Smoked spatchcock chicken gives you perfectly cooked, juicy chicken in less time than smoking a whole bird. The result is juicy, tender meat full of smoky flavor, perfect for a main course anytime!
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I adore using my smoker.
It’s an easy way to add so much flavor to anything and everything.
And chicken is the perfect thing to throw into your smoker.
With its mild flavor, it really benefits from all the extra oomph that smoking it adds.
Think you can’t smoke a whole chicken though?
Well, my friend, you sure can!
Smoked spatchcock chicken is the way to go.
You get delicious tender chicken with a smoky flavor infused throughout in less time than you’d think!
What is spatchcock chicken?
Spatchcock refers to a way of cooking chicken.
When you spatchcock, you remove the chicken’s backbone and flatten it out in a way similar to butterflying it.
This method lets you cook the whole chicken more quickly and lets you do things like grilling or smoking a whole chicken, that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to do without drying out parts of the chicken while overcooking other parts.
Ingredients
To make this you’ll need:
- Chicken– A whole chicken that’s between 4 and 6 pounds.
- Olive oil
- Dry rub– Your favorite chicken or poultry dry rub.
How to Spatchcock a Chicken
Spatchcocking a chicken is fairly easy.
To do it, find the spine of the chicken and cut along the bone on either side of it.
Remove and discard the spinal bones.
Then turn the chicken over.
Look for the cartilage bone at the tope where the breasts meet on the inside.
The cartilage bone feels like a nub or knob.
Slice through the cartilage bone with a sharp knife.
Now turn the chicken over again and spread it out flat.
That’s it!
You’ve just spatchcocked a chicken!
How to Smoke Spatchcock Chicken
Once you’ve removed the backbone and flattened out the chicken, pat it dry with paper towels.
Then drizzle olive oil evenly out over the chicken, massaging it into the chicken so it covers it all smoothly.
Repeat this with the rub.
Then set the smoker to 225.
Place the prepared chicken in the smoker, breast side up and smoke it for 45 minutes.
After 45 minutes, increase the temperature of the smoker to 375.
Keep cooking the chicken until an internal meat thermometer reads 160 degrees in the thickest part of the breast.
The chicken will continue cooking from the residual heat and reach 165.
Remove the chicken from the smoker and let it sit on a waiting cutting board.
Let the chicken sit for 20 minutes on the cutting board before slicing it with a sharp knife.
Serve and enjoy!
Should I wash the chicken first?
No!
Don’t wash or rinse chicken before you cook it.
Doing so just spreads harmful bacteria that can make you sick.
If you want it to be dry before preparing, simply use a paper towel and pat it dry.
Serving Suggestions
Serve smoked spatchcock chicken with your favorite sides like:
- mashed potatoes
- potato salad
- grilled or smoked vegetables
- macaroni and cheese
Storing Leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheat in a hot oven until warmed through.
Tips and Tricks
- You can save the spine and boil it with water and herbs to make chicken broth.
- While you may be tempted, DO NOT tent the chicken with foil during its rest period. Doing that will just result in soggy skin.
- Letting the chicken rest before slicing though is important. It lets the juices get back into the meat so your chicken is tender, and all the juice doesn’t run out when it’s sliced.
Other Smoked Chicken Recipes
Smoked spatchcock chicken is a winning way to serve up a whole bird.
Make it and enjoy!
Looking for other chicken recipes?
Try these:
- Sweet Heat Bacon Wrapped Smoked Chicken Breasts
- Maple Chipotle Smoked Chicken Breasts
- Hard Cider Smoked Beer Can Chicken
- Smoked Cajun Honey Chicken Breasts
If you’ve tried this SMOKED SPATCHCOCK CHICKEN, or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Smoked Spatchcock Chicken
Instructions
- Find the spine on the back of your chicken, then cut along the bone on both sides to remove it. Discard the bones.
- Turn the chicken over, then find the cartilage bone at the top where the breasts meet on the inside- it will feel like a nub/knob.
- Using a sharp knife, slice through it (carefully). Turn the chicken over and spread it out flat. Pat it dry using paper towels.
- Drizzle the oil evenly out over the chicken, spreading it out as necessary for even coverage. Do the same with the rub.
- Set your smoker to 225°, and place the prepared chicken in it breast side up, then cook for 45 minutes.
- Increase the smoker temperature to 375°, then continue cooking until an internal meat thermometer reads 160° in the thickest part of the breast.
- Remove the chicken from the smoker, it will continue cooking with residual heat and will reach 165°.
- Transfer the smoked chicken to a waiting cutting board, and let it rest for at least 20 minutes.
- Slice with a sharp carving knife and enjoy!
Notes
- You can save the spine and boil it with water and herbs to make chicken broth.
- While you may be tempted, DO NOT tent the chicken with foil during its rest period. Doing that will just result in soggy skin.
- Letting the chicken rest before slicing though is important. It lets the juices get back into the meat so your chicken is tender, and all the juice doesn't run out when it's sliced.
Nutrition
This post may contain affiliate links. As an amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See my full Disclosure Policy for details.
Mari says
Did you cook it on the grill or the cookie sheet?
4sonsrus says
They were smoked, and transferred to the baking sheet after they were done cooking so I could carry them inside.