Grilled Spatchcock Chicken with Dry Rub and Basting Sauce
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This Grilled Spatchcock Chicken recipe delivers juicy meat, crispy skin, and bold Mediterranean lemon-garlic flavor—no brining or marinating needed. Cooked over indirect heat with a simple dry rub and basting sauce, this method gives you perfect results. Spatchcocking the bird means faster cooking with more even heat, so your whole chicken turns out beautifully every single time.
You’re going to love the flavor in this chicken. I season it with a simple dry rub that I keep on hand. It’s the same one I use on my Grilled Chicken Legs all summer long. Then, once the chicken is off the grill, I baste it with my Sicilian Salmoriglio sauce for a burst of Mediterranean lemon and garlic flavor.
Quick Recipe Snapshot
- Cooking Method: Indirect heat on a gas or charcoal grill
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35-45 minutes
- Total Time: About 1 hour 10 minutes
- Skill Level: Easy to moderate
- Main Flavors: Lemon, garlic, Mediterranean herbs
- Best For: Cookouts, weeknight dinners, summer grilling, dinner parties
- Why You’ll Love It: Juicy meat, crispy skin, no brining or marinating needed!
Spatchcocked Chicken: What Is It and Why You Should Do It?
Spatchcocking, also known as butterflying, is the technique of removing the chicken’s backbone so you can flatten it out. This simple step helps the meat cook more evenly, preventing the breasts from drying out before the legs are done. A flattened chicken also has more surface area in contact with the heat, which means it cooks faster and gets that perfectly crispy skin, whether you’re using a grill or oven.
If you’ve never spatchcocked a chicken and grilled it, I’m here to tell you that this is the cooking method you’ll turn to time and again for moist, juicy, and delicious chicken. I love a whole chicken dinner made in the oven, but when summertime arrives, I want to do everything on the grill. This recipe comes out perfect every time I make it, which is often! And you can follow this recipe for either a gas or charcoal grill.
Grilled Spatchcock Chicken Ingredients and Notes
For the Chicken:
- Whole chicken (3.5–4.5 lbs): Remove the gizzards from inside the chicken and dry it inside and out with paper towels.
- Olive oil
Dry Rub:
- Red Pepper Flakes: This gives the rub a little kick, but you can leave this out if you don’t want any spice at all.
- Kosher Salt: Kosher salt is less salty by weight than table salt. If you substitute table salt, you should use half the quantity.
- Brown Sugar: This adds just a touch of sweetness to balance the salt and spiciness of the red pepper.
Salmoriglio Basting Sauce:
- Dried Oregano: As much as I love using fresh herbs in my sauces, Oregano is the exception. Dried Oregano has a more robust flavor than fresh and works better in this sauce.
Equipment Needed
- Poultry shears, or a sharp boning knife
- Grill (gas or charcoal)
- Meat thermometer
- Tongs and a basting brush
How to Spatchcock a Chicken
Photo 1: Place the chicken breast-side down on a cutting board.
Photo 2: Use poultry shears or a sharp knife to cut along each side of the backbone.
Photo 3: Flip the chicken over and press down on the breastbone with the heel of your hand to flatten it. The chicken should now be about the same thickness throughout. Trim excess fat or skin as needed.
Cooking Tips
- If the backbone is too tough to cut, use a kitchen towel for grip and cut in stages.
- If the chicken will not flatten out easily, use a sharp knife to cut a slit down the center of the backbone, allowing it to crack when you press down on it.
Step-By-Step Grilling Instructions
1. Prepare the Grill:
Preheat your grill to 400°F. For a gas grill with three burners, leave the two outer burners on and turn off the center one. If you have a two-burner grill, turn off one side. Using charcoal? Simply pile the coals on one side to create an indirect heat zone.
2. Make the Dry Rub:
Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl or jar, mix well, and set aside.
3. Make the Salmoriglio Sauce (optional):
Combine all the ingredients except the olive oil in a bowl. Drizzle the olive oil into the bowl while whisking briskly to emulsify the ingredients.
4. Season the Chicken:
Loosen the skin on the breast and thighs. Coat with oil, then dry rub on both sides and under the skin.
5. Grill the Chicken:
- Start chicken skin-side up over indirect heat.
- Cover and cook ~35–45 min until internal temp of the breast reaches ~145°F.
- Move the chicken to the direct heat side of the grill, brush the skin with the Salmoriglio sauce and cook covered until the internal temperature of the breast reaches 160°F.
6. Rest and Serve the Grilled Spatchcocked Chicken:
Remove the chicken from the grill and let it rest for 10-15 minutes. The internal temperature will continue to rise to 165°F as it rests.
Carve and serve the chicken with more Salmoriglio Sauce if using it.
Grilling Tips
- Thoroughly dry the chicken before seasoning it. Moisture creates soggy skin.
- The secret to perfectly grilled juicy chicken is cooking it to the right temperature, so go by the internal temperature of the chicken breast rather then time.
- For extra crispy skin, brush the chicken with olive oil while it is cooking.
- Let the chicken rest uncovered. This ensures the juices redistribute and the chicken reaches the perfect temperature while the skin stays crispy.
Troubleshooting Tips
The skin isn’t crisping: Finish it over direct heat with the lid off.
If your grilled spatchcocked chicken is browning too fast, move it further away from the heat.
Flavor Variations
- Try the sweet and spicy barbecue rub that I use for my Smoked Chicken Legs and Oven Barbecue Chicken Wings.
- Like the idea of a quick marinade for your grilled spatchcocked chicken? Try my Lemon and Herb Grilled Chicken marinade. Once you butterfly the chicken, marinate it for 30 minutes, then follow the grilling instructions above.
