Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Spatchcock chickens: Place breast-side down. Cut along both sides of backbone with kitchen shears and remove spine. Flip over and press firmly on breastbone until chicken lays flat. Pat completely dry.
- Make marinade: Combine salt, garlic paste, smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, soy sauce, lime juice, red wine vinegar, black pepper, and olive oil in bowl. Mix until paste forms.
- Loosen skin over breasts, thighs, and legs. Spread half the marinade under the skin directly on meat. Spread remaining marinade over the skin. Refrigerate 4 to 24 hours.
- Preheat charcoal grill to 300°F with mostly direct heat setup.
- Place chickens skin-side up over direct heat. Close lid. Cook 50 to 60 minutes until breast reaches 140°F and thighs reach 160°F.
- Flip chickens skin-side down directly over coals. Cook 10 to 15 minutes until breast reaches 165°F, thighs reach 175°F, and skin is charred and crispy.
- While chickens cook, blend mayo, cilantro, jalapeños, garlic, lime juice, olive oil, and parmesan until smooth. Season with salt. Refrigerate until serving.
- Rest chickens 10 minutes. Cut into quarters or halves. Serve with ají verde sauce.
Nutrition
Notes
Spatchcocking creates even cooking and reduces cook time by 30%. Remove backbone and press flat for uniform thickness.
Marinate overnight for best flavor. Minimum 4 hours works but doesn't penetrate as deeply. Apply marinade both under and over skin for maximum flavor.
Grill at 300°F. Higher temps burn skin before meat cooks through. Cook 85% of time skin-side up to cook meat without burning skin. Final flip crisps and chars skin over direct heat.
Pull breast at 165°F, thighs at 175°F. Dark meat needs higher temp for tender texture.
Ají verde keeps refrigerated up to 1 week. Flavors improve after sitting. Leftover chicken refrigerates 4 days or freezes 3 months.