Whole spatchcock chicken on the kamado, even crispy skin

Prep

20 min

Cook

60 min

Servings

4 servings

Temperature

180 °C

Ingredients

• whole free-range chicken, 1.5-1.7 kg1 ud
• coarse kosher salt (not fine)1 cda
• freshly ground black pepper1 cdita
• sweet Pimentón de la Vera (smoked paprika)1 cdita
• extra-virgin olive oil2 cda
• garlic cloves, crushed (skin on)4 dientes
• lemon (half to roast, half to serve)1 ud
• fresh thyme sprigs4 ramas
• flaky sea salt, Maldon-style (to finish)1 pizca

Method

1. 01

   Remove the backbone

   Lay the chicken breast-side down. With sturdy kitchen shears, cut along one side of the backbone, from tail to neck, then down the other side. Lift the whole backbone out (keep it for stock). It is the only technical part of the recipe and takes two minutes.

2. 02

   Flatten the butterfly

   Flip the chicken skin-side up and open both halves. Place your palm on the centre of the breast and press down firmly until you hear the breastbone give and the bird lies flat. Genuinely flat: if it stays domed, thigh and breast will cook at different rates again.

3. 03

   Dry-salt and dry the skin

   Pat the chicken dry on both sides. Season with coarse kosher salt all over: skin, back and crevices. Leave it uncovered on a rack for at least 1 hour at room temperature, better overnight in the fridge. The salt seasons deep and the skin dehydrates: that drying is what makes it crisp when it roasts.

4. 04

   Set deflector and stabilise 180°C

   Light the charcoal, set the deflector and the grate on top. Stabilise the kamado at 180°C with the bottom damper half open and the top vent a quarter. Wait until the temperature holds steady for 10 minutes. If you are smoking, add an apple or cherry chunk over the coals now.

5. 05

   Dress and load skin up

   Brush the chicken with olive oil, pepper and paprika. Tuck the crushed garlic, thyme and half lemon underneath. Lay the chicken on the grate skin side up and spread flat. Sink the probe into the thickest part of the breast, avoiding bone. Close the lid and leave it shut.

6. 06

   Roast at indirect heat

   Cook without touching the chicken. At 180°C indirect it takes 55 to 65 minutes. Pull when the breast reads 74°C internal and the thigh, at its thickest by the bone, reaches 82°C. If the skin browns too early, close the vents a notch; you never need to flip anything.

7. 07

   Rest and carve

   Move the chicken to a board and let it rest 10 minutes uncovered (covering it softens the skin). Carve by separating thighs and drumsticks, then cut each breast off the sternum and into thick slices. Finish with Maldon flakes, the roasted lemon squeezed over and the fresh half in wedges.

About this recipe

Editor's tips

• Drying the skin matters more than any last-minute trick. Salting it uncovered in the fridge overnight is what separates genuinely crackling skin from a leathery one. If you are pressed for time, at least 1 hour at room temperature and a thorough pat-down with paper before loading.
• Probe in two places, not one. The breast rules at 74°C, but the thigh needs 82°C for the collagen to soften so it is not rubbery by the bone. A two-channel probe (or an instant-read you stick in both spots) makes sure neither place comes up short.
• Don't bin the backbone: with the carcass, leftover garlic and lemon you have a homemade chicken stock in an hour. On the kamado it even picks up a smoky note you won't get from the kitchen hob.

Gear for this recipe

• MEATER+ wireless WiFi thermometer

  €99

• Big Green Egg ConvEGGtor plate setter (Large)

  €85

• Arcos Series 2900 Curved Semi-Flexible Boning Knife 140 mm

  €15

FAQ

• How do I butterfly a chicken by removing the backbone?+

  Lay the chicken breast-side down. With sturdy kitchen shears, cut along one side of the backbone, from tail to neck, then down the other side; lift the whole backbone out. Flip it over, open it like a book and press your palm on the breastbone until it gives and lies flat. Keep the backbone for stock. A boning knife works too, but shears are safer and faster.

• Why does spatchcock cook faster and more evenly?+

  Because it removes height. A trussed bird is a thick mass whose centre takes ages to reach temperature, so the surface overcooks waiting for it. Butterflied flat, all the meat sits at a similar height over the coals while hot air circulates underneath too: breast and thighs reach their target almost together, and the skin, now fully exposed, browns evenly instead of staying pale in the folds. You cut total time by roughly 25-30% versus a closed bird.

• At what internal temperature is the chicken done, and where do you measure?+

  Food safety calls for 74°C at the coldest spot, which on a chicken is the thickest part of the breast: that is where you sink the probe, avoiding bone. The thigh, richer in collagen, is better a touch higher, 80-82°C by the bone; that is why you measure both. Pull when the breast reads 74°C, as the rest still carries it up a couple of degrees. An instant-read or two-channel probe makes this trivial.

• Direct or indirect for crispy skin that doesn't burn?+

  Indirect, with a deflector, no debate. A whole chicken renders a lot of fat, and over direct heat it drips onto the coals, flares up and chars the skin before the meat is done. With the deflector in at 180°C, the skin dehydrates and browns gradually while the subcutaneous fat renders slowly: that is the real crackling mechanism. Even browning comes not from direct heat but from drying the skin well with the dry salt and holding a steady temperature. For extra colour, open the vents for the last 5 minutes.

• Do I need smoking chunks, or is it better with charcoal alone?+

  Good lump charcoal alone already gives you a complete roast: the chicken picks up a gentle live-fire backbone the oven can't, and the lemon, garlic and thyme carry the aroma. For a layer of smoke, go mild: a single apple or cherry chunk is enough. Avoid mesquite or hickory with chicken, too aggressive for such delicate meat and they turn it bitter. My everyday version is charcoal only; the apple chunk I save for guests.