Whole Chicken

[SeanB]

How do you guys cook whole chicken on the grill? I have seen a few different techniques and want to see what you guys like to do.

[sharky]

This weekend I had some Beer Can Chicken courtesy of Roberts Meat Market and ON the Grill Radio here in Tampa. It was my first beer can chicken, and it tasted great!

I have also cooked spatch-cocked chicken (sp?) from Steve Reichlans How to Grill book. Vasically you cut out the rib bone and spread the chicken out flat on the grill, meat side up. You can use any number of seasonings, I used my regular chicken seasoning. it tasted great!!

[StPeteBBQ]

I liked the chicken I did on the rotisserie a couple of weeks ago ok... but I would have liked crispy skin which I did not get...

Spatchcocked chicken is probably the best way to achieve good results. The advantage of a butterflied chicken is that it lays flat on the grill and cooks more evenly, since all the meat is about the same thickness.

Beer can chicken is always good too, like Sharky says.

[SeanB]

I did a "beer can" chicken last weekend, but I used a coke can with some water and vinegar. (I guess technically I was just using the can as a vertical roaster.) It came out pretty good, but I had also soaked in brine overnight. I am going for the spatchcocked next (with no brine).

So we got the two I already knew about...anything else? :p


Oh and I don't think I am going to get a rotisserie going on the BGE. ;)

[StPeteBBQ]

Sean,

Have you ever heard of Tandoori Chicken? Tandoori chicken is cooked quickly with direct heat, not slowly with indirect heat. Tandoori chicken is made in Tandoor ovens. These are long, cylindrical clay ovens which produce an intense, direct heat of over 500 degrees F (how can you identify an Tandoor chef? The arm hairs are burned off). Tandoori chicken is skewered and thrust into this heat where it cooks quickly.

I thought you might be able to replicate this in the BGE...

Here is the complicated recipe. It's not that hard, just a lot of ingredients. It's worth it. This is from a closed Chicago restaurant called Bengal Lancers.

1 TB ground coriander
1 TB ground cumin
1 TB garlic powder
1 TB ground ginger
1 TB salt
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp red or orange food coloring (this is why the chicken is red in restaurants)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp red pepper
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp mace
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup yogurt
1 TB vinegar
1 TB vegetable oil
3 lb fryer or 3 lb legs and breasts
3 TB ghee (clarified butter) or butter
1/4 tsp saffron
1 TB ground mango power if you can get it
1 onion, cut into rings
lemon wedges

1. Mix all the ingredients except the chicken, ghee, saffron, mango power, onion rings, and lemon wedges. Set the paste aside.

2. Skin, wash, and clean the chicken. Pierce all over with a fork. Make deep cuts in the breasts. Rub the paste all over the chicken and refrigerate for 25 to 48 hours. While marinating, turn chicken pieces a few times and rub in paste gently.

3. One hour before cooking, remove chicken from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature. Start up the grill.

4. In a small saucepan, warm the ghee and add saffron. Set aside.

5. Start grilling the chicken, basting with the ghee/saffron mixture.

6. Continue until chicken is cooked and tender. Sprinkle with mango powder and serve with onion rings and lemon wedges. Makes about 4 servings.

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Now, personally, I have never had much luck quick-cooking chicken. But I know you have to be able to do it with the BGE, there are too many people doing it.

Anyway, give this a try if you want to tackle that ingredient list, and let us know how it turns out. Maybe we can do a version on the grill.

[SeanB]

Now StPete, that is something different and it is definatly not a problem holding 500+ on the Egg. We have most of the spices around here so I might just have to give this a try.

[sharky]

I think I am going to try Beer can chicken this weekend. I have some nice Heinekin Barrel cans that I think would fit perfectly.

Tandoori chicken is very good! I've had it in quite a few places. The BGE would be the perfect place to make it

[karstdiver]

SeanB, Go ask them at Ya Ya's. I did...
Here's what I do:
1. buy one or two small whole chickens
2. remove gibblets, rinse
3. soak in water and white vineger(optional) for an hour or so
4. light coating of olive oil or pam spray
5. sprinkle or rub rub (lowery's seasoned salt is quick)
4. place greased/pam'd rib rack on grate(gives some flare up room); place chicken on grate
5. cook at 330 to 350F 1.5 to 2 hrs until legs become easy to move; use thermo if any question
6. enjoy!

While the grill is cooking- add poked potatoes or water soaked in-the-husk-corn-on-the-cob