Pellet Grill Smoked Spatchcock Chicken

Jump to Recipe

Spatchcock Chicken has become one of the most popular methods for making a whole chicken. The spatchcock method removes the backbone so the chicken can lay flat and ideally cook faster and more evenly.

I take the spatchcock one step further by removing the rib cage bones which you can do very easily with a pair of chicken shears. This makes it easier to eat and carve.

Check out other juicy chicken recipes like Smoked Chicken Wings (0-400 method), Pellet Grill Butterflied Chicken Legs, Smoked Parmesan Chicken Wings with Vodka Sauce, and Smoked BBQ Chicken Drumsticks!

Why You Should Make Smoked Spatchcock Chicken

By removing the backbone and rib bones you will be able to carve the chicken and separate into individual pieces much easier than carving the whole bird.

You can also season the chicken on both sides easier and get more smoke flavor because there is more surface area.

Another advantage of spatchcock chicken is you can cook the chicken more even and slightly faster than a whole chicken.

Ingredients For Spatchcock Chicken

• Chicken: For this recipe, I used a whole chicken that weighed about 4 lbs. Depending on the crowd you are serving you may want to smoke multiple chickens.
• Olive Oil: This will hep crisp the skin and also helps the rub stick to the chicken.
• Seasoning: Pick a dry rub that you like or you can keep it simple with just salt and pepper with some garlic powder.

How to Make Spicy Spatchcock Chicken

Prepare the chicken. Remove the Chicken from the packaging and pat dry with paper towels. Remove any chicken pieces left in the cavity of the bird.

Cut the chicken. Find the spin on the back of the chicken and cut all the way down just to the side of the spine splitting the bird in half. Then cut out the spine by cutting the opposite side and removing it completely. Discard or save the spine for stock.

Crack the chicken. Flip the bird over so its spread out skin side up and press down on the breast until you hear a crack and the chicken lays flat on the cutting board.

Season the chicken. Season with kosher salt on both sides then transfer to a sheet pan with a rack to keep the chicken elevated and store in the fridge uncovered overnight.

Prep the grill and season the chicken. The next day preheat the pellet grill to 300 degrees F. Pat the skin dry with paper towels and brush avocado oil on all sides of the chicken before liberally seasoning with dry rub on all sides.

Cook the chicken. Place the chicken on the smoker with the legs pointed towards the heat source and the breasts further away. Cook for about 90 minutes until the breast reaches 160 and the thighs are at least 175 to 185 degrees F. While the chicken is cooking spray with pan spray every 30 minutes to help crisp the skin.

Rest. Remove the chicken from the smoker and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Spatchcock Chicken Tips and Tricks

Garlic Herb Butter: If you are someone that enjoys adding butter under the skin, consider making an at-home garlic herb butter or butter that compliments your dry rub to massage into the chicken under the skin to add to the juicy flavor!

Fresh Herbs: Rubbing your chicken with your favorite seasoning and fresh herbs helps give the chicken a great flavor boost.

Chicken Backbone: Saving the chicken backbone means you can make homemade chicken soup, homemade chicken stock, or chicken broth, or you can use it to make ju to serve alongside your chicken.

Make your own Dry Rub or Seasoning: Season the chicken and give it crispy skin! Use ingredients like garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, cumin, thyme, ground black pepper, red pepper flakes, sea salt, paprika, and brown sugar to season the chicken.

What goes well with Spatchcock Chicken?

Serve up your roasted chicken with tasty sides like Twice Baked Potatoes, Grilled Acorn Squash w/ Spicy Agave Glaze, Skillet Pumpkin Cornbread w/ Bourbon Maple Butter, or a classic Wedge Salad.

Should you Brine the Chicken Before Spatchcocking?

If you have the time brining the chicken can be a big help keeping the chicken moist and adding even more flavor.

I have a great chicken brine recipe you can use or you can always dry brine the chicken by seasoning the chicken the night before and leaving it uncovered in the fridge.

What is the Difference Between Spatchcock Chicken and Butterfly Chicken?

A spatchcocked chicken and a butterflied chicken are the exact same thing.

Since they both mean the same thing, it comes down to what you prefer or what you are more comfortable saying.

Leftover Spatchcock Chicken

Store you're leftover chicken in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge or longer in the freezer. You can heat up your leftovers and eat them straight off the chicken or you can refresh them by making:

• Chicken Salad
• Chicken Soup
• Chicken Tacos
• Pulled Chicken
• and more!