Smoked Spatchcock Chicken
This smoked spatchcock chicken gets its backbone cut out and the breastbone cracked so it lies flat, then goes on the smoker over applewood. Glazed with BBQ sauce at 150 and pulled at 165. Cajun Parmesan potatoes cook on the same grill at the same temperature. About an hour, start to finish.
What Goes Into Smoked Spatchcock Chicken
| Ingredient | Notes |
|---|---|
| Whole chicken | Four to five pounds. |
| Olive oil | As a binder for the seasoning. |
| Poultry seasoning | Or salt, pepper and garlic, which works just as well. |
| BBQ sauce | Whatever your favorite is. |
| Applewood | For the smoke. |
| Russet potatoes | Cut into quarter inch rounds. |
| Cajun seasoning | On the potatoes. |
| Parmesan | The grated shaker kind, over the potatoes at the end. |
Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.
Spatchcock It
I put the chicken breast side down and cut along both sides of the backbone with kitchen shears, then took the backbone out.
I flipped it over and pressed down hard on the breastbone until it cracked and the bird laid flat.
I patted it dry, oiled the skin all over including the back, and seasoned it.
Why Flat Cooks Better
This is the whole reason to do it and it’s worth the two minutes.
A whole chicken is a thick, uneven lump. The breast sits high and cooks fast, the thighs sit low and cook slow, and by the time the dark meat is safe the breast is already dry. That’s the problem every roast chicken has.
Flatten it and the whole bird sits at roughly one thickness, so everything finishes around the same time. It also means every bit of skin is facing up into the heat instead of half of it being pressed underneath, which is how you get that bite-through skin all the way across.
It’s faster too. A whole bird at this temperature takes a lot longer than a flat one, and this comes off in about an hour.
Don’t Sauce It Early
BBQ sauce goes on at 150, not before.
Sauce is mostly sugar, and sugar burns. Put it on at the start and it sits over heat for the better part of an hour, which gets you black instead of sticky.
At 150 you’re roughly ten minutes out from done. That’s enough time for the sauce to tack up and set into a glaze, and not enough time for it to burn.
Smoke It
I put the chicken flat on the smoker over applewood, skin side up, and put a thermometer in the thickest part of the breast.
I smoked it until it hit 150 internal.
I brushed it all over with BBQ sauce.
I left it on until it hit 165 and the sauce had set into a glaze.
I pulled it and let it rest ten minutes before carving.
Times and temps are all in the recipe card.
The Potatoes
With about 40 minutes left on the chicken, I cut the potatoes into quarter inch rounds.
I put them in a bowl, hit them with oil as a binder, and seasoned them with Cajun.
I put them straight on the grill at the same temperature as the chicken.
I cooked them around thirty to thirty five minutes, turning them halfway.
I hit them with Parmesan all over before pulling them off.
They’re done when the edges are crispy and the centers are soft. If they’re not quite there when the chicken comes off, leave them on while it rests.
Author’s Notes
A Very Classic BBQ Chicken
This is a very classic recipe. Classic barbecue chicken recipe. It is very very good. This is perfect for dinner.
You can serve it with other sides. You can do mac and cheese, you can do some barbecue beans. I did some potatoes, as I really really like potatoes and you can never go wrong with potatoes.
A pro tip, when you lay the chicken flat on the smoker it cooks more evenly and it cooks a lot faster than leaving it whole. So this is also a really great way if you want dinner pretty quick. It’ll take about an hour or so before the chicken is completely done.
Miguel
Miguel’s Tips
- Spatchcock it. Even cook, faster cook, better skin.
- Quarter inch on the potatoes. Thinner and they burn, thicker and the centers won’t get soft in time.
- Glaze at 150, not before. Sugar burns.
- Use a thermometer. An instant-read works, a wireless one is better because you’re not opening the smoker every ten minutes.
- Rest ten minutes. Then carve.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do I do with the backbone?
Don’t throw it out. It makes good stock, and you can freeze it until you’ve got enough bones to make it worth the trouble.
Can I do this without a smoker?
A grill with indirect heat works at the same temperature. You’ll lose the applewood but the spatchcock and the glaze timing are the same.
Why not cook the potatoes in the oven?
You can, but they’re already getting the same heat on the grill and they pick up smoke off the chicken while they cook. No reason to dirty an oven.
Related Recipes
- Grilled Butterflied Half Chickens and Air Fried Potato Wedges
- Parmesan Garlic Grilled Chicken Wings
- Glazed Honey Jalapeno Orange Chicken Skewers
- Nashville Hot Chicken Pizza
My Gear
Everything I cook with lives here: linktr.ee/cooking_with_fire___
Explore More Recipes
Chicken | Beef | Pork | Seafood
Smoked Spatchcock Chicken with Cajun Parmesan Potatoes
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Place the chicken breast side down. Using strong kitchen shears, cut along both sides of the backbone and remove it.
- Flip the chicken over so the breast faces up. Press firmly down on the breastbone until it cracks and the chicken lays flat.
- Pat the chicken dry. Rub olive oil evenly over the skin and the back, then season generously with poultry seasoning, or salt, pepper and garlic.
- Preheat your smoker to 300°F to 350°F with applewood. Place the chicken flat, skin side up, and put a thermometer into the thickest part of the breast.
- Smoke until the chicken reaches about 150°F internal.
- Brush it generously all over with BBQ sauce. Do not sauce earlier than this, or the sugar in it will burn over the length of the cook.
- Continue cooking until the thickest part reaches 165°F and the sauce has set into a sticky glaze. Remove and rest 10 minutes before carving.
- With about 40 minutes left on the chicken, cut the potatoes into approximately 1/4 inch rounds. Toss them in olive oil and season generously with Cajun seasoning.
- Place the slices directly on the grill at the same 300°F to 350°F. Cook 30 to 35 minutes, flipping halfway, until the edges are crispy and browned.
- Sprinkle generously with grated Parmesan before pulling them off. They are done when the edges are crispy and the centers are tender. If they are not quite there when the chicken comes off, leave them on while it rests.
