Green Chile Lime Grilled Spatchcock Chicken – Cooking With Fire
Green chile lime grilled spatchcock chicken is a whole chicken with the skin removed, the spine removed, and the meat scored to allow our blended green chile, garlic, lime and chipotle marinade to penetrate deep. We will grill this at 350°F, flipping it to char on each side. Remove it from the grill once it reaches 165°F and drizzle it with grilled lemon. If you are looking for my Smoked Spatchcock Chicken, that one is a longer, lower temperature cook with BBQ sauce on it. This recipe will get dinner on the table in a few hours.
My version is different because we take the skin off. By taking the skin off we allow the marinade to get into the meat. Scoring the meat allows our green chile and lime to go deeper into the chicken. Most whole chicken recipes flavor the skin and stop there. This one flavors the meat.
This is a meal. Serve it with some cilantro lime rice or your favorite grilled vegetables and you will be set.
Quick Look: Green Chile Lime Grilled Spatchcock Chicken
- Method: Grilled direct and flipped
- Temp: 350°F
- Marinate: 30 minutes to 2 hours in the refrigerator
- Done when: 165°F in the breast and the legs
- Time: Based on temperature, not the clock
- Serves: 4 to 6
- The one thing that matters most: Don’t rush when you flip it. Without the backbone the legs can tear from the body if you aren’t careful. Support the chicken every time you turn it
If you want a whole chicken with the skin on, try my Honey Lemon Pepper Whole Chicken. Same size bird, completely different finish. That one is about crispy skin. This one is about what’s under it.
Why This Recipe
- Allows the marinade to penetrate. Removing the skin and scoring the meat allows our green chile and lime marinade to get everywhere on our bird. Every cut is full of green chile, garlic and lime by the time the chicken hits the grill.
- Fast. Spatchcocking the chicken allows us to grill the breasts and the legs at the same time. You won’t end up with dry breasts while waiting for the legs to cook.
- Char. Since we are grilling this chicken at 350°F we will have some great char on both sides of the chicken. If you want a rotisserie style chicken, try my Rotisserie Chicken On the Grill. That one bastes itself as it spins. This one gets its flavor from the fire.
- Grilled lemons. Once the lemons are done on the grill we will squeeze them over our chicken while it rests. Charred lemon juice is softer and smokier than raw lemon.
- Quick weeknight dinner. Allow your chicken to marinate for 30 minutes. Then grill at 350°F. No brine and no overnight anything.
I make a lot of whole chickens. Most of them are smoked. This is one of those recipes I reach for when I want some char and some heat instead of smoke.
Key Ingredients
For the Green Chile Lime Grilled Spatchcock Chicken
- Chicken. 4 to 5 lb whole chicken. You want to remove all of the skin from the chicken except for the wings. A bird this size lays flat on a standard grill with room for the lemons.
- Green chiles. I used two large Anaheims. Any green chile will work here. These add to our flavor profile and give the marinade its body. The chiles are what make this taste like green chile chicken instead of lime chicken.
- Lime. We will be using one lime, juiced. This is the acid that goes with the chiles.
- Garlic. 6 cloves of garlic, ground whole into the marinade.
- Olive oil. 1/4 cup. This carries the spices and keeps the skinless meat from drying out on the grill.
- Chipotle chile pepper. 2 tsp. This is what will give our chicken that heat and smoky flavor. Same chipotle I use on my Honey Chipotle Smoked Chicken Wings.
- Paprika. 2 tsp of smoked paprika. Color and a second layer of smoke without a smoker.
- Parsley. 1 tbsp dried parsley.
- Salt and pepper. 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper.
- Lemons. Two, cut in half. The lime goes in the marinade and the lemons go on at the end.
We will grill the lemons and squeeze them over our chicken once it’s off the grill. Similar to what we do with my Rotisserie Hot Honey Lime Chicken Wings. The onions and extra peppers you see in the photos are optional. I had them on hand, so they went on the grill next to the bird.
Substitutions or Additions
- Poblanos or Hatch green chiles. Either one works in place of Anaheim. Just remember Hatch will be hotter than the others. Poblano runs milder and a little earthier.
- Make it hotter. Add a jalapeno to the blender. The chipotle already brings heat, so taste the marinade before you add more.
- Cilantro. If you have fresh cilantro you can add that to the marinade instead of parsley.
- Chicken thighs. You can use the same marinade on bone in chicken thighs. Check out my Chicken Thigh Skewers if you want to do it on the skewer.
- Half chickens. Cut the spatchcocked bird down the middle of the breast and grill the halves. My Grilled Butterflied Half Chickens and Air Fried Potato Wedges show you how.
- Leave the skin on. You can leave the skin on. Your marinade won’t be able to get into the meat as much, and the skin needs more time to render at 350°F.
- Cook it in the oven. Place it on a sheet pan at 350°F and bake until temp is reached. You lose the char. Finish the lemons under the broiler.
- Leftovers. Use the remaining chicken on tortillas with your favorite toppings. I do this with whatever is left on the board the next day.
How to Make Green Chile Lime Grilled Spatchcock Chicken (Step by Step)
Skin off and backbone out. Remove all of the skin from the chicken. Leave the wings alone. Use a pair of kitchen shears to cut down both sides of the backbone and pull it out. Once it’s removed, flip the chicken over and press down on the breastbone until it lays flat.
