Back.
The backbone and frame. Little meat, deep flavour: stock, and the piece you remove to spatchcock.
Chicken back cooks to the doneness you like, at or above the USDA minimum of 165 F. It is not a low-and-slow cut.
Where it comes from
Spatchcocking (removing the backbone and flattening the bird) is the method that makes a whole smoked chicken cook evenly; FSIS's whole-bird rule still applies, 165 F in the innermost thigh and wing and the thickest breast. Roast the back for stock.
USDA FSIS primal: whole bird (carcass). Six regions, matching master chicken-B (whose diagram labels all six correctly; chicken-A omits the thigh callout on the bird).
- Best methods:
- simmer (stock), roast
- Slice:
- Joint the bird; slice the breast across the grain.
- Rest:
- 10 minutes for a whole bird.
Scores are Pit Log editorial, anchored to FSIS tenderness notes.
What you will see at the counter
| Cut | Methods | Finish | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Back / carcass | simmer | 165 F (USDA) | Stock and soup. Refrigerate within 2 hours; use in 3 to 4 days (FSIS). |
| Whole chicken (spatchcocked or trussed) | smoke, roast, grill indirect | 165 F (USDA) | FSIS planning: broiler-fryer 3 to 4 lb, 60 to 75 minutes indirect on a grill, 1.25 to 1.5 hours roasted at 350 F. Check thigh, wing and breast. |
Safe. Then done.
165 F (73.9 C)
Breasts, whole bird, legs, thighs, wings, ground poultry, giblets and stuffing. For a whole bird, check the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast. This is a food safety floor, not a preference. Where any other number on this page is lower, this one governs.
Source: USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart, page updated 2025-04-14, read 2026-09-02.
Whole bird 60 to 75 minutes indirect (FSIS planning); spatchcocked at 325 to 350 F, roughly an hour. Approximate.
More on the chicken temperature page and the full chart.
Smoke
What ruins it
- 01Stuffing a bird ahead of time (FSIS: stuff immediately before cooking, and the stuffing must also reach 165 F).
- 02Trusting the pop-up timer over a thermometer.
Cook it
No Pit Log recipe for this region yet.
- Poultry shearsSpatchcocking.
- Leave-in probe / wireless thermometerFSIS: use two thermometers, one for the pit air and one for the food. Every low-and-slow page.
- Large cutting board with juice grooveRest and slice surface for large cuts.
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Then write down what happened
Pit temp, wood, wrap, final temp, rest, result. The chart says what usually works. Your log says what worked for you.