Want to try a whole chicken today. Not on a beer cans stand, but laying down on back.

johnnyringo

Looking for input as this will be my first real cook. 
Any and all help appreciated.
Thanks, JR

Kitarkus

still one of my favorite cooks is whole bird.  I buy smaller birds (personally) about 4 lbs.   Unwrap and take your kitchen shears....cut the back bone out with two cuts along both/either side of the spine and throw this long narrow back bone away.  This allows you to 'flatten' the bird by pressing firmly with your palm between the breasts (search 'spatchcock' to see what I am referring to).  Wallah...you have a flattened "spatchcock" bird.  Season as desired.  Get your egg to the 350 to 375 range +/- and place bird bone side down....let it go for approx 30 minutes and flip over to skin side down.  Cook another 15-30 minutes until done.  Be careful when flipping it over so as not to tear the legs/thighs off the bird.  I often use two instruments to keep it stable for the flip.

I often purposefully place the bird's white meat at the less hot area(s) of the grate while leaving the dark bits over the hotter areas (where possible...no worries).  When I first started doing this and was less confident...I did this using the platesetter for indirect.  I now do this direct only...don't be freaked out...just keep your temps 350-400 degrees and don't worry.  The whole cook should take you approx. 1 hour or a bit less +/-.  

This is now my 'typical' chicken cooking method for whole bird and I've found no better results with any other method.  Don't get caught up following everything that I've said exactly...this is a very forgiving cook.  Just don't let the temps run up beyond 425.  The hotter side of my range will cook this faster (obviously) and the lower temps longer.  Remember that your white bits and dark bits require slightly differing cooked temps...and that your dark meat will be more forgiving than the breast meat.

TN_Voleggteer

I spatchcocked by first chicken last weekend. Agree with all of Kitarkus’ comments. I went indirect at 275 for two hours. Turned out great! 

I’m going to try more direct cooks soon, but most of mine have been indirect.