Smoked Spatchcocked Chicken

This Smoked Spatchcocked Chicken is a great way to showcase a whole chicken with great flavor. It's a technique that not only speeds up cooking time but also results in even cooking and crispier skin.

No ratings yet

Print Pin

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 2

Total Time: 2 5

Servings

Calories: 51kcal

Author: Laura Lynch

Equipment

Smoker
Pellets applewood is great for smoking chicken
Kitchen shears or sharp knife
Cutting board

Ingredients

1 whole chicken 3-6 pounds
1/4 cup (18 g) chicken dry rub see recipe
1 teaspoon (6 g) salt optional
2 tablespoons (28 g) salted butter or olive oil melted

Instructions

Place the chicken breast-side down on a cutting board and use kitchen shears to cut along both sides of the backbone to remove it. Flip the chicken open like a book, locate the breastbone, and press down firmly to flatten the bird.
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Season the chicken with the dry rub and salt, if desired. Allow it to rest for 10 minutes.
Preheat the smoker to 225° F(107°C). Don’t forget to stock the hopper with your preferred pellets (we like apple wood pellets for chicken).
Place the chicken on the smoker. Insert a leave-in thermometer into the thickest part of the breast meat, if you have one. Close the lid and let it smoke for about 2 hours, until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 140° F(60°C).
Open the smoker and brush the chicken with melted butter or olive oil. Turn up the smoker to 300° F(149°C) and continue cooking until the chicken reaches 165° F(74°C).
Remove the chicken from the smoker and let rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Notes

Make sure your kitchen shears or knife are sharp for easier and safer cutting.
Be mindful of hygiene; raw chicken carries a risk of salmonella.
Make sure to disinfect your cutting board and utensils after use.
You can save the backbone of the chicken for another use. It's great for making broth or soup.
If your dry rub has salt in it you may not need to add the teaspoon of salt. Season to taste.

Nutrition