Spatchcock Chicken
This recipe takes a seemingly difficult idea, spatchcocking a chicken, and makes it super simple. Use your kitchen shears and learn how to butterfly and then BBQ a chicken with this simple yet intensely delicious recipe.
Developed by Kimberley Steele, Co-Chef, Co-Owner – East Coast Bistro
PrintSpatchcock Chicken
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Instructions
- Rinse the whole chicken under cool water and pat dry with paper towels.
- Place the chicken breast side down on a cutting board.
- With a pair of scissors or kitchen shears, cut down either side of the backbone and remove.
- Turn the chicken breast side up and begin to flatten the chicken by first pushing down on either side of the chicken where the thigh meets the body, this will pop the thigh joint out of place allowing you to press down and flatten slightly. Move to the center of the chicken and apply firm, even pressure with the hands pressing down to even further flatten the chicken.
- Place the chicken in a dish large enough to hold it and rub all over with 1C of the sauce to marinate. Refrigerate and marinate for at least an hour and up to overnight
- Preheat your grill to 450⁰F
- Turn off one side of BBQ (or push coals to one side if using) to create a spot for indirect heat grilling. Place the whole chicken, breast side up on the side of the grill you have turned off.
- Close the lid and allow the temperature to come back up to 350⁰F-400⁰F and maintain this temperature by venting the grill every 5 minutes or so, or propping a pair of BBQ tongs under the lid so it wont close tightly.
- After the first 20 minutes, open the lid completely and baste the chicken by brushing about ½ c of the remaining sauce. Close the lid once more and vent. Repeat basting with remaining sauce after another 10 minutes.
- Keep cooking the chicken until the juices in the thigh run clear when pierced with a knife, approximately 5-10 more minutes.
Notes
You can substitute Crosby’s Fancy Molasses for our Blackstrap or Cooking Molasses.
