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Recipe · Direct · Medium

Honey-Rosemary Glazed Grilled Quail

Quail spatchcocked and seared over direct heat in the kamado, lacquered with honey, soy and rosemary: crisp skin, juicy meat and a taste of small game ready in minutes.

Quick answer

Spatchcock the quail and grill over high direct heat (240-260 °C) on the kamado, skin-side down first, 4-5 minutes per side. Brush on the honey, soy and rosemary glaze in the final 2-3 minutes so it caramelizes without burning. Done in 12-15 minutes, juicy and lacquered, at 74 °C in the breast.

Codornices abiertas en mariposa y laqueadas con miel y romero, doradas sobre la parrilla de hierro fundido de un kamado cerámico humeante.Save to Pinterest
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Prep
25 min
Cook
15 min
Servings
4 servings
Temperature
250 °C

Ingredients

  • whole quail, spatchcocked8 ud
  • honey (rosemary or wildflower)3 cda
  • soy sauce2 cda
  • extra virgin olive oil3 cda
  • sprigs of fresh rosemary2 ud
  • garlic cloves, sliced2 ud
  • lemon (juice and zest)1 ud
  • flaky salt and freshly ground black pepper1 pizca

Method

  1. 01

    Spatchcock and marinate

    With kitchen shears, cut down both sides of each quail's backbone, remove it and flatten the bird by pressing on the breast. Pat dry and rub with the oil, garlic, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Marinate 20-30 minutes at room temperature while you light the kamado.

  2. 02

    Make the glaze

    In a small pan warm the honey with the soy, lemon juice and the chopped leaves of one rosemary sprig. Bring to a gentle simmer for 1-2 minutes until slightly syrupy, then set aside. It should be pourable but with body, ready to brush.

  3. 03

    Fire up the kamado

    Set up the kamado for direct cooking, no deflector, and stabilize the dome between 240 and 260 °C. Fit the cast-iron grate and let it heat for a few minutes until properly hot; oil it lightly just before grilling.

  4. 04

    Grill skin-side down

    Lay the flattened quail skin-side down and grill 4-5 minutes, until the skin is marked and the fat renders. If fat triggers a flare-up, slide the bird to a cooler spot for a few seconds. Flip them once the skin is golden and crisp.

  5. 05

    Flip and glaze

    Flip them and brush the glaze over the skin. Repeat every 30-40 seconds in thin coats over the last 2-3 minutes, letting each layer caramelize before the next. Pull them when the breast reads 74 °C or the juices run clear; 12-15 minutes total.

  6. 06

    Rest and serve

    Rest the quail 3-4 minutes on a warm board so the juices settle. Brush a final coat of glaze, scatter a few fresh rosemary leaves and flaky salt, and serve with lemon wedges. Best eaten with your hands.

About this recipe

Quail is the grill's best-kept secret: a delicate small-game bird with fine meat and a deeper flavor than chicken, cooked in a fraction of the time. Spatchcocked and run over the kamado's direct fire, it becomes a luxurious starter that barely makes a mess and impresses any table.

Removing the backbone and flattening the bird brings the whole piece to the same height over the grate. The skin gets full contact with the heat and turns crisp, while breast and thighs cook at the same pace. On a bird this small those few seconds of difference separate juicy from dry: spatchcocking erases them and lets you grill hot without overshooting.

Honey, soy and rosemary make a sweet-savory glaze that caramelizes on the skin and leaves it glossy. The sugar in honey scorches easily, so it goes on at the end, in the last two or three minutes and in thin coats: each brushstroke sets before the next. The result is an aromatic lacquer, not a black crust.

In 30 seconds

Spatchcocked quail over high direct heat (240-260 °C). Skin down 4-5 min, flip, glaze with honey-soy-rosemary the last 2-3 min. Pull at 74 °C in the breast, rest and serve. 12-15 min total.

Editor's tips

  • Honey sugar scorches fast: glaze only at the end and, if it darkens too much, move the bird to a cooler spot for a few seconds.
  • Pat the skin very dry before grilling and rub with a thread of oil: moisture is the enemy of crisp skin.
  • These are tiny birds that overcook in a flash. Use an instant-read thermometer or touch and pull them at 72-74 °C in the breast: carryover heat does the rest.

Gear for this recipe

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FAQ

  • What temperature should you grill quail at in the kamado?

    Over high direct heat, with the dome between 240 and 260 °C. High heat crisps the skin and cooks the meat fast before it dries out, which is key on such a small bird.

  • How long does grilled quail take?

    Between 12 and 15 minutes total: about 4-5 minutes skin-side down and another 7-9 minutes on the other side, glazing at the end. They are done when the breast reads 74 °C.

  • Why spatchcock the quail?

    Because it brings the whole bird to the same height over the grate, so the skin browns fully and breast and thighs cook at the same time, avoiding dry or underdone parts.

  • Won't the honey glaze burn?

    Not if you apply it only in the last 2-3 minutes and in thin coats. The sugar needs little time to caramelize; added earlier, it turns black and bitter over direct heat.

  • What to serve with honey-glazed quail?

    They work as a sharing starter with bread, or as a main with escalivada, a bitter endive salad or potatoes roasted in the kamado itself. Lemon wedges cut the sweetness.

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