First time doing Spatchcock Chicken + beer reviews

SmokeandBeer

This is my second post and first time cooking chicken in the BGE and first time doing Spatchcock Chicken.

I read many recipes, mostly for the technique which I thought would be rocket-science, but is not. I was worried because the wife wanted beer-can chicken but I insisted on the spatchcock chicken because I think that the skin will come crispier than the beer-can recipe.

Thankfully it came out amazing: tender, juicy, smoky and just the right amount of seasoning. I used the Green Egg Nation app's recipe for Applewood Smoked Chicken Thighs for the dry rub.

The ingredientes used were the following:

• 2 tbs paprika
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp salt

I removed the backbone and had a hard time with the flimsy scissors I used, so I will be getting some pro scissors soon; you can follow any of a multitude of videos for the procedure which is really simple and once you do it, you'll get the hang of it.

Next, I added the rub to the chicken and went deep inside the skin folds and inside cavity and proceeded to light the BGE and prep it for direct heat cooking.







Once inside temp had stabilized at 350F I placed the chicken skin-side down with a closed lid.

This is the first beer I had while waiting for the 15 minute mark: 




Oskar Blues' Dale's Pale Ale is a great GoTo beer, it just hits the spot when you want great beer but don't want to take notes, just drink. It is my grilling beer, because I will not feel guilty if I finish it without noticing.

Here's a pic just after the 15 minute just after I turned it over and closed the lid. 






Many recipes will tell you to wait 35 to 40 minutes, but in my case it was closer to 30 for until the breast reached an internal temp of 165F and the thigh at 180F.

Here's a pic of the bird all done and ready to be covered for 10 minutes of resting:




While waiting and for dinner this is the next beer I drank:




This is the second beer, Yellow Rose from Lone Pint Brewery out of Texas. It is an IPA, but it tastes like the love child of an amazing ale and a funky IPA. It smells like grapefruit and pineapple, but tastes of cereals and toast, weird for an IPA, but amazingly it pulls it off for a great beer.

Here's a piece of the breast with sorta crispy finger-lickin' good skin. Notice the juices on the meat.




Here's a leg and what seems to be a tigh.




I cannot wait to try this recipe again and maybe a spatchcock turkey sometime soon.

The_Stache

Great looking cook!!!  Thanks for sharing and welcome!

Flat4

Bird looks great! Beer looks good also.. to bad I'm stuck at work this evening.

milesvdustin

Get you a pair of kuhn rikon scissors. 

mEGG_My_Day

Well done - That looks awesome. Sometimes I will inject a spatchcock chicken with beer - best of both worlds. 

SmokeandBeer

milesvdustin said:

Get you a pair of kuhn rikon scissors. 

Just looked them up. They look much better than mine. Will purchase.

smokeybreeze

After spatchcocking the chicken (removing the backbone and flattening), put the chicken in a pyrex dish (pie plate, 13x9, etc...) back in the refrigerator for another 2-3 days to let the skin dry out. Then rub with EVOO and your favorite steak rub. Bake 375*F 30 minutes each side, direct heat, and thank me later. MMM good. It's my lovely bride's favorite chicken (married 30 years this year).

JohnnyTarheel

Great looking bird brother....

pgprescott

Tender, juicy, and delicious! Well done indeed

lousubcap

Welcome aboard and enjoy the journey.  Above all, have fun.
Great post and chix result right there.  Congrats.  Nailed it.  

Foghorn

Great post.  Welcome aboard.

Hebs

Looks delicious.

I've always cooked mine at 400 on indirect heat. Guess I'm doing it wrong? It takes 45min to 1hr but the skin is extra dry and crispy but the meat is as moist as a rotisserie. 

shtgunal3

Great looking yardbird! I applaud you.

THEBuckeye

Spatch - the BGE rite of Passage! 

Mickey

Tossed the pro sissors years ago for a good heavy duty knife for both chicken and turkey. 
I never flip chicken or turkey. 
Yours turned out nice. 

Foghorn

@Hebs, it sounds like you're doing it exactly right.  Your results prove that.

There's just more than one way to get to the finish line on some of these cooks.

Mickey

Foghorn said:

@Hebs, it sounds like you're doing it exactly right.  Your results prove that.

There's just more than one way to get to the finish line on some of these cooks.

Thanks @Foghorn (i did come across as an ass in that). Let me put this another way: you can as well do this cook with-out flipping the bird (this really makes cooking snatched tutkeys easier). 
Your way works well as you can see. 

mlc2013

Welcome and you nailed it

HoustonEgger

Love that Yellow Rose IPA! Great cook too

evie1370

That looks really good sir! Spatchcock is the only way I will do a whole chicken on the BGE anymore. Quicker, and a far better result!

bluebird66

Great looking bird!

saluki2007

Strong work.  Nice choice of beers too.  Check our the What Are You Drinking Now thread.  Lots of good posts in there too.

KiterTodd

I just read it for the beer, and now I want a Yellow Rose Smash IPA! 

SmokeandBeer

saluki2007 said:

Strong work.  Nice choice of beers too.  Check our the What Are You Drinking Now thread.  Lots of good posts in there too.

Had no idea there was a beer thread! Will head there immediately

mlc2013

Im giving your way a whirl I normally do raised 475 and my skin never comes out crispy unless I use baking soda. I never leave it in the fridge for more then a day I can never plan that far in advance. This is what it looks like so far 30 min skin side down and 35 mins skin up and IT 150 breast 160 leg so I figure another 10-15 min should do it and it looks like i burnt my skin instead of getting crispy. Dome temp has been rock solid at 350

Theophan

SmokeandBeer said:

This is my second post and first time cooking chicken in the BGE and first time doing Spatchcock Chicken...

You did GREAT!  It just looks wonderful!

mlc2013

results were great a little charred skin but that is a plus on chicken in my book and nice and juicy. Thank you for your tips.