Many years ago, I bought this utensil that allowed me to cook a whole chicken, almost like the popular beer can chicken recipe.  Although it cooked the chicken evenly, one of the drawbacks was that the inside of the chicken was never flavored well.  This problem is solved with this easy grilled spatchcock chicken recipe.  The thick pasty semi-dry rub is rubbed into every crevice of the chicken and every biteful of chicken is delicious!

Growing up in South Africa, I loved the rotisserie chickens from a store called Fontana.  I remember the somewhat peri-peri (chili) taste as I sucked the ribs of the chicken.  (That actually was my favorite part!) I wanted to recreate that flavor and this recipe reminds me of that delicious chicken that is etched into my memory!  This easy grilled spatcock chicken combines a tasty marinade with an easy grilling method, making it a super simple dish to prepare, especially for company.

Tips for making easy grilled spatchcock chicken

Chicken.

A spatchcock chicken is made using a whole chicken.  When spatchcocking a chicken, the backbone is cut away and the chicken is flattened, allowing the chicken to cook more evenly than if it still had the body cavity.  Cut the chicken using kitchen shears (scissors) on either side of the spine through the ribs, which is a lot easier than through the dense spinal column.

The marinade is made up of a blend of herbs, spices, tons of garlic and lemon juice. Paprika and cayenne pepper gives it the distinct South African peri-peri flavor with a savory spiciness.  The lemon juice provides the acid that helps tenderize the chicken. Allow the chicken to marinate for at least 24 hours.  The longer the better.  Every so often, flip the chicken over to allow the marinade to penetrate the chicken evenly.

Cooking the easy grilled spatchcock chicken.

Since this chicken is flat, it makes grilling it on the BBQ much easier since the heat from the grill will be more uniform.  In the video, I show some tips to make it easier to flip the chicken. When using the BBQ, the chicken should start with skin side up.  Half way through the cooking process, flip the chicken so that the skin side is down.  To avoid the skin from burning, extinguish the flame that is directly underneath the chicken and ignite the burners on the sides of the chicken.  Allow the latent heat to cook the chicken. After 20 minutes, ignite the burner that is located directly under the chicken to allow the skin to crisp, making sure it does not burn!

When cooking indoors using the oven and broiler, the chicken should start with skin side down. Bake for 20-25 minutes and then flip so that the skin is facing the broiler.  Bake for another 15-20 minutes.  Turn on the broiler element and broil the chicken for the last 5 minutes to crisp the skin, making sure it does not burn!

Testing to see if the chicken is cooked.

The best way to test whether the chicken is cooked is to check that the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 162 degrees Fahrenheit or 72 degrees Celsius.  Use an instant read thermometer to test the chicken by inserting the thermometer into the breast of the chicken at its thickest part.  If you don't own an instant read thermometer, pierce the chicken in the thickest part.  The juices should run clear and not pink.  

Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes before cutting.  Enjoy and let me know what you think in the comments.