Butterflied Herb Chicken Recipe | Grilling

by
Joshua Bousel
Joshua Bousel is a Serious Eats old-timer, having started sharing his passion for grilling and barbecue recipes on the site back in 2008. He continues to develop grilling and barbecue recipes on his own site, The Meatwave, out of his home base of Durham, North Carolina.
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Joshua Bousel
updated Aug. 09, 2018

With the onset of a warm spell, my thoughts had wandered to more summer-like fare, but a resurgence of the blistering cold has me back in total comfort mode.

Roast chicken has been my crutch to get me through this winter, but as an admitted cold-wuss, I wanted to be able to grill a chicken while minimizing my outdoor time. So instead of roasting a chicken on the grill, I opted to butterfly it, spread an herb butter under the skin, and cook it directly over the flames, making the total cooking time for a whole chicken about 25 minutes.

The high heat produced a crispy skin (although slightly charred in parts), while the herb butter kept the bird moist and flavorful, creating a fast alternative to a true roast chicken on the grill that's on par with the real deal.

Ingredients

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 3 tablespoons of your favorite herbs (such as thyme, sage, tarragon, oregano, etc)
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 whole chicken (3 to 3 1/2 pounds), butterflied

Directions

  1. Mix the butter, herbs, garlic, and salt and pepper together in a small bowl.

  2. Using your fingers, carefully separate skin from each side of side of the breast and thighs and spread about 1 tablespoon of the herb butter under each area. Season skin with additional salt and pepper to taste.

  3. Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and spread coals out evenly. Place chicken skin-side down on the grill and cook until skin is deeply browned and crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. Flip chicken over and continue to grill until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of breast registers 160°F, about 10 to 15 minutes more. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Carve and serve.

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