Italian-Style Charcoal-Grilled Chicken
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 10, 2011
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil 8 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 ½ tablespoons)1 teaspoon finely grated zest from 1 lemon, plus 2 tablespoons juicepinch crushed red pepper flakes 4 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves 3 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary Kosher salt (see note)Ground black pepper 1 (3 ¾- to 4 ¼-pound) whole chicken (see note)Vegetable oil for cooking grate
Before You Begin
For the best flavor, use a high-quality chicken, such as Bell & Evans. Use an oven mitt or dish towel to safely grip and maneuver the hot bricks. If you’re using table salt, reduce the amount to 1½ teaspoons in step 2. You will need two standard-sized bricks for this recipe. Placing the bricks on the chicken while it cooks ensures that the skin will be evenly browned and well rendered—don’t skip this step. A cast-iron skillet or other heavy pan can be used in place of the bricks.
Instructions
- Combine oil, garlic, lemon zest, and pepper flakes in small saucepan. Bring to simmer, stirring frequently, over medium-low heat, about 3 minutes. Once simmering, add 3 teaspoons thyme and 2 teaspoons rosemary and cook 30 seconds longer. Strain mixture through fine-mesh strainer set over small bowl, pushing on solids to extract oil. Transfer solids to small bowl and cool; set oil and solids aside.
- Following illustrations below, butterfly chicken, flatten breastbone, and tuck wings behind back. Using hands or handle of wooden spoon, loosen skin over breast and thighs and remove any excess fat. Combine 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper in small bowl. Mix 3 teaspoons salt mixture with cooled garlic solids. Spread salt-garlic mixture evenly under skin over chicken breast and thighs. Sprinkle remaining teaspoon salt mixture on exposed meat of bone side. Place chicken skin-side up on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours.
- Wrap 2 bricks tightly in aluminum foil. Light large chimney starter filled three-quarters with charcoal (4½ quarts, or about 75 briquettes) and burn until coals are covered with layer of fine gray ash, about 20 minutes. Build modified two-level fire by arranging all coals over half of grill, leaving other half empty. Position cooking grate over coals, place bricks on grate over coals, cover grill, and heat about 5 minutes. Scrape cooking grate clean with grill brush. Lightly dip wad of paper towels in vegetable oil; holding wad with tongs, wipe cooking grate. Grill is ready when side with coals is medium-hot (you can hold your hand 5 inches above grate for 3 to 4 seconds).
- Place chicken skin-side down over cooler side of grill with legs facing fire, place hot bricks lengthwise over each breast half, cover grill, and cook until skin is lightly browned and faint grill marks appear, 22 to 25 minutes. Remove bricks from chicken. Using tongs or towel, grip legs and flip chicken (chicken should release freely from grill; use thin metal spatula to loosen if stuck) and transfer to hot side of grill, skin-side up, with breast facing center of grill. Place bricks over breast, cover grill, and cook until chicken is well browned, 12 to 15 minutes.
- Remove bricks, flip chicken skin-side down over hot coals, and cook until chicken skin is well crisped and instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 165 degrees, 5 to 10 minutes, moving chicken as necessary to prevent flare-ups. Transfer chicken to cutting board and let rest 10 minutes. Whisk lemon juice and remaining thyme and rosemary into reserved oil; season with salt and pepper. Carve chicken and serve, passing sauce separately.
