Spatchcocked chicken with a butter rub

Spatchcocked Chicken with a Butter Rub

Here’s a real tasty way of smoking a whole chicken: with a butter rub. We’re smoking it with oak wood for true barbecue flavor, and keep basting it with a butter/rub mix to crisp up and glaze that skin.

Print
Servings 4
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Fire up the grill 30 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Start by spatchcocking the chicken. Place it with the spine facing upwards. Get a good pair of kitchen shears and start cutting lengthwise along the right side of the spine. Then do the same on the left side, effectively removing the entire backbone.
  • Save the backbone if you like, it is great for making chicken stock.
    How to spatchcock chicken
  • Now flip the bird over and press gently with your hand to flatten the bird a bit. Turn/rotate the chicken thighs if needed so they lay flat also.
    Spatchcocked chicken
  • Apply 0.5 tbsp of the rub evenly on the chicken skin.
    Spatchcocked chicken with rub applied
  • Fire up the grill/smoker and have it running at 150° C / 300° F. We're cooking at slightly higher temps to make sure the skin is crispy. If cooked at lower temps it tends to get rubbery.
  • Place the chicken in the grill/smoker and leave it for 20 minutes.
  • In the meantime: melt the butter and mix it with 1 tbsp of the rub. Stir well.
  • Now it's time for the first baste: use a brush and brush liberal amounts of the butter rub all over the chicken, then put it back in the smoker.
  • Repeat the basting after another 20 minutes have passed.
  • The chicken is done when the internal temp is 70° C / 158° F. Check both chicken breasts as well as the thighs to make sure it's safe. Serve it with a tasty Alabama White Sauce.

Video

2 thoughts on “Spatchcocked Chicken with a Butter Rub”

5 from 1 vote

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating