Grilled Whole Chicken Recipes

JUICY GRILLED WHOLE CHICKEN, MEDITERRANEAN-STYLE

Steps:

• Spatchcock (butterfly) the chicken (or ask your butcher to do it). Place the chicken on a cutting board with its backbone facing you. Using a pair of sturdy kitchen shears like this one (affiliate link) cut out the backbone by cutting along both sides of the spine, and remove it. Push down on the breasts to flatten the chicken. Flip the bird over and remove the wing tips.
• Season the chicken. Pat chicken dry and season with salt all over, lift the skin and apply salt underneath.
• Mix the marinade. In a small bowl, mix together the marinade ingredients (olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, spices, and minced garlic cloves).
• Apply the marinade to the chicken. Place the chicken in a large dish (with sides so that the marinade does not spill). Apply the majority of the marinade underneath the chicken skins (this will ensure best flavor), and be sure to rub some of the marinade on the back side of the chicken as well. Keep the chicken flat with skin side up. Marinate in the fridge for 2 to 4 hours.
• Grill. Preheat an outdoor grill over medium-high (400 degrees F) and make sure to lightly oil the grates. Place the chicken over indirect heat (this means, the burner or burners directly below the chicken should be turned off, while the outer burners surrounding it should remain on. Watch the video to see how Adam does this). Cover and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the chicken's internal temp reaches 165 degrees F. Check every few minutes, and if the chicken gains some color on one part, rotate as needed.
• Rest. Remove the chicken from the heat and set aside to rest for 10 minutes before slicing through to serve.

THE BEST GRILLED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Prepare a grill for medium indirect heat: For gas grills (with 3 or more burners), turn all the burners to medium-high heat; after about 15 minutes turn off one of the middle burners and turn the remaining burners down to medium. For charcoal grills, bank one chimney starter-full of lit and ashed-over charcoal briquettes to one side of the grill. Set up a drip pan on the other side to avoid flare-ups (see Cook's Note).
• To spatchcock the chicken, use strong kitchen scissors or poultry shears to cut down both sides of the backbone. Pull out the backbone, turn the chicken over and press down firmly on the breast to flatten it out to one thickness. Set aside at room temperature (see Cook's Note).
• Combine the butter, parsley, chives, garlic, shallot, lemon zest, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl.
• Starting at the neck, gently slide your fingers under the skin of the chicken to loosen it from the breast meat. Continue to slide you hand down and loosen the skin around the legs, taking care not to tear it. Rub all but 1 tablespoon of the butter mixture under the skin, spreading it all the way down to the legs. Rub the outside of the chicken with the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter.
• Place the chicken skin-side up on the indirect-heat area of the grill with the legs facing the hotter side. Cover the grill (the lids vents should be partially open) and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh (avoiding the bone) measures 150 to 160 degrees F (almost cooked through), about 50 minutes.
• Transfer the chicken to the direct-heat area of the grill. After 2 minutes, flip the chicken to char and crisp up the skin side, another 3 to 4 minutes. Check that the temperature in the thigh is now at least 165 degrees F when not touching bone. If not, move the chicken back to the indirect area, skin-side up, cover and cook until the final temperature of 165 degrees F is reached.
• Remove the chicken from the grill to a cutting board; let rest 20 minutes before carving.

GRILLED WHOLE CHICKEN WITH BARBECUE SAUCE

Steps:

• Set up grill for indirect grilling. Rinse chicken inside and out and dry thoroughly. Generously season inside and out with coarse salt and ground pepper. Clean and lightly oil hot grates.
• Place chicken, breast side up, on opposite side of grill from heat. Cover and grill until cooked through, or a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a thigh (avoiding bone) registers 160 degrees, about 1 1/2 hours, rotating halfway through cooking (if using a charcoal grill, add a couple of handfuls of charcoal every half hour to maintain heat).
• About 15 minutes before chicken is done, brush with 1/2 cup barbecue sauce. Let chicken rest 20 minutes before carving.

GRILLED WHOLE CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix together salt, paprika, onion powder, thyme, white pepper, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder. Remove and discard giblets from chicken.Rinse chicken cavity, and pat dry with paper towel. Rub each chicken inside and out with spice mixture.
• Place 1 onion into the cavity of each chicken. Place chickens in a resealable bag or double wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight, or at least 4 to 6 hours.
• Grill until a minimum internal temperature of 180 degrees F (85 degrees C) is reached.
• Let the chickens stand for 10 minutes before carving.