Grilled Half Chicken
Grilled Half Chicken is a time saving, budget friendly dinner option that must-be added to you meal plan this week. Brined whole chickens are cut in half and grilled with a tasty dry rub for juicy and flavorful chicken.
Add even more flavor to your grilled chicken with this Spicy Chicken Brine. We used half of this chicken to make Mexican Chicken Cornbread, which was a huge hit for dinner. It also makes great chicken tacos, bbq chicken sandwiches, soups and casseroles.
Ingredients for Chicken Brine:
- Water
- Ice
- Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper
- Fresh Garlic Cloves
- Lemon
Ingredients for Grilled Half Chicken:
- Whole Chicken
- Olive Oil
- Brown Sugar
- Granulated Garlic
- Chili Powder
- Dried Thyme
- Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper
- Smoked Paprika
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How to Grill Half Chicken:
- In a large pan or bowl, combine warm water with kosher salt until salt is dissolved. Add ice cubes to cool down the water. Whisk in black pepper, sliced garlic cloves and squeeze lemon and add the rind into the brine.
- Lower chicken into brine, cover and refrigerate at least one hour and up to 4 hours.
- Drain chicken and discard brine. Pat dry with a paper towel and place on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Using poultry shears, cut down the breast bone and the back bone, cutting the chicken in half. The backbone can be removed if desired. We left it intact because we debone the chicken and use the carcasses to make homemade chicken broth.
- Spray chicken halves with olive oil on both sides.
- Combine the dry rub ingredients together in a bowl: brown sugar, garlic, chili powder, thyme, kosher salt, black pepper and smoked paprika.
- Sprinkle over chicken on both sides.
- Grill chicken over indirect fire at about 325° with the grill closed, about 45 minutes. Check with a digital thermometer cooking until internal temperature reaches 165° near the thick part of the thigh.
- Remove from grill and allow chicken to rest about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Chicken can be carved and served with grilled ranch potatoes and grilled garlic bread for a complete meal.
Meal Prep Tips:
Chicken can also be deboned and chopped or shredded to meal prep for the week ahead. We often cook 2 chickens at once so that we can make easy dinners throughout the week.
Store grilled chicken in airtight deli containers in the refrigerator up to 4 days or in the freezer up to 3 months. It’s a real time saver for busy weeknights.
More Grilled Chicken Recipes:
- Smoked Chicken with Rosemary Mustard BBQ Sauce is an epic chicken dinner that is impossible to beat.
- Pecan BBQ Chicken is a grilled half chicken slathered in a sweet and savory pecan bbq sauce. It’s a family-friendly meal that everyone will love.
- Apple Cider Smoked Chicken is a great meal for fall entertaining and get togethers with friends. The apple cider marinade adds incredible flavor to the hardwood smoked chicken.
- Smoked Balsamic Chicken is crazy-delicious with tons of flavor from the hardwood smoke and balsamic glaze.
Save time cooking dinner this week by adding a couple of Grilled Half Chickens to the menu. This recipe has unlimited meal possibilities, it’s budget friendly and a real family pleaser.
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Grilled Half Chicken
Ingredients
for the brine:
- 4 quarts warm water
- 1 cup kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons coarse ground black pepper
- 2 garlic cloves sliced in half
- 1 whole lemon
for the chicken:
- 1 whole chicken
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions
- In a large pan or bowl, combine warm water with kosher salt until salt is dissolved. Add ice cubes to cool down the water. Whisk in black pepper, sliced garlic cloves and squeeze lemon and add the rind into the brine.
- Lower chicken into brine, cover and refrigerate at least one hour and up to 4 hours.
- Drain chicken and discard brine. Pat dry with a paper towel and place on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Using poultry shears, cut down the breast bone and the back bone, cutting the chicken in half. The backbone can be removed if desired. We left it intact because we debone the chicken and use the carcasses to make homemade chicken broth.
- Prepare a grill fire to about 325° using hickory or pecan for smoke flavor.
- Spray chicken halves with olive oil on both sides.
- Combine the dry rub ingredients together in a bowl: brown sugar, garlic, chili powder, thyme, kosher salt, black pepper and smoked paprika.
- Sprinkle over chicken on both sides.
- Grill chicken over indirect fire with the grill closed, about 45 minutes. Check with a digital thermometer cooking until internal temperature reaches 165° near the thick part of the thigh.
- Remove from grill and allow chicken to rest about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
Nutrition
What are the amounts for the rub????