Rotisserie Chicken on a Grill

Rotisserie chicken on a grill is one of the best ways to cook a whole chicken: juicy meat, golden skin, and hands-off cooking once the bird is turning on the spit. With simple seasoning, a few aromatics, and the right grill setup, you can make a beautiful homemade rotisserie chicken on a gas grill or pellet grill. I've been making it this way for more than 20 years, and it's still one of my favorite ways to cook chicken.

While grocery store and warehouse rotisserie chickens are popular for convenience, making your own is fresher, healthier, and far more flavorful. You control the quality of the chicken, the seasoning, and avoid many of the added ingredients often used in commercial rotisserie chickens. Homemade is simply better-and as a bonus, you'll have tender chicken left over for tacos, salads, soups, and easy meals.

Recipe

• Rotisserie Chicken Recipe Snapshot
• Ingredients You'll Need
• Substitutions and Variations
• How to Rotisserie Chicken on a Grill
• Temperature and Timing for Rotisserie Chicken
• Quick Tips for Rotisserie Chicken
• Serving Suggestions
• Leftover Rotisserie Chicken Recipes
• More Chicken Recipes
• If You Make Rotisserie Chicken
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Rotisserie Chicken Recipe Snapshot

• Incredible flavor - Juicy, golden, and deeply seasoned, homemade rotisserie chicken is delicious.
• Simple setup - Use a grill with a rotisserie attachment or a countertop rotisserie oven.
• Built-in basting - As the chicken rotates, it self-bastes for evenly cooked, tender meat and beautifully browned skin.
• Meal prep magic - Leftovers are perfect for salads, tacos, soups, sandwiches, and easy lunches all week.

For another terrific basic chicken recipe, try these roast split chicken breasts, a weekly dinner at my house (along with rotisserie chicken).

Ingredients You'll Need

• Whole chicken - Choose a large, fresh whole chicken so you'll have plenty of leftovers. I recommend organic and air-chilled chicken when possible.
• Oil or binder - For gas grills, brush the chicken with olive oil before seasoning. For pellet grills, use a light coating of mayonnaise to help the seasoning stick and encourage better browning.
• Seasoning - Keep it simple with salt and pepper, or use my go-to, my homemade BBQ dry rub.
• Aromatics, optional - Onion, garlic cloves, bay leaves, lemon wedges, or orange wedges add subtle flavor from the inside out. This quick extra step is worth it.

Substitutions and Variations

• Dry rubs and seasonings - Switch up the seasoning. Try lemon pepper, or poultry seasoning, such as this turkey dry rub.
• Herbs - Add a few sprigs of thyme, rosemary, or sage to the cavity for a more herbaceous flavor.
• Oil alternatives - Instead of olive oil or mayonnaise, use avocado oil or another healthy neutral oil with a high smoke point.

For another easy way to get a roast chicken on the table for dinner, try my roasted spatchcock chicken, done in the oven.

How to Rotisserie Chicken on a Grill

Prep the Chicken

Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 1 hour before grilling to take the chill off. Remove and discard any giblets or innards from the cavity, then pat the chicken dry inside and out with paper towels. If using a pellet grill, be sure the hopper is filled with good hardwood pellets before starting.

Position Chicken on the Spit

• Center the chicken on the spit (rod) so the weight is evenly balanced. Slide the meat forks onto each side of the rod, pushing them firmly into the chicken to secure it in place. Tighten the screws well so the chicken does not shift while turning.
• I like to do this on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any raw juices and make transporting the chicken to the grill easier and cleaner.
• Place the rod into the rotisserie, turn on the motor, and check that the chicken rotates smoothly. If needed, add a little extra seasoning to any bare spots.

Chef's tip: Secure the Chicken Well. When setting up the chicken on the rotisserie rod, make sure the meat forks are pushed in firmly and the screws are tightened securely. If the chicken comes loose, it may stop rotating evenly and can get stuck in one position, causing uneven cooking or burning. Once the chicken is on the grill, check it occasionally to be sure it is turning smoothly.

Temperature and Timing for Rotisserie Chicken

• For a pellet grill, set the temperature to 350°F-375°F.
• For a gas grill, use the same temperature range if your grill has a temperature setting.
• Cook the chicken for approximately 1½ hours.
• The chicken is done when the inner thigh reaches 175°F tested with a digital thermometer.
• The skin should be deep golden brown.
• Check occasionally to be sure the rotisserie is turning smoothly.
• Cooking time may vary depending on the grill, chicken size, and weather conditions.
• Let the chicken rest for about 10 minutes before carving.

Carefully remove the chicken from the rotisserie and let it rest for about 10 minutes before carving. Remember: chicken is done by temperature, not by time.

Serving Suggestions

What to serve with rotisserie chicken? Just about anything!

• Potatoes - Serve with creamy mashed potatoes, whipped sweet potatoes, or my French potato salad for a summery twist.
• Vegetables - Balsamic Brussels sprouts, sweet corn succotash, or broccoli slaw with creamy apple cider dressing.
• Salads - Broccoli salad with bacon, simple easy coleslaw, or a lemony pasta salad.

Leftover Rotisserie Chicken Recipes

One of the best things about rotisserie chicken is the leftovers. Use extra chicken for soups, salads, tacos, sandwiches, enchiladas, and easy meals with rotisserie chicken throughout the week. Here are a few ideas:

• Rotisserie chicken noodle soup.
• Chicken tortilla soup with rotisserie chicken.
• Chinese chicken salad with ginger vinaigrette.
• Rotisserie chicken tacos or quesadillas.
• Rotisserie chicken enchiladas.
• Caesar pasta salad with rotisserie chicken.

More Chicken Recipes

Need more ideas for chicken recipes? Here are a few, and be sure to check out the chicken recipes index page for more inspiration.

If You Make Rotisserie Chicken

If you make rotisserie chicken, please add your comment. I appreciate your feedback and enjoy hearing from you, plus your comments help others readers. Thanks for supporting my site.

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