Score the chicken. Score the breast and work your way down the legs. Make small cuts all over the chicken, about a quarter inch deep. This will allow our marinade to penetrate deep into the chicken.
Create your marinade. Combine the green chiles, lime, garlic, olive oil, chipotle, paprika, parsley, salt and pepper. Grind all the ingredients together in a mortar and pestle or a food processor until smooth.
Marinate the chicken. Coat your chicken with the marinade. Get it in all the cracks and crevices and push it into every cut you made. Place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, up to 2 hours.
Grill at 350°F. Place the chicken and the lemons on the grill, lemons cut side down. I threw some onion halves and a couple of extra Anaheim peppers on there too. Flip the chicken occasionally until both sides have charred. Remove the lemons when they are charred and softened.
Flip with care. Get a spatula under the whole bird and support it as you turn it. Without the backbone the legs can tear away if you rush it.
Remove at 165°F. Insert your probe into the thickest part of the breast. Once it’s at 165°F, make sure your legs are at temp as well. Remove the chicken and the lemons.
Add lemon and rest. Once your chicken is off the grill, squeeze the grilled lemons over the chicken. Let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
Serve. Slice and serve with your favorite side dishes. I cut the breasts off whole and slice them across so every piece has char on the edge. The legs and thighs come off as quarters.
You will want your chicken to be at least 165°F. This is what the USDA recommends for all poultry. Check it in the breast and in the thigh, not just one of them. If you want to learn how to grill some wings, check out my Grilled Chicken Wings. Same direct heat, smaller pieces.
Tips From Miguel
Be careful when flipping your chicken. After removing the backbone the legs can tear from the body. Make sure to support the chicken when you are flipping it. Get the spatula under the thighs, not just the breast.
Have a good pair of kitchen shears. These will make removing the backbone easy. You can use a knife but it’s slower and harder on the hand. Sturdy shears go through the ribs in two cuts.
Use a meat probe or wireless thermometer. You will want to monitor the chicken with a meat probe. That’s what will keep your chicken from drying out. With the skin off there is nothing to hide a dry breast.
Score the meat. Once your skin is off you want to score the meat so the marinade can penetrate. Shallow cuts all over, breast and legs.
Grill the lemons. Cut the lemons in half and grill them with your chicken. Squeeze them over the bird while it rests. I squeeze them while the chicken is still too hot to cut so the juice soaks in.
Storage and Reheating
- Fridge: You can store your sliced chicken in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container.
- Freezer: Remove the meat from the bone and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: You can reheat the chicken in a low oven, covered, with a splash of broth, or in a skillet. Don’t use the microwave. Your chicken will dry out.
- Make ahead: You can make your marinade the night before and refrigerate your chicken in it for up to 2 hours. I don’t go past 2 hours because the lime starts to change the texture of the meat.
Leftover chicken from this recipe goes into tacos, salads or a pasta salad. My Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad is a good place for the extra breast meat.
More Chicken Recipes to Try
Green Chile Lime Grilled Spatchcock Chicken FAQs
Why take the skin off my spatchcock chicken?
By removing the skin you allow your marinade to penetrate into your chicken. When you grill this chicken at 350°F you won’t have time to crisp up the skin anyway. We are leaving the wings on with skin because there is no meat to marinate under it.
How long will my chicken take to grill?
That all depends on your grill and how big your chicken is. Go by temperature, not the clock. Once your breast is at 165°F and your legs are at 165°F you are ready to remove it from the grill. The USDA minimum for all poultry is 165°F.
Can I use something other than a mortar and pestle?
Sure you can. A food processor or a blender will work just as well. You want the chiles and garlic broken all the way down into a smooth paste so it clings to the scored meat.
What do you serve this with?
Cilantro lime rice, grilled vegetables, potatoes, or whatever you love. I grilled onion halves and a few extra Anaheim peppers next to the chicken and served those with it.
Green Chile Lime Grilled Spatchcock Chicken
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Remove all of the skin from the chicken, leaving the wings alone. With kitchen shears, cut down both sides of the backbone and remove it. Flip the chicken over and press down on the breastbone until it lays flat.
- With a sharp knife, score the breasts and work down the legs. Make small shallow cuts about 1/4 inch deep all over the chicken so the marinade can penetrate.
- Combine the green chiles, lime juice, garlic, olive oil, chipotle, smoked paprika, parsley, salt and pepper in a mortar and pestle or a food processor. Grind or blend until smooth.
- Coat the chicken with the marinade and work it into every cut and crevice. Place on a sheet pan in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, up to 2 hours.
- Set up the grill for 350°F direct heat. Place the chicken on the grates with the lemon halves cut side down beside it. Flip the chicken occasionally until both sides have charred. Support the whole bird with a spatula each time you turn it so the legs do not tear away. Remove the lemons once they are charred and softened.
- Probe the thickest part of the breast. When it reads 165°F, check that the thighs are at 165°F as well. Remove the chicken from the grill.
- Squeeze the grilled lemon halves over the chicken and let it rest 5 to 10 minutes.
- Carve the breasts off whole and slice across, remove the leg quarters, and serve with your favorite sides.
