How to Make Grilled Whole Chicken

Here is how to make the best grilled whole chicken recipe by spatchcocking it and grilling it to be incredibly juicy and flavorful. A game changer grilled chicken recipe!

Have you ever wanted to grill a whole chicken? But had no idea where to start? Well you have come to the right place because we are teaching you all of our tips and tricks (aka my husband’s tips) on how to get the most perfectly juicy, tender and flavorful chicken on the grill.

Spatchcocking your chicken is hands down the best way to grill it. You remove the spine, flatten out the chicken and it can cook faster and evenly on the whole. This is how we make it every single time and it always turns out perfect.

This is a great grilled chicken recipe that serves a crowd, doesn’t dirty up your entire kitchen. And you don’t need your oven. If you are like me and love having whole chicken over just chicken breasts or thighs or whatever, this will be your go-to in the warmer months. 

I will personally be making this WEEKLY over here until it’s too cold for my bones to stand outside and grill it. It’s a family and friend favorite and I hope you love it too!

What ingredients you need to grill a whole chicken:

• Chicken – we use organic/pasture-raised chicken most often. The chicken should be around 4 lbs or so for this recipe!
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Chili powder
• Paprika 
• Cayenne 
• Dijon mustard – the best addition to any marinade – so underrated too!
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Lemon

How to make a grilled whole chicken:

1. Mix the mustard, oil and lemon juice and mix together
2. Next mix together the spices in a small bowl and set aside
3. Please meat handling gloves on (I do this for safety purposes) and pat the whole chicken dry with paper towel
4. Using kitchen shears, cut the backbone out of the chicken. Start at the tail end, making cuts up to the neck along the spin. Complete this on both sides of the spine until it is fully removed
5. Make a cut with the shears in the middle of the breast plate (this will help the chicken lay flat). Depending on the chicken, you may need to make additional cuts near the thighs to help chicken lay flat as the goal is to ensure all parts of the chicken are laying flat to evenly cook
6. Brush the mustard mixture onto the chicken followed by the spices (rub into all areas of the chicken)
7. Preheat the grill to medium/high heat and lightly brush the grates with oil and lay the chicken skin side down and cook for 5 minutes to help crisp the skin
8. Flip over the chicken and bring the heat down to low and cook for 40-45 minutes (grill temp should be between 400-450 degrees – we use a 4 burner grill and 2 of the burners were set to low and 2 were medium)
9. Once cooked (165 degrees), remove chicken from grill and let it rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving

FAQs on making grilled whole chicken:

• How do I know if the chicken is done? Once it reaches 165 degrees (use a meat thermometer) your chicken is ready! And remember that after chicken is removed from grill, it continues to cook for another few minutes! Even out of the oven or off the grill.
• Why do I have to let the chicken rest before cutting? Just 5-10 minutes or so is all it needs. This makes the meat tender and juicy and it’s best to let the chicken settle a bit.
• How long does it take to grill a whole chicken? About 45 minutes or so on the grill.
• Do you flip the chicken while cooking? We just do that first time in the beginning and that’s it!
• How long does the grilled chicken stay good for? 5 days in the fridge in an airtight container.

A few other delicious chicken recipes to make:

One-Skillet Greek Chicken with Rice

Grilled Yogurt Marinated Chicken

How to Grill Chicken on the Stovetop (no grill needed)

Crispy Honey Garlic Chicken

Oven-Baked Crispy Chicken Wings (with yogurt sauce)

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