Make Ahead and Storage Recommendations
- The dry rub can be made well ahead and stored in a glass jar in a cool dry place.
- The Salmoriglio sauce can be made 3-4 days in advance and refrigerated.
- Leftover grilled spatchcocked chicken should be stored in an airtight container and it can be refrigerated for 3-4 days.
- The best way to reheat leftover chicken is in the oven. Microwaving it will make the skin rubbery.
Serving Suggestions
If you are looking for sides to go with this grilled spatchcocked chicken, you will want to try my Roasted Potatoes with Peppers, Onions and Parmesan, Nonna’s Grilled Eggplant, and Mediterranean Cucumber and Tomato Salad. Another simple option would be Grilled Broccolini from my friend at Parsley and Parm.
Some summery beverages to get the party started are my refreshing Hugo Spritz, Italian Margarita, my Blue Motorcycle (Adios Drink) or my husband’s famous Long Island Iced Tea
Grilled Spatchcocked Chicken FAQs
1) If you aren’t using an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken breast, it may have been moved to the direct heat side of the grill too soon. If it was cooked longer over direct heat, it will result in dry, overcooked chicken.
2) You skipped the rest period, which means the juices will run out when the chicken is carved.
No, there is no need to flip the spatchcocked chicken over. The skin will crisp up once you move the chicken to the direct heat side of the grill.
Absolutely! To roast this spatchcocked chicken in the oven, preheat your oven to 425°F. Place the chicken skin-side up on a roasting rack and roast uncovered until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the breast reaches 160°F (about 40 minutes). Remove it from the oven and let it rest for 10-15 minutes before carving and serving it.
I love to get your feedback, so if you try this Grilled Spatchcocked Chicken or any other recipe on this website, please leave me a comment below. I hope you enjoy our recipes, and I look forward to hearing from you!
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Grilled Spatchcock Chicken with Dry Rub and Basting Sauce
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Equipment
- 1 Boning knife or
- 1 Grilling Tongs
Ingredients
- 3.5-4 lb. Chicken Whole
- 3 tbsp Olive Oil
Dry Rub
- 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp. Onion Powder
- ½ tsp. Cumin
- 1 tsp. Oregano Dried
- 1 tsp. Thyme Dried
- ½ tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 tbsp. Brown Sugar
- 2 tbsp. Kosher Salt
Instructions
Make the Dry Rub
- Combine all of the dry rub ingredients in a medium bowl and set it aside.1 tsp. Garlic Powder, 1 tsp. Onion Powder, ½ tsp. Cumin, 1 tsp. Oregano, 1 tsp. Thyme, ½ tsp. Red Pepper Flakes, 1 tbsp. Brown Sugar, 2 tbsp. Kosher Salt
Make the Salmoriglio Sauce
Grill the Chicken
- Preheat the grill to 400℉.
- Remove the gizzards and neck from the chicken cavity. Dry the chicken inside and out with paper towels.3.5-4 lb. Chicken
- Spatchcock the chicken by placing it breast down on a cutting board. Using a sharp boning knife or poultry shears, cut along either side of the breast bone to remove it. Turn the chicken over so it is breast-side up, set it down on the cutting board, and press down on the breastbone to flatten it out.
- Rub olive oil all over the chicken and under the skin. Sprinkle the dry rub all over both sides of the chicken, including under the skin, and pat it down with your hands.3 tbsp Olive Oil
- Create two-zone heating in your grill. If you are using a gas grill, turn off one-half of the burners. My grill has three burners, so I turn off the center burner and leave the outer burners on. On a charcoal grill, move all of the coals to one side of the grill.
- Place the chicken skin side up over the indirect heat. Close the lid and let the chicken cook until the internal temperature of the breast reaches 145℉.
- Move the chicken over direct heat and cook it for about 7-10 minutes longer or until the internal temperature of the breast reaches 160℉. If you are using the basting sauce, you can brush it on the chicken now.
- Remove the chicken from the grill and tent it with aluminum foil for 10 minutes. The internal temperature of the chicken will continue to rise to 165℉ as it rests. Serve the chicken with the additional Salmoriglio sauce.
Video
Notes
Grilling Tips
- Thoroughly dry the chicken before seasoning it. Moisture creates soggy skin.
- The secret to perfectly grilled juicy chicken is cooking it to the right temperature, so go by the internal temperature of the chicken breast rather then time.
- For extra crispy skin, brush the chicken with olive oil while it is cooking.
- Let the chicken rest uncovered. This ensures the juices redistribute and the chicken reaches the perfect temperature while the skin stays crispy.
Troubleshooting Tips
- If your grilled spatchcocked chicken is browning too fast, move it further away from the heat.
- The skin isn’t crisping: Finish it over direct heat with the lid off.
I was nervous to spatchcock because I had never done it – but SO easy! The marinade was amazing and flavorful. Whole recipe was easy to follow and a perfect crowd pleaser for summer company
Awesome Juila! I am so glad that you tried to spatchcock the chicken yourself and enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for letting me know that the recipe was a success!
Made this recipe using split chicken breasts. Cook times were longer but it tasted great!
Angela Thank you for sharing this version of the recipe with me and I am so glad that you enjoyed it!
Thanks for sharing this recipe-the chicken was so flavorful and juicy! I have tried several of your recipes and they are all amazing! I’m looking forward to making and enjoying more from Enza’s Quail Hollow Kitchen.
Hi Denise and thank you for letting me know that you liked this chicken recipe! I am thrilled that you have enjoyed my recipes and hope you continue to come back and try more of them!
Really juicy and delicious cooked on the grill.
Really juicy. Excellent done on the grill!
I just made this spatchcock chicken again the other day as an impromptu dinner when my kids came by to use the pool. It was an easy Sunday dinner and everyone loved it!