Grilled Split Whole Chicken

This is wonderfully easy and extremely tasty way to cook a whole chicken and is great for tailgaters. The chicken cooks slow and low so for the most part it’s hands free for about two hours giving you ample time to throw back a few bruskies and talk football.

Splitting a smaller (4 pounder or so) chicken helps it cook more evenly. It’s a surface to mass ratio thing. Plus it makes for a great presentation and is super simple. Serve this bird along side a pot of baked beans and fresh grilled corn on the cob. Here is and idea. Grill a couple of these, if you have a big enough grill, and make several new friends.

To split the chicken simply cut down the length of the breast bone, without cutting through the back bone. Spread it apart, turn it over and press on the back until a few bones crack and it lays relatively flat.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 (4 lb) whole chicken, giblets removed, washed and pat dry and spit
• 1 cup wood chips, soaked in water for 30 – 60 minutes

For the rub

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• zest of 1 lemon

For the baste

• 1/2 stick unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup lite soy sauce
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 teaspoon hot Asian chili oil
• 1 teaspoon honey

PREPARATION:

1. Mix all of the rub ingredients together in an small bowl. Rub the mixture onto the top and bottom of the cleaned, split chicken and marinate in the fridge for 1 hour or overnight. Remove the chicken from the fridge and allow to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes prior to grilling.

2. Set your grill up for indirect cooking, giving yourself enough space on the grill grate for the chicken to reside without being directly over the heat source. Preheat to low heat or about 250 – 300°F. Place the chicken skin side up on the grill along with a small metal bread pan or something similar with about 2 cups of water in it. This will help keep the chicken moist. Cook with the lid closed for about an hour. Check the bird and add the wood chips to the hot coals. Add more coals if necessary. Cook for another 30 minutes with the lid close and then start basting every 10 minutes or so. After a couple of bastings, check the internal temperature of the thickest part of the chicken and when it reads 170 – 175°, it’s done. And now for the hard part. Remove the chicken from grill, cover with foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes before cutting into pieces.

Heat Factor