Smoked Spatchcocked Chicken

Smoked Spatchcock Chicken with traditional, white, and mustard BBQ sauce

Fall-off-the-bone juicy chicken with smoky goodness is faster with the now-famous spatchcocking method. That makes for an easy weeknight dinner or soul-satisfying deliciousness after a long week.

Course dinner

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 3

Optional Brining Time 12

Total Time 15 10

Servings

Calories 379kcal

Author Imma

Equipment

1 smoker

Ingredients

Optional brine
3½-4 pounds (1.5-1.8kg) whole chicken, patted dry
Salt to taste, omit if brining
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon ground black or white pepper
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Optional Seasonings

2-3 tablespoons Creole, all-purpose, blackened, or jerk seasoning

Instructions

Preparing the Chicken

You can optionally brine the chicken using the same recipe for brining a turkey.
Mix your seasonings in a small bowl. Set aside.
Remove the giblet package (neck and gizzard) that's usually tucked inside the chicken and make some drool-worthy homemade giblet gravy.
Use your handy kitchen shears or a sharp knife to cut the left side of the backbone from the tail to the neck. Then repeat with the right side of the backbone.
Flip the chicken over and press down on it to break the breast bone and flatten the wings.
Rub your choice of seasoning all over the bird, on both sides.

Smoking

Preheat your smoker to 250-275℉/120-135℃. The higher the temperature, the faster the chicken will cook.
Place the chicken in the smoker and brush with oil every 1-2 hours. Smoke until the internal temperature of its thickest part reaches at least 160℉/72℃. It will continue to cook, and the temperature should rise five more degrees. The ideal temperature is 165℉/74℃.
Flip the chicken halfway through for even browning - optional if using a pellet smoker and recommended for a charcoal grill.
Take the spatchcocked chicken from the smoker and let it rest covered with foil for 10 minutes, then slice and serve.
Serve with classic BBQ sauce, mustard BBQ sauce, or white BBQ sauce.

Notes

Easier cutting - If it gets a little tough to cut the backbone, try cutting it slightly farther from or closer to the bone.
Move the bone around - You can check the thinnest part of the bone if you move it around a bit.
Only open the lid when necessary: Constantly opening the smoker will mess up the internal temperature, leading to a longer cooking time.
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.

Nutrition