Juicy, flavorful and cooked in about an hour, this spatchocked Traeger chicken will soon be on your family’s weekly dinner rotation. Simply seasoned with a flavorful salt-and-pepper rub, the resulting meat is perfect for sandwiches, salads and any number of dishes that call for chicken!
CHICKEN ON THE TRAEGER
Cooking chicken on the Traeger is a right of passage for new Traeger owners. Often one of the most recommended first cooks for new Traeger owners, a whole roasted chicken on the Traeger is juicy, tender and full of flavor. And best of all, it is done in 75-90 minutes. Perfect for a weeknight meal with your family.
When you cook a whole chicken that has been spatchcocked, you have an even faster cook for a weeknight dinner for your family.
WHAT IS SPATCHCOCKING?
Spatchcocked chicken is a funny term for a simple step that will expedite dinner on the table. By using sharp and heavy-duty kitchen shears to cut the backbone from the bird, you change the shape of the bird (more flat than how it was previously round), increase the surface area and allow the chicken to cook more evenly. The result is even juicier and more delicious chicken that cooks up an about an hour.
HOW TO SPATCHCOCK
In order to spatchcock a chicken, you need a pair of heavy duty kitchen shears, a cutting board and some brute strength. Using the shears, cut the backbone out of the chicken by snipping along the edge of the backbone on either side. The result will be a strip of chicken (mostly bones) about 1.5″ wide that runs from the neck to the tail. That piece is removed entirely (you can use it for stock or soup if you desire) and your chicken is then ready to be flattened.
Then, flip the chicken over on the cutting board (cut side down) and using your brute strength, push down on the breasts with your palms until the breast bone cracks. You want the chicken to be as even in thickness as possible, which will give you the best results.
PRIMARY INGREDIENTS
- Whole chicken
- Hot sauce binder (we used Traeger Original Hot Sauce)
- Seasoning of your choice (we used Traeger Anything Rub)
WHY COOKING SPATCHCOCKED CHICKEN ON THE TRAEGER WORKS
Traeger chicken is an old standard. It’s one of the dishes that Traeger lovers recommend cooking first when you get a grill– the results are delicious, juicy and quick and become a great starting point for lots of memorable dinners on the Traeger.
By spatchcocking a chicken (cutting out its backbone and pressing it flat), you are increasing the surface area of the bird, making the meat more evenly-thick throughout and providing the chicken the opportunity to be cooked more quickly and evenly while in the Traeger.
Once you’ve given a whole Traeger chicken a whirl, give a spatchcocked version a try and you’ll love the result.
STEP-BY-STEP
- Preheat your Traeger grill to 325*.
- Unwrap the chicken and pat it dry with a paper towel.
- On a big cutting board, flip the chicken breast side down so that the neck/spine is facing up.
- Using a set of sharp kitchen shears, clip through the chicken carcass on either side of the spine (about 1.5″ apart), to remove the backbone.
- Flip the chicken over again and press down with both palms on the breasts, breaking the breastbone.
- Press the chicken until fairly even.
- Rub the chicken all over with hot sauce binder.
- Then season the chicken generously with rub, being sure to get under the wing folds and on the cut side.
- Place the chicken in the center of the preheated grill and insert a Meater thermometer probe in the thickest part of the breast.
- Pair the thermometer with the app and set a desired temperature of 165*.
- Roast the chicken in the grill until the temperature of the breast hits 165– about 60 minutes.
- Pull the chicken from the grill and tent loosely with foil while resting on a cutting board.
- Using a sharp knife, carve the chicken into individual pieces and slice the breast meat to serve.
ALTERNATE RECIPES/PRODUCT LINKS
- Traeger grilled lemonade chicken
- Maple-mustard chicken thighs
- Chicken tinga tacos
- Roasted chicken with garlic, lemon and chiles
- There’s also a great recipe for a spatchcocked chicken in my cookbook (the cover dish!) which you can pick up here
Products used in this cook:
- Traeger Ironwood XL Grill
- Messermeister Kitchen Shears
- Meater Thermometer, which is now integrated with the new Traeger grills for ease of use. Some of the features I love about the Meater:
- Longer Range: Bluetooth to WiFi range extension built-in up to 165ft.
- Stand-Alone Mode: Cook without the use of your smart phone.
- Multiple Probes: Dual temperature sensors in each probe can monitor internal meat temperature up to 212°F and ambient / external temperature up to 527°F simultaneously.
- Guided Cook System: Walks you through every step of the cooking process to guarantee perfect and consistent results. You can also set up custom alerts / notifications based on temperature and/or time.
- Advanced Estimator Algorithm: Estimates how long to cook and rest your food to help plan your meal and manage your time.
Did you make this recipe?
I’d love to know how it turned out!
Leave a review below or snap a photo,
share it on Instagram and tag me at @ThisJewCanQue
Spatchcocked Traeger Chicken
Equipment
- Traeger Ironwood XL Grill
- Messermeister Kitchen Shears
- Meater thermometer
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken (about 3-5 pounds)
- 1/2 cup hot sauce binder we used Traeger Original Hot Sauce
- 1/2 cup seasoning of your choice we used Traeger Anything Rub
Instructions
- Preheat your Traeger grill to 325*.
- Unwrap the chicken and pat it dry with a paper towel.
- On a big cutting board, flip the chicken breast side down so that the neck/spine is facing up.
- Using a set of sharp kitchen shears, clip through the chicken carcass on either side of the spine (about 1.5″ apart), to remove the backbone.
- Flip the chicken over again and press down with both palms on the breasts, breaking the breastbone.
- Press the chicken until fairly even.
- Rub the chicken all over with hot sauce binder.
- Then season the chicken generously with rub, being sure to get under the wing folds and on the cut side.
- Place the chicken in the center of the preheated grill and insert a Meater thermometer probe in the thickest part of the breast.
- Pair the thermometer with the app and set a desired temperature of 165*.
- Roast the chicken in the grill until the temperature of the breast hits 165– about 60 minutes.
- Pull the chicken from the grill and tent loosely with foil while resting on a cutting board.
- Using a sharp knife, carve the chicken into individual pieces and slice the breast meat to serve.
Leave a Reply