So back in November a little grill company slid into my DM’s on Instagram and said they loved my grilling posts and seeing more women who grill. I was like “hell yeah! me too!” Then they offered something incredible…to send me a brand NEW GRILL!! This little company is also known as Char-Broil! I was completely floored that a company of that size reached out to me and wanted to gift me with with a new Commercial Stainless Steel 3 Burner Gas Grill! For my first dish on the new grill I knew I had to pull out all the stops and decided to make a whole chicken–my favorite way to cook chicken. I used one of my smoky all-purpose rubs and made Spice Rubbed Grilled Whole Chicken!
How do you cook a whole chicken on the grill?
It’s called spatchcocking! And no, that’s not a dirty word. Spatchcock is when you cut out the backbone from the chicken, making the bird flat.
Why spatchcock a chicken?
- It creates a flat surface–perfect for grilling
- Allows the chicken to cook more evenly
- Since the chicken is flat there is more surface area when grilling (i.e. more grill marks and crispier skin)
How do I keep the chicken moist and flavorful?
- Rub the spices (smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper and dried oregano) and salt on the chicken for a few hours before grilling. The salt will essentially “dry-brine” your chicken and keep it moist (read more about dry brining here)
- Make sure to take your chicken out of the fridge an hour before grilling so it can come up to room temperature
- Grill the chicken on indirect heat, also called zone grilling. The burners next to the chicken will be on medium-high and the burners underneath the chicken will be off. This way the chicken can cook on lower heat, more steadily. If you don’t have a grill with multiple burners cook the chicken on low to medium-low heat making sure to turn it frequently so it doesn’t burn.
Why is the Smoky Spice Rubbed Grilled Whole Chicken so special?
- The combination of smoked paprika with other spices makes it warming and flavorful
- Rubbing salt into the chicken hours before grilling keeps the chicken very moist
- Spatchcocking the chicken allows the chicken to cook more evenly and gives the chicken more surface area to get crispy and charred
This chicken is so flavorful and versatile! I love having it with some roasted potatoes, mixed greens and salsa. It’s great to put into tacos or even eating it cold while standing in front of the fridge. I hope you make this grilled chicken soon and don’t be afraid of the whole bird! I am so excited about the new grill from Char-Broil and look forward to creating more grilling recipes for you soon!
Spice Rubbed Grilled Whole Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- ½ tbsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 4½ pound whole chicken backbone cut out and flattened
- ½ tbsp avocado oil
- kosher salt to taste
Serving Suggestions
- roasted potatoes
- salsa verde or salsa roja
- mixed greens
- lemon wedges
Instructions
- Combine smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano and black pepper in a small bowl.
- Rub avocado oil all over the chicken, making sure to get the wings and legs.
- Rub spices and kosher salt all over chicken. You might have leftovers of the spice rub.
- Preheat your grill to medium-high heat making sure one burner is off. If your grill only has one zone (or burner) then turn it on to medium-low heat.
- Place your chicken on the grill (over the burner that is off) skin side up. Cook for 5-6 minutes.
- Flip the chicken so the skin is directly on the grill. Cook for another 5-7 minutes. The chicken is still over the burner that is off.
- Continue cooking the chicken for another 20-30 minutes, flipping as necessary so the chicken is charred but not burnt.
- Using a thermometer, start taking the temperature after 30 minutes. Once the chicken reaches 160°F remove the chicken from the grill and allow it to rest for 10-15 minutes.
- Slice the chicken and serve with roasted potatoes, mixed greens, salsa and lemon wedges!
