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A finished grilled spatchcock chicken rests atop a peach colored serving platter with fresh sprigs of rosemary and charred lemons surrounding the chicken. The platter sits atop a light gray and white linen table runner. Two glasses of wine, and place settings surround the chicken at center.

Tuscan-Style Grilled Spatchcock Chicken

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  • Author: Jess Larson
  • Prep Time: 40 minutes
  • Overnight Brine: 12 hours
  • Cook Time: 60 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Yield: serves 4-6 1x
  • Category: Main Dishes, Chicken Recipes
  • Method: Grilling & Smoking
  • Cuisine: Tuscan, Italian, American
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Description

If there’s one thing you learn to grill this summer, make it grilled whole chicken. If you’re new to grilling, this may seem intimidating but trust me – it’s a lot simpler than it sounds. The grill does all the work!

There are 3 secrets to the perfect grilled whole chicken. You have to spatchcock it, soak it in a delicious brine or marinade (in this case, both!), & slowly cook it with 2-zone grilling.

This particular grilled spatchcocked chicken (butterflied chicken) is inspired by Tuscany, a region in central Italy famous for its grill-loving & meat-loving food culture. Soak the chicken in a garlic & rosemary-infused buttermilk brine to ensure the meat is super tender & seasoned all throughout, then rub it down with a Tuscan-inspired marinade made with plenty of rosemary, garlic, & bright lemon. 

The Tuscan grilled chicken cooks up perfectly thanks to 2-zone grilling. (Learn more here!) Simply let it cook gently & slowly with indirect heat until it’s just about cooked through, then finish it off over direct heat for crave-worthy char. Grilled spatchcock chicken cooks up perfectly every time – super tender & juicy throughout, with extra-delicious crispy skin. (For extra wow-factor, toss some lemons on the grill for serving!)

Tuscan grilled chicken is great for lazy summertime Sunday dinners & backyard entertaining alike. An easy, versatile, & always-satisfying grilled meal – the perfect way to kick off grilling season!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 (one) 4-5 pound whole chicken, spatchcocked
  • buttermilk brine (below)
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 2 lemons, zested & juiced
  • 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
  • 4 sprigs fresh rosemary, destemmed & finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1/2–1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flake (depending how spicy you like it)
  • kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season

for the buttermilk brine:

  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • 1 head garlic, halved crosswise
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt

Instructions

Chicken Prep: Spatchcocking is a poultry butchering technique in which the poultry’s spine is removed so the poultry lays completely flat during the cooking process, which facilitates faster & more even cooking. It’s the best way to grill whole chicken! While you can ask your butcher to spatchcock the chicken for you, it’s also very simple to do at home with a pair of sharp kitchen shears. I like to spatchcock chicken a day before I plan on grilling it, leaving the chicken to soak a buttermilk brine, which results in seriously juicy & flavorful grilled whole chicken. Here’s what you’ll do:

  1. Spatchcock the chicken: Use paper towel to pat chicken very dry. Place breast-side down on a large plastic cutting board. Using very sharp kitchen shears, carefully snip along each side of the backbone, until completely detached. With breast side of the chicken still facing down, use your hands to gently stretch open the rib cavity of the chicken. Place the heel of your knife at the center of the wishbone. Tap the spine of the knife with a rolling pin, until the wishbone snaps and the breastplate cracks. Flip the chicken so it lays flat, breast side facing up – you just spatchcocked a chicken! For grilled whole chicken, be sure to tuck the wing tips behind the breasts, as pictured, to ensure they don’t burn as the chicken cooks. For step-by-step photos & more tips & tricks, be sure to check out PWWB’s How to Spatchcock a Chicken tutorial post.Tuscan grilled chicken ingredients arranged on a creamy white textured surface: whole chicken, olive oil, lemons, garlic, fresh rosemary, dried oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, buttermilk, kosher salt, and ground black pepper. 
  2. Optional: Brine the chicken: Pour the buttermilk & salt in a large bowl, airtight container, or resealable bag. Whisk or mix to combine. Add in the smashed garlic & rosemary, if using. Add the spatchcocked chicken to the buttermilk mixture, submerging the chicken as much as possible. Cover or seal, then transfer to the refrigerator to brine for up to 24 hours.A whole chicken is submerged in a shallow serving dish filled with buttermilk, salt, garlic, and rosemary for brining. The dish rests atop a creamy white textured surface with two whole bulbs of garlic, a few loose garlic cloves, a small wooden pinch bowl filled with flaky salt, and a few loose sprigs of fresh rosemary surrounding.

