Juicy Spatchcocked Grilled Lemon Chicken
This insanely juicy Spatchcocked Grilled Lemon Chicken recipe uses a whole lemon (peel and all!) to make the most flavorful, zesty marinade. The chicken cooks low and slow over indirect heat on the grill and comes out perfectly cooked, every time!Say goodbye to dry, boring chicken and make this for your next backyard BBQ or summer dinner party!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Makes: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 - 4-5 lb whole chicken, giblets/neck removed from cavity
- 1 whole lemon
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon Dijon
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon aleppo pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped dill
- 1/4 cup oregano leaves
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Make the marinade. Using a sharp knife, cut the lemon into quarters and remove any visible seeds. Try to use a lemon that doesn’t have a super thick white pith. After removing the seeds, add the whole lemon quarters to a food processor with the olive oil, garlic, dijon, vinegar, aleppo, dill, oregano, salt and pepper. Blend until the mixture is mostly smooth, without any large chunks.
- Spatchcock the chicken. Remove the chicken from its packaging and remove any giblets or the neck from the cavity and discard. Pat the chicken dry, inside and out, with paper towels. Lay the chicken breast-side down on a cutting board and use heavy-duty kitchen shears to cut along one side of the spine, separating it from the ribs. Be sure to cut as close to the spine as you can so that you do not end up discarding any more of the meat than necessary. Repeat on the other side of the spine. Flip the chicken so that the breasts face upward and the legs face outward. Using the palm of your hands, press along the breast bone. You should hear a small crack and the bird should lay flat. Transfer the chicken to a large baking dish.
- Marinate the chicken. Pour the marinade over the chicken and use your hands to evenly spread it all over, including the underside, until it’s evenly coated. Transfer to the fridge uncovered for at least 2 hours, up to 8 hours. Remove the chicken from the fridge 1 hour before you plan to cook it so it can come up to room temperature. Season the outside of the chicken with extra salt and pepper.
- Prep and preheat the grill. Preheat a grill to medium heat, using only half the burners. Clean the grates of any debris and lightly grease them. Once the oven reaches 400 F, Remove the chicken from the marinade and shake off any excess. Place the chicken breast-side up on the unlit side of the grill as close to the fire as possible without being directly over it.
- Grill the chicken. Close the lid and grill in 15 minute increments, rotating the chicken 180 degrees each time. Grill for 1 hour or until the thickest part of the chicken registers 165 F on a meat thermometer. Flip the chicken skin-side down over the direct heat for 3-5 minutes to crisp up the skin. Remove the chicken from the grill and squeeze more fresh lemon juice over the top. Let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing.
Nutrition
Calories: 351kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 27gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 1448mgPotassium: 157mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 343IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 53mgIron: 1mg
