Summer is at our doorstep which means it’s time to that grill into work to make this juicy grilled spatchock chicken! I love how easy it is to put this recipe together, yet so juicy, tender and delicious. The charred skin is so flavorful, it’s my favorite part! The spatchcock (butterflied) chicken cuts dramatically the grilling time. We love to eat this dish with a simple tomato salad or if feeling fancy, with grilled corn on the cobb with a buffalo paprika mayo-based sauce and feta cheese (check out the recipe here).
TIPS FOR MAKING JUICY CHICKEN
Spatchcock vs whole chicken: Spatchcocked chicken also means butterflied chicken where the backbone is removed. When it comes to roasting or grilling, I love to use spatchcock chickens as opposed to whole chickens because it decreases the cooking time and therefore, makes the meat juicier.
Resting the chicken: Just with any meat after cooking or grilling, it should rest for 10 minutes before carving so that the juices can be redistributed back through the meat and hence, prevents the it from drying out.
The secret for juicy breasts: Butter those chicken breasts up! Just rub one tablespoon of butter on each breast under the skin. The butter will help keep the moisture in the meat during the grilling process and maximizes flavor.
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Grill
- Meat thermometer
Ingredients
- 1 chicken spatchcocked
- 2 Tbsp butter room temperature
- Salt
- 2 to 4 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
Dry spice rub
- 1 Tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 Tbsp onion powder
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp sage powder
- Pinch of cayenne powder
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, combine all spice rub ingredients together, mix and set aside.
- Pat dry the spatchcocked chicken.
- Take one tablespoon of butter and with two fingers, insert butter under the breast skin. Repeat on the other breast with the second tablespoon of butter.
- With the thumb and index finger, rub on the skin to push the butter all over the breasts.
- Season well with salt. Rub the spice mix all over the chicken.
- Heat your grill on medium high heat. Put the chicken skin down over direct heat, until the skin is lightly charred, about 3 to 5 minutes. Flip the chicken over and place it over indirect heat. Turn the heat to low, close the lid and cook for about 45 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165F, brushing with some extra virgin olive oil every 15-20 minutes all over the chicken.
- Cover the chicken with tin foil and let it rest for 10 minutes before carving.
