After selling thousands of whole chickens, distributing hundreds of paper copies of this recipe, and listening to the feedback of customers, this recipe has withstood the test of time as the easiest, most flavorful way to prepare a whole chicken. We are reprinting it here for the 2015 summer barbecue season.
The bane of barbecued chicken is dry breast meat. Half chickens cooked on the grill turn out this way because the breast cooks before the thigh. We have had chefs tell us the dark and white meat must be separated to cook properly. This recipe avoids that by moving the breast meat further from the heat, and allowing the bird's juices to steam the breast meat as it cooks. Plus, pastured chicken breast meat seems more resistant to drying out than factory chicken. This recipe is so easy, you can truly "set it and forget it."
It can be made on either a gas or charcoal grill. A Weber charcoal grill is recommended. It is best, whether gas or charcoal, to BBQ the chicken with hickory chips pre-soaked in water. You can use a cast iron smoker box in a gas grill, or add the chips directly to the coals on a charcoal grill.
Warm the grill. Cook over indirect heat. Use Weber charcoal baskets on each side of the lower grate, or turn off the gas grill’s center burner. Add the soaked hickory.
The bane of barbecued chicken is dry breast meat. Half chickens cooked on the grill turn out this way because the breast cooks before the thigh. We have had chefs tell us the dark and white meat must be separated to cook properly. This recipe avoids that by moving the breast meat further from the heat, and allowing the bird's juices to steam the breast meat as it cooks. Plus, pastured chicken breast meat seems more resistant to drying out than factory chicken. This recipe is so easy, you can truly "set it and forget it."
It can be made on either a gas or charcoal grill. A Weber charcoal grill is recommended. It is best, whether gas or charcoal, to BBQ the chicken with hickory chips pre-soaked in water. You can use a cast iron smoker box in a gas grill, or add the chips directly to the coals on a charcoal grill.
Warm the grill. Cook over indirect heat. Use Weber charcoal baskets on each side of the lower grate, or turn off the gas grill’s center burner. Add the soaked hickory.
Place the chicken on its back in the center of the grill grate. A grill thermometer is handy until you get a feel for how the grill behaves. Use it to measure the air temperature inside the grill. Place the probe inside the upper draft control of a charcoal grill, or use the temperature gauge on the gas grill. The temperature should be 350 to 400 degrees. If it drops below that, turn up the burners or add some charcoal. Also add hickory as needed to keep the grill smoking.
About an hour into the cooking, the chicken’s body cavity accumulates juices and they begin overflowing and dripping out of the bottom of the grill. These juices steam the breast meat and keep it moist.
Cook the chicken for 1 to 1½ hours. It is done when the drumstick feels loose on the thigh. Remove it from the grill and let it rest for ten minutes. Then cut the meat off the carcass. The skin should be crispy and the meat should fall off the bones. You can add your favorite barbecue sauce at this point. We feel the chicken’s flavor speaks for itself, with a little salt.
Cook the chicken for 1 to 1½ hours. It is done when the drumstick feels loose on the thigh. Remove it from the grill and let it rest for ten minutes. Then cut the meat off the carcass. The skin should be crispy and the meat should fall off the bones. You can add your favorite barbecue sauce at this point. We feel the chicken’s flavor speaks for itself, with a little salt.
A five pound bird, fed to our family of five, leaves enough meat for a couple of chicken sandwiches the next day. We simmer the carcass the next morning to make a third meal of chicken soup.
P.S. Thanks to our friend Bob Rhea, a Weber savant, for teaching us how to cook chicken this way!
P.S. Thanks to our friend Bob Rhea, a Weber savant, for teaching us how to cook chicken this way!
