Juicy and golden, rotisserie chicken is a staple in summer as it’s the best of hands-off summer grilling. Never tried this easy cooking method? Here are tips on how to rotisserie a whole chicken. Don’t buy it at the store. Do it yourself and enjoy the mouth watering aromas in your own backyard. I've detailed methods for both a gas grill and a wood fired pellet grill.
Rotisserie Chicken Versus Oven Roasted Chicken
First off, both provide delicious results. In chilly weather I oven roast a whole chicken each week as part of my standard menu plan. It’s usually our Sunday dinner. Oven roast chicken takes about an hour. Rotisserie roast chicken takes about 2 hours. It feels good to be outside in summer so it’s onto the grill with a rotisserie attachment. Put in on, walk away (checking occasionally) and in about 2 hours you will have a gorgeous bronze bird ready for dinner.
Rotisserie takes longer but the results are worth it. Just plan ahead. Another note on the skin: oven roasting gives a crisp skin (especially if you use my method) and rotisserie produces a softer skin.
About Rotisserie
Rotisserie is a style of roasting. It’s easy to do at home on a gas grill or a pellet grill with a rotisserie attachment. The whole chicken is skewered onto a spit (a long metal rod), tightly secured with prongs, then roasted while the bird slowly rotates. The rotation provides even, gentle cooking and self-basting. The skin turns a deep, golden bronze and the meat stays juicy and tender.
Seasoning Options
To season chicken you can simply use salt and pepper. For a gas grill I rub the bird with olive oil and coast with a generous application of my dry rub. Here is may no-longer-a-secret all purpose dry rub recipe, my go-to for rotisserie chicken. Lemon pepper works well too, or improvise your own basic rub. There are also many options at the store for dry rubs. Note, if you use my dry rub recipe it's salt free, so be sure to salt your chicken then use the rub.
Step by Step for How to Prep a Rotisserie Chicken
I usually buy a 4 – 4 ½ pound organic chicken. This size will serve four to five for dinner. For us two it means dinner plus great leftovers for lunch through the week. Here is how to get your bird ready:
- Discard any little bag of innards, rinse the bird inside and out and dry with paper towels. See post on safely handling raw chicken.
- Remove any extra fat around the neck cavity.
- Bend wing tips back under the bird.
- Season the inside of the bird with a sprinkle of the seasoning you plan to use on the outside of the bird or a little salt.
- Stuff the cavity with half a chopped onion, a few peeled and crushed garlic cloves and a few sprigs fresh thyme or rosemary. Half a lemon or a wedge of orange is nice too if there is room.Tie the legs together with kitchen twine. This keeps the chicken in a nice shape for even roasting and rotation
- Center the chicken on the spit (rotisserie rod) so the weight is evenly distributed. Slide the meats forks onto each side of the rod pushing them into the chicken to secure. Tighten the screws. I do this on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any raw juices and keep things clean. Plus it allows for easy transport out to the grill.
- For a gas grill:
- Rub the outside with olive oil and sprinkle generously with your seasoning, turning the bird to coat evenly.
- For a pellet grill:
- Lightly coat the chicken with mayonnaise. Yes, mayonnaise. I know this sounds strange but trust me. It comes out terrific. The only brand you'll find in my house is this one for its light clean taste. Find it in the refrigerated dairy area of your store. Lastly, sprinkle generously with your seasoning, turning the bird to coat evenly.
- Place the rod with the chicken into the rotisserie and turn on the motor to be sure it is turning. Add extra rub if you have any bare spots.
- Temperature and timing:
- For a gas grill, there may or may not be a temperature setting. If there is an option to set it, set for 400°.
- For a pellet grill, check that your hopper is full of wood pellets.
- Roast for approximately 2 hours or until the inner thigh reaches 165º – 170º degrees when tested with a digital thermometer. The chicken should be a deep golden brown. Peak in and check on the rotisserie occasionally to be sure it is turning.
- Remove chicken from the rotisserie and allow chicken to stand for about 15 minutes before carving.
Equipment
- Rotisserie attachment for outdoor grill
Ingredients
- 4 ½ pound whole organic chicken
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- seasonings of choice see notes below
Tools
- Kitchen twine to tie legs
- Rotisserie attachment
- Digital thermometer
Instructions
- Carefully rinse the bird inside and out and dry with paper towels. See post tips on safely handling raw chicken. Remove the extra fat around the neck cavity and any inner bag of innards and discard. Trim off the wing tips with a knife or heavy scissors or return back under the bird.
- Rub the bird with the olive oil then season the inside with a sprinkle of the seasoning you plan to use on the outside of the bird. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine. This keeps the chicken in a nice shape for even roasting and rotation.
- Place one pronged holder on the steel rod with prongs facing in. Skewer the chicken through the cavity and tail end. Add the other pronged holder and center the bird for where it will roast in your grill. Be sure the chicken is tight between the prongs. Use pliers to tighten down the screws if needed. I do this on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any raw juices and keep things clean.
- Place the rod with the chicken into the rotisserie and turn on the motor to be sure it is turning. Season the outside of the chicken while on the spit as it turns to get it evenly coated or do it in the kitchen.
- Roast for approximately 2 hours or until the inner thigh reaches 165º – 170º degrees when tested with a digital thermometer. The chicken should be a deep golden brown. Peak in and check the rotisserie occasionally to be sure it is turning.
- Remove from the rotisserie and allow chicken to stand for about 15 minutes before carving.
Notes
- Salt, ground black pepper, granulated garlic
- Southwestern taco seasoning
- My all-purpose dry rub
- Lemon pepper
Leave a Reply