Smoked Spatchcock Chicken: Recipe and Cooking Tips

Smoking a spatchcock chicken involves cooking a whole spatchcocked (or butterflied) bird over indirect heat in a wood pellet smoker, charcoal grill, or electric smoker. Spatchcocking is a preparation method that involves removing the poultry’s backbone and breaking its breastbone, allowing it to lay flat as it cooks. This preparation method exposes more of the chicken’s skin to heat, ensuring an evenly cooked bird with extra-crispy skin.

Smoking a spatchcocked chicken over low, wood-fired heat yields a golden, crispy exterior and juicy, tender meat infused with a rich, smoky flavor.

Since different parts of the whole bird cook at different rates, an entire roast chicken often ends up with overcooked breast meat and undercooked dark meat. On the other hand, butterflying a whole chicken allows the meat to stay juicy because its thighs are exposed to more heat than usual. Follow these steps to properly spatchcock a chicken:

1. 1. Prepare the chicken. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels to make it easier to handle. Remove any giblets or water from the inside of the chicken. Set the bird breast-side down onto a large cutting board.
2. 2. Remove the backbone. Using a sharp knife, sharp kitchen scissors, or poultry shears, remove the chicken’s backbone. Starting from the tail end, cut all the way up one side of the backbone. Repeat this process on the other side of the chicken’s spine to remove its backbone.
3. 3. Break the breastbone. Flip the chicken over so that the breast side is facing up and the inside of the chicken is on the cutting board. Using the palm of your hand, press firmly down on the center of the breastbone. You should hear a crack from the breastbone breaking.
4. 4. Flatten the chicken. Press down on the chicken with your hands, arranging it to lie as flat as possible. If you like, use a sharp knife or kitchen shears to remove the chicken’s wingtips, which often burn during cooking. (Reserve for homemade chicken stock.) If you prefer, cover the wingtips with aluminum foil during cooking, or tuck them underneath the breasts.

Follow these simple tips for spatchcocked chicken success:

1. 1. Experiment with seasonings. Customize your smoked spatchcock chicken with the seasonings and sauces of your choice. Combine your favorite herbs and spices to make your own dry rub. Whip up a simple chicken marinade from pantry staples, or baste the breast with your favorite BBQ sauce 10 minutes before it’s done cooking.
2. 2. Switch up the wood chips. If you’re using a wood pellet smoker, experiment with different smoking wood chips to achieve variations in smoke flavor. Fruitier woods, like applewood and cherrywood, will infuse the meat with a milder flavor. More intense woods, like hickory, pecan, and mesquite, will result in distinctly smoky tastes. Learn more about smoking woods.
3. 3. Cook the meat properly. Overcooking your spatchcock chicken will make it dry and chewy. Monitor the meat’s temperature closely as it cooks, periodically checking it with a meat thermometer. Remove the smoked chicken from the pellet grill when its internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit (or even slightly before that point). Smoking times will vary based on your grill model, the size of the chicken, and the exact temperature of the smoker.
4. 4. Rest the meat. Resting the poultry after cooking allows the juices to settle throughout the entire chicken, resulting in moist, flavorful meat.
5. 5. Store in an airtight container. Store leftover smoked chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Allow the chicken to cool for up to 2 hours before refrigerating the meat, which will discourage bacteria formation.