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Whole Cajun butter rotisserie chicken on a spit with crispy, charred seasoned skin on a wooden cutting board

Rotisserie Chicken on the Grill with Cajun Butter

A whole chicken coated in a Cajun mud rub, spun over charcoal at 350°F until the skin is crisp and deep golden, then basted with a garlic Cajun butter in the last 10 minutes. Pulled at 165°F in the breast.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Resting Time 15 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Cajun
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken and Mud Rub
  • 1 whole chicken 4 to 5 lbs
  • 1/4 cup Cajun seasoning PENDING CONFIRMATION, amount not supplied
  • 1/4 cup avocado oil PENDING CONFIRMATION, olive or any neutral oil works
  • kosher salt to taste
Cajun Butter
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted PENDING CONFIRMATION, amount not supplied
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced PENDING CONFIRMATION
  • 1 tbsp Cajun seasoning PENDING CONFIRMATION
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped PENDING CONFIRMATION
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed

Equipment

  • Charcoal grill with rotisserie attachment
  • Butcher's twine
  • Basting brush
  • Small Saucepan
  • Instant-Read Thermometer

Method
 

Prep the Bird
  1. Pat the chicken dry all over with paper towels. Surface moisture steams the skin instead of crisping it.
  2. Stir the Cajun seasoning into the oil to make a loose paste, then coat every surface of the bird with it.
  3. Tie the legs together with butcher's twine, tuck the wings in, and center the chicken on the spit so it spins balanced.
Cook
  1. Bank the coals to one side and bring the grill to 350°F. Start the rotisserie motor and wait until the grill is fully preheated before adding the chicken.
  2. While the chicken spins, stir the melted butter together with the garlic, Cajun seasoning, parsley, and lemon juice.
  3. Cook for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. If the skin browns faster than the breast comes up to temperature, tent it loosely with foil and keep the spit turning.
  4. Brush the Cajun butter over the bird during the last 10 minutes of the cook. Adding it earlier scorches the milk solids.
Rest and Serve
  1. Pull the chicken when the thickest part of the breast reads 165°F. Check the thigh separately; dark meat eats better closer to 175°F.
  2. Rest 10 to 15 minutes, then carve and drizzle the reserved Cajun butter over the sliced meat.

Notes

Cook to Temperature: Grill size and setup move the timing every time. An hour and a half to two hours is a guide; 165°F in the breast is the answer.
Dry the Skin: Pat every surface with paper towels before the rub goes on. Dry skin plus an oil-based paste is what gets you crackly instead of rubbery.
Butter Goes On Last: Brush it in the final 10 minutes only. Milk solids brown fast and turn acrid past that point.
No Rotisserie: Roast the trussed bird on a rack in a 350°F oven or over indirect heat on a kettle, rotating once or twice since you lose the self-basting spin.

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