spatchcock chicken & roast potatoes cooked on the Weber Genesis II BBQ
Angela Slater
19 June 2023
Daughter of a farmer and market gardener so have always had a connection with the outdoors, whether it was keeping animals or producing fruit, vegetables and cut flowers. Along with my work at Hayes Garden World I also have a smallholding, mainly breeding rare breed pigs. I gained an HND and BSc in Conservation and Environmental Land Management, as a result I am an ardent environmentalist and have a keen interest in environmentally friendly gardening. In my time at Hayes I worked for several years in the Outdoor Plant and Houseplant areas

How do I cook a spatchcock chicken on the Weber Genesis 11 BBQ?

Enjoy the juiciest chicken quickly and simply roasted on the BBQ

This is a really simple recipe for a straightforward roast chicken with roasted potatoes. The chicken has been spatchcocked (flattened) so that it cooks quicker and more evenly. Richard Holden, a top UK BBQ chef, takes you through the steps to removing the backbone and flattening the chicken in the video. The only essential tools you will need are a really good, large sharp knife and an Instant Read Thermometer.

 

 

Ingredients

  • whole chicken
  • baby potatoes
  • Maldon sea salt
  • ground black pepper
  • rapeseed oil

All you need to do is follow Richard’s instructions for removing the backbone, rub the chicken with the rapeseed oil and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Place the potatoes in the bowl with some oil and sea salt and mix them around until they are all coated.

Set the BBQ up for indirect cooking, we have lit the 2 outside burners on fairly high and left the centre burner unlit. Let the BBQ come to about 200C (392F) then place the chicken and potatoes straight onto the grate over the unlit burner. You can place a Weber large Foil Drip Pan underneath the chicken to catch the juices if required.

The temperature will drop when you open the lid but don’t be tempted to turn up the burners as once you close the lid it will climb back up again. Leave the chicken and potatoes to cook for about 50 minutes then check with the thermometer, check in several places, especially where the flesh is thickest. Once the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 75C (167F) it is ready to come off. Remember the slogan ’75 staying alive’. Taking the chicken off at the correct temperature and cooking outside on the BBQ, which draws in the moist air, will guarantee really juicy, tender meat.

Spatchcock chicken and roast potatoes cooking on the Weber Genesis II BBQ

Head to our Events page by clicking here to see when we are holding our next BBQ demonstration in store. If you can’t make the demos from professional BBQ chefs then call into store and our enthusiastic, friendly, knowledgeable staff will be only too happy to discuss anything BBQ related. If you call in at the weekend we normally have something cooking on a BBQ or smoker.

(A survey by eti, Electronic Temperature Instruments Ltd, has concluded that the suggested cooking times for supermarket whole chickens are widely inaccurate leading to the customer spending an average of £44 too much on energy over the course of a year. This shows the importance of checking the internal temperature of the chicken with a temperature probe. The cooking times are an average of 43 minutes too long leading to the chicken being overcooked by 27C which results in tough dry meat.)

How to: How do I cook a spatchcock chicken on the Weber Genesis 11 BBQ?

This guide will give you tips on how to grill a spatchcock (flattened) chicken on the barbecue, all you need is a BBQ with a lid where you are able to control the temperature

How to prepare the chicken

Use a pair of poultry shears to remove the backbone of the chicken and press down so that the chicken is flat. Once you have done this rub with rapeseed oil, or a flavoured marinade of your choice, and season with salt and pepper.

How to prepare the barbecue

Before placing the chicken on the barbecue bring the temperature up to 200C. We used a gas BBQ with 3 burners and put the 2 outside burners on full and left the central burner unlit.

How to grill the chicken

Once the BBQ has reached temperature place the chicken over the unlit burner and cook with the lid down until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches a safe 75C, approximately 50 minutes. Use a digital temperature probe to check the temperature of the chicken. When you open the lid to place the chicken on the grill the temperature will drop, don't be tempted to turn up the burners as you then risk the chicken burning on the outside before the centre is cooked. Also don't be tempted to keep opening the lid to check, remember "if you're lookin' you 'ain't cookin'".

How to serve the chicken

You can cook baby roast potatoes and roast vegetable at the same time as the chicken, just coat in oil and place onto the grill in a vegetable basket. Once the chicken has reached the correct temperature take off the grill and leave on a wooden board, cover in tinfoil and a couple of folded tea-towels to keep warm. Leave for at least 10 minutes to rest then carve before serving.

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