A mouthwatering grilled whole chicken recipe infused with a flavorful jerk marinade and finished with a splash of fresh lemon juice.
Summer is approaching and that means grilling season is in the air. Are you pumped? Are you looking forward to whipping up some fun and delicious grilling recipes to serve you're family or for entertaining with friends? If so, you've come to the right spot. I've dedicated a section of my website to fun and easy Grilling Recipes that I hope will inspire you to 'get grilling'.
Have you ever thought about actually grilling a whole chicken? It's totally fine if your answer is... not really. I get it. Growing up, I can't recall one time in which my family grilled a whole chicken. It may seem kind of daunting especially if you're used to grilling chicken wings and chicken legs, however, grilling a whole chicken is really easy and requires a little longer cooking time.
If you continue to follow along, you'll learn 'PRO TIPS' that will make this process easier than you think, shorten your cooking time a bit, and the end result will be a juicy grilled whole chicken.
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Ingredients
- Whole chicken (organic or non-organic)
- Jerk seasoning (homemade or store brand)
- Grape-seed oil
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Lemon
Essentials
- Charcoal grill
- Charcoals
- Lighter fluid
- Kitchen shears to spatchcock/butterfly the chicken (for removing the chicken's backbone)
- Baking sheet (for carrying chicken to outdoor grill)
- Foil (for lining baking sheet for easy clean-up
- Paper towels (to pat dry the chicken)
- Tongs (for flipping chicken over)
How to grill a whole chicken on a charcoal grill
- I'm all for washing the chicken first, but if you're not into washing your chicken... no judgement here. Here's what the USDA suggests. If it's not your thing, that's totally fine just omit this step and move on to the next step.
- Place the chicken on a prepared baking sheet by lining it with foil for easy clean-up.
- Spatchcock/Butterfly Chicken: Remove the giblets and flip the chicken so the breast side is down, take your kitchen shears and cut along both side of the backbone to remove it. Flip the chicken so the skin-side is up and using both palms of your hands push the breast down so it flattens as much as possible. For step-by-steps photos and instructions on how to spatchcock a chicken check out this post, Cajun Spatchcock Chicken Recipe.
- Marinade the chicken.
- Season with kosher salt and black pepper and allow the chicken to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
- Prep the grill and preheat between 325 degrees F to 350 degrees F and adjust the vents to maintain the temperature.
- Place the bird on the grill and close the lid.
- During the last 30 seconds or minute, place a half of lemon on the grill grates, remove both the chicken and lemon and place on a clean platter or baking sheet.
- Squeeze the juice from the grilled lemon over the top of the chicken and allow the chicken to rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
For detailed instructions on how to grill a whole chicken, please refer to the recipe card below.
Frequently Asked Questions
This will be based on the size of your chicken and the temperature of your charcoal grill. If the temperature of your grill is between 325 degrees F and 350 degrees F, you may be looking at 1hr and 15 mins of cooking time. However, the temperature of one's grill can vary. Instead of focusing on cooking time, it is more important to focus on the internal temperature of your chicken. To do this, insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the breast. If it registers to 165 degrees F. Your chicken is done.
Although it isn't necessary, I recommend flipping the chicken to create the slightly charred crispy outer coating of the skin. First grill the chicken with the skin-side up after several minutes then flip so the skin-side is down until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the breast reaches 165 degrees F. I find that this method will ensure that the skin doesn't stick to the grill.
The best and 'sure-fire-way' to prevent your chicken from drying out is to use an instant-read meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken. For example, when the internal temperature of the thickest part of the breast reaches 165 degrees F, the chicken is done and will be moist.
In addition to using the meat thermometer, brining or marinating the chicken for at least 30 minutes up to 24 hours will also ensure a moist and juicy chicken.
Tips
- When grilling a whole chicken, it's best to spatchcock aka butterfly your bird, so it cooks faster.
- Before coating your chicken with the marinade, make sure you dry it thoroughly with paper towels.
