Grilled Spatchcock Chicken Recipe

This Grilled Spatchcock Chicken recipe cooks quickly and evenly, making it the perfect weeknight family meal. You’ll love how simple it is to prepare in just 1 hour.

Making and eating chicken can be mundane because it’s such a popular protein. However, if you want to explore new recipes loaded with flavor, you must try my chicken Francese or this delicious chicken teriyaki.

Spatchcock Chicken

Spatchcock chicken is a flattened chicken with the backbone removed. It’s very similar to a butterfly technique. The term spatchcock is an older cooking term that has recently come back into popularity. In its simplicity, it is a birth that is split and spread and ready for roasting.

You can spatchcock a chicken using a sharp chef’s knife or a great pair of kitchen shears, which I usually use. While I prefer to remove the backbone entirely, you can just cut it alongside it and flatten it from there, keeping it in there.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Chicken – You will need a whole fryer chicken or roasting chicken.
• Fat – I prefer olive oil, but you can use your favorite oil for this recipe.
• Seasoning – You will need sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper.

How to Grill Spatchcock Chicken

Flatten the chicken: First thing I do is remove the backbone from each chicken using sharp kitchen shears or a good knife. This helps the chicken lay flat and cook more evenly on the grill.

Season it up: I drizzle the chickens with olive oil and season them all over with salt and pepper. Don’t forget the underside, every part should be well coated.

Start grilling skin side down: I place the chickens skin side down on a hot grill (around 450° to 550°) and cook for 6 to 8 minutes. I keep an eye on them to make sure the skin doesn’t burn or stick to the grates.

Lower the heat and close the lid: Then I turn the heat down to 350° to 400°, close the lid, and let the chickens cook for about 20 to 25 minutes.

Flip and finish cooking: I flip the chickens over and move them to a cooler spot on the grill, then turn the heat back up to 425° to 450°. I let them finish cooking for another 20 to 25 minutes, or until they’re fully cooked through.

Rest and serve: Once they’re done, I let the chickens rest for about 5 minutes before slicing. If I have some fresh herbs on hand like parsley, rosemary, or thyme, I’ll sprinkle those over the top for a simple garnish.

Chef Tip + Notes

It is important to ensure that not too many flames come through the grates, as it can cause the chicken to burn. You are looking to get a little char but, more importantly, to get it well-browned on all sides and cooked through. If you notice a lot of fire on the grill when cooking, move the chicken over to a cooler side or add some ice cubes where the flames are shooting through to help tone them down.

• Use kitchen shears for spatchcocking: I find kitchen shears make it much easier and safer to remove the backbone than using a knife.
• Pat the chicken dry: Before seasoning, I always pat the chicken dry with paper towels. This helps the skin crisp up nicely on the grill.
• Oil the grates: I lightly oil the grill grates before cooking to keep the skin from sticking and tearing.
• Use a two-zone setup: I grill over high heat to start and then finish on a cooler part of the grill. It gives a good sear without burning the skin.
• Check the internal temperature: I always check with a meat thermometer. The thickest part of the thigh should hit 165°F before I pull it off the grill.

Serving Suggestions

I like to serve this grilled chicken with my roasted green beans and some ranch potatoes for something filling, and a fresh cucumber salad to balance out the richness.

Sometimes I’ll start things off with a few grilled sea scallops as an easy appetizer. For dessert, I’ve been making a pistachio cake that’s become a favorite around here lately – it’s light, flavorful, and always gets finished.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Make-Ahead: This recipe is meant to be eaten as soon as it is finished cooking. However, you can keep it warm in the oven at very low temperatures (165° to 200°) for up to 30 minutes before serving it.

How to Store: Cover it and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. This will freeze covered for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator for one day before reheating.

How to Reheat: Place the desired amount of chicken on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper. Bake it at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes or until warm.

More Chicken Recipes

• Chicken Paprikash
• Chicken Kiev
• Arroz con Pollo
• Chicken Cordon Bleu
• Butter Chicken

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Grilled Spatchcock Chicken Recipe

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5 from 6 votes

This grilled spatchcock chicken recipe cooks quickly and evenly, making it the perfect weeknight family meal. You’ll love how simple it is to prepare in just 1 hour.

Servings: 8

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

• 2 roaster chickens
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• sea salt and pepper to taste
• optional dijon cream sauce

Instructions

• Flatten your chicken by removing the backbone with sharp kitchen shears or using a knife.
• Drizzle the chicken with olive oil and season on all sides with salt and pepper
• Add the chicken to a hot grill(450° to 550°), skin side down and cook for 6 to 8 minutes making sure it does not burn and does not stick to the grill grates.
• Turn the heat down to 350° to 400°, close the grill door and cook for 20 to 25 minutes.
• Flip the chicken over and place on a cooler side of the grill and then turn the heat back up to 425° to 450° and cook for 20 to 25 more minutes or until it is cooked through.
• Rest for 4 to 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with optional chopped fresh herbs such as parsley, rosemary, or thyme.

Notes

It is important to ensure that not too many flames come through the grates, as it can cause the chicken to burn. You are looking to get a little char but, more importantly, to get it well-browned on all sides and cooked through. If you notice a lot of fire on the grill when cooking, move the chicken over to a cooler side or add some ice cubes where the flames are shooting through to help tone them down.

Use kitchen shears for spatchcocking: I find kitchen shears make it much easier and safer to remove the backbone than using a knife.

Pat the chicken dry: Before seasoning, I always pat the chicken dry with paper towels. This helps the skin crisp up nicely on the grill.

Oil the grates: I lightly oil the grill grates before cooking to keep the skin from sticking and tearing.

Use a two-zone setup: I grill over high heat to start and then finish on a cooler part of the grill. It gives a good sear without burning the skin.

Check the internal temperature: I always check with a meat thermometer. The thickest part of the thigh should hit 165°F before I pull it off the grill.

Make-Ahead: This recipe is meant to be eaten as soon as it is finished cooking. However, you can keep it warm in the oven at very low temperatures (165° to 200°) for up to 30 minutes before serving it.

How to Store: Cover it and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. This will freeze covered for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator for one day before reheating.

How to Reheat: Place the desired amount of chicken on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper. Bake it at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes or until warm.

Nutrition

Calories: 453kcalCarbohydrates: 0.2gProtein: 33gFat: 35gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 164mgSodium: 132mgPotassium: 374mgVitamin A: 1609IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 19mgIron: 3mg

Course: dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: english

Author: Chef Billy Parisi