heat up to 375°F and continue cooking your chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
For dark meat like chicken thighs or wings, you can take the internal temperature to 185°F and still have juicy, tender chicken.
After you remove the chicken from the grill, let it cool down and rest for 10 minutes. The skin will firm up a tad more while it rests and you will be rewarded with crispy chicken skin on the outside and tender and juicy chicken on the inside.Â
Want to get the best out of your pellet grill?
About Your Pitmaster
Jordan Hanger is a grilling enthusiast known for bold, approachable recipes that blend American and Asian BBQ. Growing up with an American dad and Korean mom, he developed a love for fusion flavors, inspiring his brand, Ninjacue.
With over over one million followers on social media, Jordan makes great barbecue fun and accessible for everyone.
Thanks for posting this. With chicken thighs … any ballpark idea on the total smoke / cook time we are talking about using this method at the temps noted?
One the smoker gets up to 375, it will be too hot to produce smoke. So the 30 minutes will be the total smoke time.