Yield
Serves 4Ingredients
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
8 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 ½ tablespoons)
1 teaspoon finely grated zest from 1 lemon, plus 2 tablespoons juice
pinch crushed red pepper flakes
4 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
3 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
Kosher salt (see note)
Ground black pepper
1 (3 ¾- to 4 ¼-pound) whole chicken (see note)
Vegetable oil for cooking grate
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
8 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 ½ tablespoons)
1 teaspoon finely grated zest from 1 lemon, plus 2 tablespoons juice
pinch crushed red pepper flakes
4 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
3 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
Kosher salt (see note)
Ground black pepper
1 (3 ¾- to 4 ¼-pound) whole chicken (see note)
Vegetable oil for cooking grate
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
8 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 ½ tablespoons)
1 teaspoon finely grated zest from 1 lemon, plus 2 tablespoons juice
pinch crushed red pepper flakes
4 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
3 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
Kosher salt (see note)
Ground black pepper
1 (3 ¾- to 4 ¼-pound) whole chicken (see note)
Vegetable oil for cooking grate
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
We wanted an Italian-style grilled chicken recipe with evenly cooked, juicy meat, crackly skin, and bold Mediterranean flavor. We started by salting the bird so it would retain its juices, which had the added advantage of loosening the chicken’s skin from the meat, increasing crispness. Preheated bricks provided heat from above as we cooked the chicken on both sides. We briefly sautéed Mediterranean seasonings in olive oil, straining the mixture and then spreading the resulting paste under the skin in our grilled chicken recipe, to infuse the meat with flavor without making the skin soggy.
Before You Begin
For the best flavor, use a high-quality chicken, such as Bell & Evans. Use an oven mitt or dish towel to safely grip and maneuver the hot bricks. If you’re using table salt, reduce the amount to 1½ teaspoons in step 2. You will need two standard-sized bricks for this recipe. Placing the bricks on the chicken while it cooks ensures that the skin will be evenly browned and well rendered—don’t skip this step. A cast-iron skillet or other heavy pan can be used in place of the bricks.
Instructions
- Combine oil, garlic, lemon zest, and pepper flakes in small saucepan. Bring to simmer, stirring frequently, over medium-low heat, about 3 minutes. Once simmering, add 3 teaspoons thyme and 2 teaspoons rosemary and cook 30 seconds longer. Strain mixture through fine-mesh strainer set over small bowl, pushing on solids to extract oil. Transfer solids to small bowl and cool; set oil and solids aside.
- Following illustrations below, butterfly chicken, flatten breastbone, and tuck wings behind back. Using hands or handle of wooden spoon, loosen skin over breast and thighs and remove any excess fat. Combine 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper in small bowl. Mix 3 teaspoons salt mixture with cooled garlic solids. Spread salt-garlic mixture evenly under skin over chicken breast and thighs. Sprinkle remaining teaspoon salt mixture on exposed meat of bone side. Place chicken skin-side up on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours.
- Wrap 2 bricks tightly in aluminum foil. Light large chimney starter filled three-quarters with charcoal (4½ quarts, or about 75 briquettes) and burn until coals are covered with layer of fine gray ash, about 20 minutes. Build modified two-level fire by arranging all coals over half of grill, leaving other half empty. Position cooking grate over coals, place bricks on grate over coals, cover grill, and heat about 5 minutes. Scrape cooking grate clean with grill brush. Lightly dip wad of paper towels in vegetable oil; holding wad with tongs, wipe cooking grate. Grill is ready when side with coals is medium-hot (you can hold your hand 5 inches above grate for 3 to 4 seconds).
- Place chicken skin-side down over cooler side of grill with legs facing fire, place hot bricks lengthwise over each breast half, cover grill, and cook until skin is lightly browned and faint grill marks appear, 22 to 25 minutes. Remove bricks from chicken. Using tongs or towel, grip legs and flip chicken (chicken should release freely from grill; use thin metal spatula to loosen if stuck) and transfer to hot side of grill, skin-side up, with breast facing center of grill. Place bricks over breast, cover grill, and cook until chicken is well browned, 12 to 15 minutes.
- Remove bricks, flip chicken skin-side down over hot coals, and cook until chicken skin is well crisped and instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 165 degrees, 5 to 10 minutes, moving chicken as necessary to prevent flare-ups. Transfer chicken to cutting board and let rest 10 minutes. Whisk lemon juice and remaining thyme and rosemary into reserved oil; season with salt and pepper. Carve chicken and serve, passing sauce separately.
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