Spatchcock Chicken (Grilled or Smoked)
Spatchcocking (cutting out the backbone and pressing the chicken flat) is the single best trick for a whole bird. It cooks faster and more evenly, the breast and thighs finish together, and every inch of skin faces the heat and gets crisp. Here's how to do it on a Weber kettle, Big Green Egg, gas grill or smoker.
- Keto, gluten-free and sugar-free: As written with the Lemon Herb rub or another no-sugar, gluten-free rub.
- Halal: Use a certified halal (zabiha) chicken.
- Kosher: Use a certified kosher chicken and oil instead of butter. Kosher chickens are already salted, so skip the dry-brine salt and use a salt-free rub.
* Depends on certified ingredients or a simple swap. See the notes above.
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken, 4–5 lb
- 1 tbsp kosher salt (for the dry brine; skip it for kosher chicken)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp poultry rub (Lemon Herb, Sweet Smoky or Cajun)
Equipment: sturdy kitchen or poultry shears. Optional wood for a smoky flavor: apple, cherry or pecan.
Instructions
- Cut out the backbone. Set the chicken breast side down. With sturdy shears, cut along both sides of the backbone from tail to neck and remove it. Save it for stock.
- Flatten. Flip the chicken breast side up. Press firmly on the center of the breast with the heel of your hand until the breastbone cracks and the bird lies flat. Tuck the wing tips behind.
- Dry brine. Pat dry and season all over with the salt. Refrigerate uncovered on a rack for 8–24 hours, which gives you the crispiest skin.
- Season. Rub with oil and season all over, including under the breast skin.
- Set up indirect heat. Kettle: bank lit charcoal on one side. Big Green Egg: convEGGtor in, legs up. Gas grill: burners on one side, off under the chicken. Aim for 375–425°F. (Smoker? Run it at 300–325°F, and expect about 1–1½ hours.)
- Cook. Lay the chicken skin side up over the indirect zone, with the thighs facing the heat. Close the lid and cook about 45–60 minutes.
- Check doneness. It's done when the breast reads 165°F and the thighs 175–185°F.
- Crisp (optional). For extra-crispy skin, move it skin side down over direct heat for 1–3 minutes. Watch it closely.
- Rest and carve. Rest 10 minutes. Spatchcocked chicken is easy to carve: cut down the middle of the breast, then separate the leg quarters.
Why spatchcock? A regular whole chicken takes 1¼–1½ hours on the grill, and the breast often overcooks while the thighs catch up. Flattened, it cooks in about 45–60 minutes, evenly, with crispier skin all over. More methods are in How to Grill a Whole Chicken.
Thermapen ONE by ThermoWorks
Check both the breast and the thigh. A fast instant-read makes it quick, so the breast doesn't overcook while you wait on the thighs.
See it at ThermoWorksCooking for a crowd? Try Spatchcock Turkey. Prefer it upright? Try Beer Can Chicken.