Grilled Butterflied Chicken with Rosemary, Lemon, and Garlic
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 22, 2007
Time
1½ hours, plus 2 hours chilling and 20 minutes standing
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest from 1 lemon1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary 1 large clove garlic, minced½ teaspoon table salt 1 whole chicken (3 pounds), butterflied (see illustrations 1 to 5 below)3 tablespoons lemon juice from 1 large lemon3 tablespoons olive oil
Before You Begin
Avoid checking the chicken except when turning, or the coals will cool, increasing the grilling time.
Instructions
- Mix lemon zest, rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper in small bowl. Following illustrations 6 and 7, loosen the skin on each leg and thigh; rub the herb mixture under the skin. Loosen the breast skin; rub the remaining herb mixture under the skin. Place chicken in a gallon size zipper-lock bag with lemon juice and olive oil. Seal and refrigerate from 2 to 24 hours; return to room temperature before cooking.
- Ignite about 6 quarts (1 large chimney, or about 6 pounds) charcoal briquettes and burn until covered with thin coating of light gray ash, about 20 minutes. Empty chimney and spread coals in an even layer. Position grill grate over coals, cover grill, and heat grate until hot, about 5 minutes; scrape grate clean with grill brush. Lightly dip small wad paper towels in vegetable oil; holding wad with tongs, wipe grill grate. Place chicken skin side down, on grill rack. Set a jelly roll or other flat plan on top of chicken. Place two bricks in pan to weigh down chicken as it grills. Cover and grill until the chicken skin is deep brown and shows grill marks, about 12 to 15 minutes. Turn chicken with tongs, replace jelly roll pan, bricks, and grill lid, and continue cooking until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 170 to 175 degrees, about 5 to 10 more minutes.
- Remove chicken from grill; cover with foil and let rest 10 to 15 minutes. Carve, following illustrations 8 and 9, and serve.
Time
1½ hours, plus 2 hours chilling and 20 minutes standingYield
Serves 4Ingredients
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest from 1 lemon
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
1 large clove garlic, minced
½ teaspoon table salt
1 whole chicken (3 pounds), butterflied (see illustrations 1 to 5 below)
3 tablespoons lemon juice from 1 large lemon
3 tablespoons olive oil
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest from 1 lemon
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
1 large clove garlic, minced
½ teaspoon table salt
1 whole chicken (3 pounds), butterflied (see illustrations 1 to 5 below)
3 tablespoons lemon juice from 1 large lemon
3 tablespoons olive oil
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest from 1 lemon
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
1 large clove garlic, minced
½ teaspoon table salt
1 whole chicken (3 pounds), butterflied (see illustrations 1 to 5 below)
3 tablespoons lemon juice from 1 large lemon
3 tablespoons olive oil
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
A butterflied chicken cooks faster and more evenly than a traditional whole bird. We wanted to work out some kinks in our butterflied chicken recipe so it would be perfect as well as quick. For our butterflied chicken recipe we preferred splitting the chicken at the back rather than the breast. Tucking the legs under made for a better presentation of our butterflied chicken recipe. We thought pounding the chicken might decrease the cooking time, but it made no noticeable difference. However, it was easier to weight a chicken that had been pounded to a uniform thickness.
Before You Begin
Avoid checking the chicken except when turning, or the coals will cool, increasing the grilling time.
Instructions
- Mix lemon zest, rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper in small bowl. Following illustrations 6 and 7, loosen the skin on each leg and thigh; rub the herb mixture under the skin. Loosen the breast skin; rub the remaining herb mixture under the skin. Place chicken in a gallon size zipper-lock bag with lemon juice and olive oil. Seal and refrigerate from 2 to 24 hours; return to room temperature before cooking.
- Ignite about 6 quarts (1 large chimney, or about 6 pounds) charcoal briquettes and burn until covered with thin coating of light gray ash, about 20 minutes. Empty chimney and spread coals in an even layer. Position grill grate over coals, cover grill, and heat grate until hot, about 5 minutes; scrape grate clean with grill brush. Lightly dip small wad paper towels in vegetable oil; holding wad with tongs, wipe grill grate. Place chicken skin side down, on grill rack. Set a jelly roll or other flat plan on top of chicken. Place two bricks in pan to weigh down chicken as it grills. Cover and grill until the chicken skin is deep brown and shows grill marks, about 12 to 15 minutes. Turn chicken with tongs, replace jelly roll pan, bricks, and grill lid, and continue cooking until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 170 to 175 degrees, about 5 to 10 more minutes.
- Remove chicken from grill; cover with foil and let rest 10 to 15 minutes. Carve, following illustrations 8 and 9, and serve.
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