If a quick and delicious BBQ chicken recipe is what you are after then look no further than this delicious spatchcock chicken - cooked in 30-40 minutes it's the perfect Sunday arvo meal!
sponsored by Ted's Dry Rubs, Western Australia
Why This Dish Is A Winner
- the kid will LOVE it
- full of flavour
- 100% homemade
- feeds a crowd
We are always looking for those "unicorn" meals. You know, the one where you as a parent love it and your child requests it too! Well, this BBQ chicken alongside my beef cheek ragu are 2 of such dishes. The sweet rub from Teds has just the right balance of spicy and sweet that all kids love it! The creamy burrata mixed with basil, fresh tomatoes and some glazed balsamic is simply perfection! The best bit about it is my daughter wants to get stuck in and help make it too!
If you are feeding a family of 4 one BBQ chicken is perfect but you can just as easily make a second to feed 6-8ppl!
Spatchcock Chicken
For this BBQ chicken recipe I have gone with a whole chicken. I love the flavour you get from the meat on the bone but like many others, I don't always have 1.5hrs to roast or BBQ the chicken. A GREAT tip to speed up the process is to spatchcock a chicken.
This is the method you use when you cut out the spine of the chicken. Sounds a bit gross at first but it'll cut the cooking time in half and leave you with all the goodness of meat cooked on the bone - plus now you have the spine to make some delicious stock too 😉
To spatchcock a chicken you need 3 tools
- kitchen shears
- paper towel
- chopping board
- muscles - I know, I know I only said 3 things 😉
Simply pat the chicken dry, place the chicken breast-side down and then using the kitchen shears (they need to be strong/sharp) but down one side of the spine and then down the other side. This removes the spine easily! Next, where the breast bone starts there is a tiny piece of cartilage that if you slice it gently with a sharp knife you will separate the breast bone and your chicken will lie completely flat. Also known as scoring down the sternum. Place your chicken breast side up and push down with the palm of your hand and it'll flatten out nicely.
Pat your bird dry and apply Ted's "sweet" Dry Rub - see recipe below!
BBQ Chicken Alternatives
So, if you are under a serious time crunch, don't own kitchen shears or just can't be arsed spatchcocking a chicken then look would have it you can still eat delicious BBQ chicken!
- boneless thighs - taste delicious and cook in 10-12 minutes
- drumstricks - require a little more work to eat but who doesn't love a meat lollipop?
- chicken tenderloins are another quick to cook option
- steak works great with the spice rub and tomato burrata salad too - I recommend flank, flap, hangar or skirt personally
- Ted's sweet rub also works AMAZINGLY on pork so why not get some pork on your fork!
Tomato Burrata Salad
Simplicity at its best! I'm not sure there is a better partner for BBQ chicken than a simple tomato burrata salad!
What Is Burrata?
Burrata - for those of you wondering what the hell I'm on about is cheese. It's a super creamy, soft and moreish version of Mozzarella. Basically the shell/outside is mozzarella like but the inside is full of stracciatella. I know, I know - now you are wondering what stracciatella is? It's made from cow's milk and is basically made up of shreds of mozzarella mixed together with cream. Are you on the right track? Just imagine the most perfectly creamy cheese that loves to be laced with olive oil, salt, spices, balsamic and basil. How could you not want this with your BBQ chicken?
Making The Tomato Salad
No cooking involved! If that's not a win then what is?
Simply get your hands on a variety of fresh and juicy tomatoes, chop them up into whatever sized pieces you like. You can make the circular, in wedges and even different sizes. There are no rules!
Next, top the salad with plenty of oil, flaky sea salt, a drizzle of caramelized balsamic and some basil. Get hold of your burrata and place it on top. Either let the kids have fun and get them to cut up the burrata and watch it ooze out or if you are being "fancy" break it up (it'll be messy) and artfully place it on the tomatoes. Chuck a glug more oil and salt and find yourself some crusty bread 😉
Ted's Dry Rubs
I was fortunate enough to discover Ted's Dry Rubs on Instagram one day. He is new to the rub game here in Australia but a veteran of the BBQ. Hailing from Kentucky, USA where you learn to BBQ before you walk you know you are on the right track!
There are 4 rubs in the range along with an S&P mix and I have used them all on things like fajitas, steak tacos, blackened fish tacos, spatchcock chicken, sprinkled over some roast veggies in the oven but best of all is a little sweet rub on your onions for a good old sausage sizzle 😉
Alternative Chicken Recipes
A fan of some BBQ chicken and need more in your life? Thought so! Here are a few other recipes on my site that range from fried, grilled, BBQ'd, smoked or even in a pie. Get inspired!
- Chicken Satay Sandwich
- Fried Chicken Slider w/ Pineapple Slaw
- Chicken Mushroom Pie
- Smoked Spatcock Chicken w/ Bourbon Peach Glaze
Check out these recipes or hit the homepage and search CHICKEN for many more alternatives
Happy Cooking & Happy Eating Friends
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken 1.5-1.8kg
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Ted’s “sweet” Dry Rub
Salad
- 1 kg mixed tomatoes
- 1 handful basil leaves
- 1-2 burrata
- olive oil
- balsamic reduction
- salt
- chili flakes
Essential Tools
- Chef Knives
- Chopping board
- BBQ
- tongs
- thermometer
Instructions
Chicken
- Heat BBQ to 180c setting up both direct & indirect zones
- Spatchcock your chicken by placing it breast side down and using kitchen shears cut along one side of the spine and then again along the other side (keep bone for stock!)
- Place the chicken breast side up and push down on the wings end and you will hear the wishbone break
- Drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil and sprinkle with Teds rub
- Place the chicken breast side up on indirect heat on the BBQ and cook for 30-40 minutes or until juices run clear/internal temperature is 73c
- Flip and cook breast side down on direct heat for 3-4 minutes to char the skin (you can skip this step if you are worried about it sticking or burning and just continue on indirect heat)
- Allow to rest while you prepare the salad
Salad
- Slice the tomatoes – you can cut them in ½, into wedges or whatever shape takes your fancy!
- Place the tomatoes “artfully” on a plate, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle generously with salt and a pinch of chilli flakes
- Place basil leaves around the tomatoes and break up the burrata around the salad – it’ll be messy!
- Finish with a drizzle of balsamic reduction and serve
- Alternatively – chuck it all into a salad bowl and toss to combine 😉
Notes
Tips/Tricks
- if you can’t spatchcock your chicken you can ask your butcher to do so or use another cut of the chicken-like legs, thighs or drumsticks. Cooking times will vary
- when adding the rub to your chicken sprinkle from a height for even coating
- ALWAYS rest your meat before carving to allow the juices to redistribute leaving the meat moister!
- don’t have a BBQ – you can cook this chicken in the oven
Leave a Reply