Tuscan-Style Grilled Spatchcock Chicken:

  1. Mix the Tuscan marinade: Add the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, rosemary, oregano, & red pepper flake to a small bowl or jar. Stir to combine and set aside, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. [gallery columns="2" size="full" ids="29789,29790"]
  2. Marinate the chicken: At least 60 minutes before grilling, take the chicken out of the refrigerator & remove from the brine. Use paper towel to pat the chicken as dry as possible. Place the chicken breast-side up on a large plate or baking sheet. Massage the Tuscan marinade all over the chicken, using your hands to work the marinade between the skin & meat. Season the surface of the chicken liberally with kosher salt & ground black pepper. Set aside to marinate. If marinating longer than 1 hour, be sure to cover the chicken & set it in the refrigerator. The chicken can soak up the Tuscan marinade for up to 48 hours. How to make grilled spatchcock chicken, step 2: marinate the chicken. A whole chicken rests atop a small gold baking dish. The chicken has been spatchcocked to lay flat & is arranged breast-side up on the baking sheet. A Tuscan marinade has been rubbed all over the chicken to be prepped for grilling. The baking sheet sits atop a creamy white textured surface with a bulb of garlic with loose garlic cloves, a discarded half of a zested & juice lemon, a few loose sprigs of fresh rosemary, a small wooden pinch bowl filled with flaky salt, and a small ceramic pinch bowl filled with ground black pepper surround the marinated chicken at center.
  3. Preheat the grill: Prepare your grill for indirect cooking, creating a zone of direct high heat & a second zone of indirect heat. If using a gas grill, begin preheating at least 15 minutes before grilling. If using charcoal, light the charcoal at least 30 minutes prior to grilling. (To learn more about zone grilling, be sure to check out this post.)A woman's hand shown above an open Weber Genesis II, prepared for indirect heat grilling with one side of burners all the way open and the other side shut.
  4. Grill the Tuscan-style spatchcock chicken: Place the chicken on the indirect heat side of the grill, breast side up, as close to the fire as possible without being over the direct heat. Close the grill lid. Cook the chicken, stopping to rotate it 180 degrees every 15 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast (without hitting the bone) registers a temperature of 160 degrees F. Depending on the size of your chicken & the temperature of your grill, this could take as little as 30 minutes or up to 1 hour. [gallery columns="2" size="full" ids="19017,19019"]
  5. Finish the chicken over direct heat for charred & crispy skin: Move the chicken over direct heat, carefully flipping it such that its skin side is down & comes in direct contact with the grill grates. Cook 2-3 minutes longer, until the chicken skin is crispy & charred as desired.How to grill whole chicken, Step 7: Spatchcocked/butterflied chicken on grill grates, grilling in a direct heat zone of Weber Genesis II grill.
  6. Rest the grilled spatchcock chicken: Remove the Tuscan-style chicken from the grill. Transfer to a large plate & set aside to rest for 5-10 minutes. Carryover heat will cause the internal temperature to continue to rise as it rests. The chicken is be ready to serve once an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the chicken (without hitting the bone) registers a temperature of 165 degrees F.A finished tuscan grilled chicken rests atop a peach colored serving platter with fresh sprigs of rosemary and charred lemons surrounding the chicken. The platter sits atop a light gray linen table cloth.
  7. Serve: Carve the chicken as desired & serve immediately, along with whatever summery sides you love most – grilled veggies, a simple green salad, summery pasta salad, potato salad, etc. Enjoy!A finished and grilled spatchcock chicken rests atop a peach colored serving platter with fresh sprigs of rosemary and charred lemons surrounding the chicken. The platter sits atop a light gray and white linen table runner. Two glasses of wine, a white wine bottle, slices of fresh bread, and place settings surround the chicken at center.

Equipment

Notes

  • Buttermilk brine: Brining the chicken in buttermilk not only helps tenderize the chicken, it also ensures the chicken is super flavorful + well-seasoned throughout & stays really moist & juicy once cooked. Whenever the chicken is going to be the star of a meal, I always like to take the extra time to brine it. It makes an especially big difference when you cook the chicken whole, like grilled spatchcock chicken. A few things to consider: 
    • Homemade buttermilk: If you do not have buttermilk on hand, you can make a quick substitute for this buttermilk brine by adding 2 tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice to 2 scant cups of milk. Stir to combine & let the mixture sit for a minute to thicken slightly.
    • Brining liquid alternative: If you don’t want to use buttermilk to brine the chicken, beer is an awesome substitute. Beer brined chicken is simply the best! Even if you don’t love the flavor of beer or you’re not typically a beer drinker, a beer brine adds rich, earthy flavor to chicken that’s pretty hard to beat. For the best flavor, use a big, hoppy beer such as an IPA.
  • Storage & Reheating: Leftover Tuscan grilled chicken will keep, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave until warmed through. Once you’ve enjoyed all of the chicken, sure to hang on to the grilled chicken carcass to make homemade chicken stock or broth!
  • 25-Minute Meal Prep: While grilled spatchcock chicken makes for a great kitchen project over the weekend, there are a couple of things you can prep ahead of time to eliminate almost all active prep at dinnertime:
    • Spatchcock the chicken & brine in buttermilk according to Chicken Prep Steps 1-2, above, up to 3 days ahead of time. Store, covered in a large airtight container, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. (15 minutes active prep)
    • Prepare the Tuscan marinade according to Step 1 of Recipe Directions, above. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. (10 minutes active prep)

Find it online: https://playswellwithbutter.com/tuscan-grilled-chicken/