Tired of the same old blackened grilled chicken that you tend to get at every BBQ? You know- it’s usually sitting next to the warmed-up can of bush’s baked beans and a sad looking pile of mashed potatoes?
I know I am!
And that’s why I give you the recipe to the best grilled chicken I have ever tasted. It’s easy, flavorful, MOIST (yes, I know that’s hard to believe), and inspires you to be a better person (well, maybe that’s pushing it).
Grilled Butterflied Chicken
(from page 60 of “I’m Just Here For The Food” by food genius Alton Brown)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- One whole chicken that’s been halved by the butcher..easy to find at the grocery store
- Canola oil
Directions
Prepare a medium-hot grill using about 3 quarts of natural chunk charcoal (do not buy that match-light crap). Mix the salt and all the herb and spice ingredients together in a bowl.
Wash the chicken and pat dry. Lay it flat like a butterfly.
Liberally rub both sides of the chicken with canola oil and then sprinkle the spices liberally to cover the chicken.
Place chicken, skin side down, directly over the coals. Grill until brown and deeply marked, about 12 minutes. Turn the chicken over and allow to cook another 15 minutes or until chicken is just done (use a meat thermometer if you’re paranoid about food poisoning like me). Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes ant then bring to the table whole. (Serves 2-4 people).
Eat. Then, swear off taking a bottle of some marinade to your chicken before throwing it on the grill FOREVER.
5 comments ↓
As it turns out, I have a whole chicken in my fridge right now. And, I’m pretty handy with a knife.
I think I’ll give this one a go this week. Dang I wish I had a Weber!
The key is butterflying the chicken. This is the ONLY way I cook chicken on the BGE (big green egg). Start with the breast/skin side down to get a nice brown/crisp skin. Flip it after a few minutes and finish it off. I usually go by the temp mark of 160 in the thigh/joint area. It offers a nice presentation too which makes you look like a champ at dinner parties.
Use a heavy duty set of kitchen shears to remove the back bone. Then put it on a flat surface and press until you hear the breast bone crack.
From here you can season how you want. I usually go with some sort of compound butter (usually lemon, parsley and rosemary) beneath skin and a dry rub for the skin (salt, pepper and whatever else). Don’t forget to oil the skin so that it crisps nicely. I’ll create a glaze for the minute prior to removing from the grill as well.
@db Alton Brown actually recommends wrapping a brick in foil and placing it directly on the chicken after you’ve halved it. I found that if you buy the chicken already halved it stays flat. Also, for an interesting side dish take a whole head of romaine lettuce and cut it into quarters (length-wise) to where the leaves are still attached to the root. Cook those using indirect heat on the grill (ie, not directly above the charcoal). Cook about two minutes a side..drizzle with balsamic vinegar and oil for a new take on a side salad.
@josh I like the butter sauce you mentioned. Definitely will try that in the future.
Compound butter preparation: Simply get whatever ingredients you desire together along with one stick of unsalted butter. Put the butter in the microwave for 10 seconds so that it just barely begins to melt. Combine the herbs, salt, lemon zest, pepper or whatever else into a bowl with the butter and use a fork to mash it all together. Mashing the butter with the ingredients will bring any oils out and into the butter. Stuff it into the freezer for 3-5 to re-solidify. This stuff is GREAT on anything really.
Grill a pork chop or steak and put a dollop of rosemary/basil butter on top to finish. MMM…MMM Good.
Under the skin of any poultry is standard prep for me.
One of my favorite things is get white corn on the cob. Remove the husks and place a dollop of the compound butter on the corn and wrap tightly in foil. Pop that on the grill or in the oven for 25-30 mins at 375-400. For corn I prefer a little brown sugar, salt, pepper and paprika.
Another corn preparation technique is to leave the husks on. Though, I do like to strip it back and remove the strings from inside first. Then I soak the husks and corn in water for an hour prior. Then tie the husks at the top with some soaked cooking twine and put on the grill. The husks will char a bit, but the corn will roast and get the grilled flavor. Good stuff.
As you can tell, I’m pretty addicted to food. Beyond fishing and cars it’s my favorite thing.
That was a pretty darn good dinner that night I must admit. I’m becoming a pretty big fan of the new Weber. I’m glad you do all the grilling though. Who’d have thought grilled peaches could be so yummy too? You also should post the recipe for the amazing coconut-y mashed potatoes we made as the side dish. Mmm!! Thanks Alton Brown.
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