Grilled Garlic and Herb Spatchcock Chicken is seasoned with a paste made from fresh herbs and loads of garlic spread all over the surface and under the skin, then grilled to perfection. Requires no marinating but can be prepared ahead. Phenomenally delicious!
Remove the chicken giblets. Pat the outside dry. Place the chicken on a cutting board or large baking sheet (which is what I use), breast side down. Using a pair of sharp kitchen scissors, cut closely along either side of the backbone. Remove the bone and save it along with the neck in the package of giblets for making stock. You can freeze it for when you need it. It’s a waste to discard it.
Turn the chicken over so the breast is now facing up. You can place a paper towel underneath the chicken to keep it from slipping. Press down firmly on the breast to flatten the chicken. You should hear a crack.
To make the paste:
Add garlic, sage, oregano, thyme, salt, and red pepper in the bowl of a food processor and process until it forms a thick paste.
Season the chicken:
Place the chicken breast side down and drizzle oil all over. Season generously with some kosher salt. Flip the chicken over and drizzle with oil. Rub it all around the chicken. Take the paste and rub it all over the top of the chicken getting into every nook. Don’t rub it on the underside. Separate the skin from the breast and thigh and rub the paste inside for an explosion of flavor.
To grill:
Prepare the grill at medium heat.
Place chicken on the hot grill breast side down and grill, covered, for 10 - 15 minutes. It should be nice and charred at this point. If not, cook 5 minutes longer. Flip chicken over and cook covered for another 15 minutes. Use a thermometer inserted into thickest part of the breast to check temp. It should register at 160 degrees. You may need to cook it 5 minutes - 10 longer depending on the size of your chicken.
Transfer chicken onto a platter and let it rest for 10 minutes. Squeeze the lemon over before serving. Enjoy.
Notes
You can eyeball the measurements for the fresh herbs. I grab a small handful and throw it in the food processor.Can substitute the fresh herbs for 1 teaspoon of dried but I highly recommend using fresh.