Butterflied Barbecued Chicken
Who wants some BBQ Chicken in half the time? We recently re-discovered Butterflied Chicken. It is easy enough to do yourself with a pair of kitchen shears, or easy enough to ask the butcher to butterfly the chicken for you. Your choice. Either way, it tastes great and takes a lot less time than roasting a whole chicken on the grill. And, best yet, the presentation turns the same ole weekday chicken into a formal affair. We suggest making your own BBQ sauce but if you are short on time, use your favorite bottled sauce. If you fall in love with Butterflied Chicken like us, check out Elizabeth’s recipe for “French Chicken” with Dijon Mustard and Scallions. It is just as easy as this recipe, but made with more sophisticated flavors!
Ingredients
1 3 ½ to 4 pound fryer chicken, preferably Amish or organic Olive oil
Kosher salt and Freshly ground pepper
Favorite Barbecue Sauce
Methods/steps
Grilling Method: Indirect/Medium Heat
Remove chicken from packaging and pat dry with paper towels. Using poultry or kitchen shears cut along each side of the back bone and remove it. Turn chicken breast-side up. Open the two sides of the chicken as if you were opening a book, and lay it flat. Break the breast bone by firmly applying pressure and pressing down—you may break a few rib bones in the process. Tuck the wing tip under the upper wing and place in a shallow casserole dish. Alternatively, have your butcher butterfly the chicken for you.
When ready to cook, brush lightly with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place chicken skin-side up in the center of the grill. Grill 40 minutes. During the final 10 minutes of the cooking time, brush all over with BBQ Sauce and let cook until caramelized and glossy. Total cooking time should be about 50 minutes or until the juices run clear and an instant-read meat thermometer registers 180°F in the thigh. Remove from grill, let sit 5 minutes and cut chicken into halves or quarters and serve. Serve extra BBQ Sauce on the side.
ALL RECIPES ©ELIZABETH KARMEL 2019