Smoked Spatchcock Chicken

Smoked spatchcock chicken on a wood cutting board with a carving knife.

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Prep Time10

Cook Time1

Total Time1 10

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: to 5

Calories: 611kcal

Author: Sally Cameron

Equipment

Pastry brush for the glaze

Ingredients

4 ½ pound whole chicken
¼ cup barbecue sauce my recipe link below
2-3 tablespoons dry rub my recipe link below
1-2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil

Instructions

Spatchcock chicken

Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 45–60 minutes before cooking to get the chill off. Trim away any excess skin and fat from both ends, then pat the chicken thoroughly dry with paper towels.
Place the chicken breast-side down. Using a sharp knife, lightly score a line down the center of the backbone to give you a clear visual guide. With sturdy kitchen or poultry shears, cut along both sides of the backbone and remove it. Save and freeze the backbone for making chicken broth, or discard it.
Turn the chicken breast-side up and press firmly on the breastbone until it cracks and the chicken lies flat. See the video for additional guidance.

Set up the grill

Preheat your pellet grill to 375°F according to the manufacturer's instructions. Be sure the hopper is full and the grates are clean.

Prep the chicken

Lightly coat the chicken all over with olive oil, then season generously on both sides with salt (if your rub does not contain it) then the dry rub.

Smoke chicken

Place the chicken breast-side up on the grill grates. Close the lid and smoke until the thickest part of the breast reaches 160–165°F and the thigh reaches 175–180°F, 55–70 minutes for a 4½-pound chicken. Cooking time will vary depending on your pellet grill and the size of the bird.

Glaze the chicken

While the chicken cooks, stir together the warmed or room temperature barbecue sauce and apple cider vinegar until smooth. During the last 10–15 minutes of cooking, brush a light coat of the glaze over the chicken. Close the lid and continue cooking until the glaze is set and the chicken reaches the proper internal temperature.

Rest and carve

Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for 10–15 minutes before carving and serving.

Notes

Here's the link to my homemade BBQ sauce which takes about 5 minutes to make,

and the link for my all-purpose dry rub, which is what I use on this chicken. It does not contain salt, so salt the bird after the olive oil, then apply the rub.

Nutrition