- Season generously with kosher salt unless you're following a low sodium diet.
- Allow your bird to come to room temperature before placing it on the preheated grill.
- Always use an instant read meat thermometer to ensure that you do not overcook your chicken.
- To check the internal temperature of your chicken, always insert the meat thermometer into the thickest part of the breast when it registers to 165 degrees F, it's done.
- When the chicken is done and you remove it from the grill allow it to rest for 5 to 10 minutes to retain the juices.
- While you're in the grilling mood, why not grill up some veggies, like this 7 Minute Grilled Sugar Snap Pea Recipe or this Grilled Peppers Medley to make a complete meal. It only takes a few extra minutes.
Other grilling recipes you may like
- Grilled Ribeye Steak
- Cajun Grilled Salmon In Foil
- Grilled Teriyaki Pork Ribs Recipe
- Grilled BBQ Pork Spare Ribs
- Grilled Boneless Chicken Thighs
📖 Recipe
Jerk Grilled Whole Chicken
Equipment
- Outdoor gas grill
- Charcoal
- Lighter fluid
- Baking sheet for carrying chicken to outdoor grill
- Grilling tongs
- Bowl used for marinade
- Small whisk used for mixing marinade
Ingredients
- 5 lbs whole chicken
- 4 TBSP jerk seasoning blend
- 4 TBSP grape-seed oil
- ½ TBSP kosher salt
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 1 lemon
Instructions
- I'm all for washing the chicken first, but if you're not into washing your chicken, omit this step and move on to the next step.
- Place the chicken on a prepared baking sheet by lining it with foil for easy clean-up.
- Spatchcock/Butterfly Chicken: Remove the giblets and flip the chicken so the breast side is down, take your kitchen shears and cut along both sides of the backbone to remove it. Flip the chicken so the skin-side is up and using both palms of your hands push the breast down so it flattens as much as possible. For step-by-steps photos and instructions on how to spatchcock a chicken search 'Cajun Spatchcock Chicken Recipe' on my website or follow the link above.
- Pour the marinade over the entire chicken and rub it in using your hands or a basting brush making sure to coat every part of the chicken even between the crevices.
- Season both sides of the chicken generously with kosher salt and some pepper and allow the chicken to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prep your grill by cleaning your grates and oiling them with cooking spray such as avocado oil or another cooking oil spray. Then, preheat your grill between 325 degrees F to 350 degrees F and adjust the vents to maintain the temperature.
- Place the chicken on the grill with the skin-side up and close the lid. Grill for approximately 45minutes then flip the chicken and continue grilling with the skin-side down until the internal temp of the breast reaches 165 degrees F.
- Check periodically to make sure the skin of the chicken doesn't become overly charred to the point that it looks completely burnt. To prevent this from happening, move the chicken to the indirect heat section of your grill.
- During the last 30 seconds or minute, place half a lemon on the grill. Remove the chicken from the grill and the lemon and place on a clean platter or baking sheet. Squeeze the juice from the grilled lemon over the top of the chicken and allow the chicken to rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
Notes
- When grilling a whole chicken, it's best to spatchcock aka butterfly your bird, so it cooks faster.
- Before coating your chicken with the marinade, make sure you dry it thoroughly with paper towels.
- Season generously with kosher salt unless you're following a low sodium diet.
- Allow your bird to come to room temperature before placing it on the preheated grill.
- Always use an instant read meat thermometer to ensure that you do not overcook your chicken.
- To check the internal temperature of your chicken, always insert the meat thermometer into the thickest part of the breast when it registers to 165 degrees F, it's done.
- When the chicken is done and you remove it from the grill allow it to rest for 5 to 10 minutes to retain the juices.
- While you're in the grilling mood, why not grill up some veggies, like this 7 Minute Grilled Sugar Snap Pea Recipe or this Grilled Peppers Medley to make a complete meal. It only takes a few extra minutes.
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