Description
This Juicy Spatchcocked Grilled Lemon Chicken recipe features a whole chicken marinated in a zesty lemon, garlic, and herb mixture, then grilled to perfection. The spatchcock technique ensures even cooking and maximum crispiness, resulting in tender, flavorful chicken with crispy skin. Perfect for a summer cookout or an impressive dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 1 whole chicken, 4-5 lb, giblets/neck removed
Marinade
- 1 whole lemon
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped dill
- 1/4 cup oregano leaves
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Make the marinade. Using a sharp knife, cut the lemon into quarters and remove any visible seeds. Add the lemon quarters to a food processor with olive oil, garlic, Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, Aleppo pepper, chopped dill, oregano leaves, kosher salt, and ground black pepper. Blend until mostly smooth without large chunks.
- Spatchcock the chicken. Remove the chicken from packaging, discard any giblets and neck. Pat dry with paper towels. Place the chicken breast-side down on a cutting board and cut along one side of the spine using kitchen shears. Repeat on the other side to remove the spine. Flip chicken so breasts face upward and legs outward, then press down on the breastbone until you hear a crack and the chicken lies flat. Transfer to a large baking dish.
- Marinate the chicken. Pour the marinade evenly over the chicken, spreading it with your hands including underneath. Cover and refrigerate uncovered for at least 2 hours, up to 8 hours. Remove from fridge 1 hour before grilling to come to room temperature. Season outside with additional salt and pepper.
- Prep and preheat the grill. Preheat grill to medium heat using half the burners. Clean grates and lightly grease them. Remove chicken from marinade and shake off excess. Place chicken breast-side up on unlit side of grill, close to the heat but not directly over it.
- Grill the chicken. Close lid and grill for 1 hour, turning 180 degrees every 15 minutes until the thickest part reaches 165 F. Flip chicken skin-side down over direct heat for 3-5 minutes to crisp skin. Remove from grill and squeeze fresh lemon juice over the top. Let rest for 15 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- Use a meat thermometer to ensure the chicken is perfectly cooked and safe to eat.
- Marinating overnight enhances flavor but do not exceed 8 hours to avoid texture issues.
- If you don’t have a grill, this recipe can be adapted for oven baking at 400 F for about 1 hour 15 minutes.
- Use kitchen shears instead of a knife for easier spatchcocking.
- Resting the chicken before slicing keeps it juicy.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 400 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 22 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 3 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
