Grilled Spatchcock Chicken
You’re going to love this grilled spatchcock chicken recipe. Marinated in a blend of herbs and spices with lots of lemon juice and garlic, this juicy chicken recipe is the perfect summer main dish.
Spatchcock chicken is a fantastic way to cook a whole chicken. Removing the backbone and flattening the chicken ensures even, faster cooking with crispy skin all over. We cook chicken in this way, all-year round, using the oven or air fryer but grilling is exactly what is called for during summer.
Ingredients Needed
- Whole chicken. Use a whole chicken and try to find the best quality you can find.
- For the marinade: smoked paprika, garlic powder, dried oregano, dried thyme, salt and black pepper along with olive oil or avocado oil and fresh lemon juice. Other seasonings like onion powder, cumin, coriander, etc can also be used. Dried herbs like rosemary, sage and basil are all delicious with chicken too. Fresh garlic cloves and fresh herbs can also be used but tend to burn quickly so I prefer adding them to the basting sauce instead of the marinade. BBQ sauce can also be used as a baste if you prefer a sweet and sticky chicken.
How to spatchcock a chicken
I have a full how-to on my Lemon Rosemary Spatchcock Chicken recipe, including step-by-step images. You’ll need a sharp pair of kitchen shears to remove the back bone of the chicken by cutting along the sides of the spine.
How to grill a spatchcock chicken
- Marinate: Once you’ve spatchcocked/butterflied the chicken, combine all the marinade ingredients together. Place the chicken in a rimmed baking sheet or baking dish then pour over the marinade, reserving a quarter cup for basting. I like to rub some of the marinade under the skin too. Make sure the chicken is fully covered.
- Grill: Preheat your grill, ensuring you have a cool-zone to allow the chicken to cook over indirect heat. I do this by turning on 6 of my 8 burners on high and leaving two side burners on low. If using a charcoal grill, prepare the coals then spread them evenly under the grill grate, keeping a spot open – this will be your cool zone. Once heated, place the chicken on the cool zone, breast-side up. Close the lid of your grill then allow to cook for 20 minutes, checking regularly to control any flare-ups. After 20 minutes, carefully flip the chicken over onto the breast-side and cook for another 20 minutes on the cool side of your grill. Move the chicken over to the hot side of the grill and cook for another 10-15 minutes, basting with the remaining marinade until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through.
- Rest: Remove the chicken from the heat and allow to rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving.
Can I make this ahead?
The chicken can be prepared and marinated for up to 2 days before cooking. Keep it in an airtight container in the fridge. Leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Serving Suggestions
Grilled chicken is delicious with a variety of side dishes. We love it with creamy potato salad, macaroni salad or green bean tomato salad. Caesar Pasta Salad, Grilled corn on the cob, avocado salad or cucumber salad are also delicious options.
Grilled Chicken Recipes
Ingredients
- 3 lb (1.5kg) whole chicken giblets removed
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp pepper
- 2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Spatchcock the chicken following the directions in the lemon rosemary spatchcock recipe.
- Combine all the marinade ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Place the chicken in a rimmed baking sheet or baking dish then pour over the marinade, reserving a quarter cup for basting. I like to rub some of the marinade under the skin too. Make sure the chicken is fully covered.
- Preheat your grill, ensuring you have a cool-zone to allow the chicken to cook over indirect heat. I do this by turning on 6 of my 8 burners on high and leaving two side burners on low. If using a charcoal grill, prepare the coals then spread them evenly under the grill grate, keeping a spot open – this will be your cool zone.
- Once heated, place the chicken on the cool zone, breast-side up.
- Close the lid of your grill then allow to cook for 20 minutes, checking regularly to control any flare-ups.
- After 20 minutes, carefully flip the chicken over onto the breast-side and cook for another 20 minutes on the cool side of your grill.
- Move the chicken over to the hot side of the grill and cook for another 10-15 minutes, basting with the remaining marinade until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through.
- You'll know the chicken is cooked when the juices run clear when you cut the chicken between the breast and the leg. A meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of the chicken thigh will read 165°F/73°C.
- Remove the chicken from the heat and allow to rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving.
We made this last night for dinner and…oh my gosh, this was absolutely delicious!! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe, which I followed to the T except I added 1.5 tsp onion powder and used slightly less lemon juice. It was the best-tasting, moistest spatchcock chicken we’ve ever had! I put some marinade under the skin as you suggested. The grilling method of cooking it on indirect heat was new to us, and wow, what a difference maker. This will be the only recipe we’ll ever use for spatchcock chicken!
Hi Grace – thanks so much for your lovely comment. I’m sp pleased you enjoyed this recipe. 🙂