Originally published on July 11, 2015
Throwing an entire chicken on the grill and barbecuing it can seem like a daunting task. But if you forget about the fire and gas and just focus on cooking the chicken, you’ll find it’s not much different than roasted chicken that comes out of the oven. Of course, with that comes the fact that when barbecuing chicken, you may still have some of the problems that you do when roasting it, namely overcooking and drying out the white meat. Learn how to BBQ a whole chicken while avoiding those problems, and this dish makes a pretty impressive centrepiece.
- Prepping the chicken. I used to think that spatchcocking a chicken simply helped it fit nicely onto the barbecue. The truth is though, spatchcocking in this case removes the biggest obstacle you’ll face – drying out the breasts before the legs and thighs are cooked. When you spatchcock a chicken, you untuck the dark meat from where it usually sits – underneath the breasts and under layers and layers of fat. This is why they typically take so long to cook. But take them out from under the bird and they’ll cook in just about the same amount of time as the white meat.
- Season, season, season. Even though you’re using a barbecue instead of an oven, you’re still dealing with chicken, which can be kind of bland on its own. Whether you’re just using salt and pepper or your favourite barbecue rub, sprinkle it generously over both the top and underside of the chicken before you even think about placing it on the grill. If you’re going to be using barbecue sauce, save this until the very end, just as you would when roasting in the oven.
- High and dry. When roasting chicken, high and dry is the way to go, meaning high heat and no water or moisture added to the pan. Roasting chicken this way is how you get that crispy, crackly skin that’s always the best part of the chicken. When barbecuing chicken, the high and dry concept still holds true – but you need to be careful with the heat. If you just fire up the grill and throw the whole thing on over full heat, you’ll end up with chicken that’s burnt on the outside, under-cooked on the inside, and lots of flareups along the way. Instead, use indirect heat by lighting only one side of the grill. Clean the racks and light one side of the grill to its highest temperature. Close the lid, and wait for the grill to preheat to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. When hot, open the lid and oil the racks. Turn the direct heat side down to medium-low. This will heat the entire interior of the grill, without having to worry about your bird charring and burning along the way.
- Positioning the chicken. How you place the chicken onto the grill also makes a huge difference in the way it will cook. Make sure the legs and thighs are pointed towards the hottest part of the grill. On my gas grill, this meant laying the chicken sideways, with the legs and thighs closest the heat, while the entire chicken was still over the indirect heat side of the grill. This will help them cook faster than the white meat, which will be the furthest away from the heat, making sure the entire bird is cooked evenly through without being over-done or under-done.
- Start skin-side up. Often when roasting chicken, we start at a high heat to sear and crisp the skin before letting the chicken through at a slightly lower temperature. But when you put a chicken on the barbecue, you need to do it the other way around, otherwise your crispy skin will quickly turn into a soggy, rubbery mess. So, for the entire time the chicken is cooking over indirect heat, keep it skin-side up. Doing it this way will allow the skin to protect the meat and lock in all that juiciness.
- Knowing when it’s done. Using a meat thermometer is the easiest way to test the doneness of the chicken, but you can also use the thigh test you use when roasting a chicken or turkey. Just gently separate the thigh from the rest of the bird and check to see if the juices run clear. You can also use the finger poke test to test the firmness, and therefore the doneness, of the meat, just like you would with steak.
- Finishing it off. Once the chicken has completely cooked over indirect heat, it’s time to finish it off by placing it skin-side down over direct heat. If you’re using barbecue sauce, now is the time to slather it on. And don’t worry, the chicken should only be directly over the flame for a few minutes, so it won’t burn. Remember that once the skin is crispy and the chicken is entirely cooked through, only flip the bird over to move it off the heat and onto a platter. Flipping it while it’s still over direct heat will only release all of the juices that you’ve collected throughout the cooking time.
- Serve, and enjoy! After the grill has been turned off and the chicken has been fully cooked, whether or not you cut it at the table or beforehand is entirely up to you. I will tell you though that placing the whole chicken in the middle of the table will echo your own “oohs” and “aahs” that were muttered during cooking time. Whatever you do, let the chicken rest for at least 10 minutes after removing it from the heat, as always.