Grilling a Whole Chicken, Lickety-Split

It is officially summer and no one wants to be stuck in the kitchen.  I want to have delicious meals as quick as I can, preferably with hubby doing the cooking on the grill.

I've started grilling whole chickens that have been butterflied.  Grilling a chicken with bones and skin makes for much more juicy, tender meat.  Much more juicy than boneless breasts.  A butterflied chicken cooks in 35 minutes on a medium grill.

Use a scissors or sharp knife and cut alongside the backbone of the chicken.

Cut the backbone right out of the chicken.  Then open up the chicken and you will hear a crack.

You can flatten out the chicken just like this.  

Watch this video to see how really simple this is.

I patted my chicken dry and rubbed it with olive oil and then a mixture of chopped herbs (thyme, sage, rosemary), lemon zest and salt.  I massaged the herb rub into the skin.  I placed the chicken skin side down on a medium grill for 15 minutes and then turned the chicken over and cooked it about 20 minutes more or until the juices ran clear.  Then the chicken can be cut into pieces easily at the joints and served.  

Here is a link to a Bobby Flay recipe and video.  

Happy grilling and happy eating.