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Spatchcocked and Herbed Grilled Chicken with Crushed Olives

A great way to cook a whole chicken on a grill, ensuring well-cooked pieces and a wonderful presentation. Presented as part of eating seasonally and locally in Middleborough, MA. See notes below for helpful links, as well.
10 hours
CourseMain Course
CuisineAmerican
Keywordamerican food, american recipes, chicken, grill
Servings6

Ingredients

  • 1 3 1/2-4 lb chicken, backbones removed
  • Kosher salt
  • freshly ground pepper
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely grated
  • 2 tbsp Aleppo-style pepper
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped rosemary
  • ½ cup olive oil, divided
  • ½ cup Castelvetrano or other green olives, pitted, torn
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp chopped oregano
  • ¼ cup chopped parsley, plus leaves for serving

Instructions

  • At least 8 hours before you plan to cook the chicken (or better yet, a day or 2 before) spatchcock your chickens per this great tutorial on Bon Appetit (link in notes below). Season generously on all sides with salt and black pepper and keep in the refrigerator, uncovered, up to 2 days.
  • Leave the chicken on the counter for 1-2 hours to allow the chicken to come to room temperature before cooking. Immediately combine garlic, Aleppo pepper, rosemary, and ¼ cup oil in a small bowl and rub it all over the chicken.
  • Prepare a grill to have two heat zones: medium-high and indirect heat. Charcoal grills should have coals banked to one side, and for a gas grill, one or two burners can be left off.
  • Once hot, oil the grate over the indirect heat and set chickens, skin side down. Cover grill. If your grill has a vent, positioning the vent above the chicken draws the heat up and over the chicken for better cooking. Cook 15-20 minutes or until skins are lightly browned, rotating the chicken as needed to color evenly.
  • Turn chickens and continue to cook, covered, for around 20–25 more minutes until skins are deep golden brown and crisp and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of breasts registers 160°F. Transfer chickens to a cutting board and let it rest at least 10 minutes before carving.
  • Mix olives, lemon juice, oregano, chopped parsley, remaining ¼ cup oil, and any accumulated juices from chicken on the cutting board in a medium bowl. Season with salt.
  • To serve, arrange carved chickens on a platter and top with olive mixture and parsley leaves.

Notes

Chicken recipe adapted from Bon Appetit, which has a great visual, step-by-step for spatchcocking a chicken. For an indoor version, Bon Appetit has these recommendations. Also, plan to prepare/marinate the chicken at least 8 hours prior to cooking!
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