Smoked Spatchcock Chicken with Cherry Chipotle BBQ Sauce
On April 26, 2021 (Updated September 27, 2024)
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A Smoked Spatchcock Chicken is my favorite way to get maximum favor from my smoker while also achieving a perfectly and evenly cooked whole chicken. The Cherry Chipotle BBQ Sauce is just the magical icing on an already delicious cake.
Smoked Spatchcock Chicken
To make a spatchcock smoked chicken, you need three things. A grill or smoker set up for indirect heat with a light flavored wood smoke (I like using cherry, apple, or maple wood for this chicken), a chicken, and some super sharp kitchen shears.
Your smoker is going to provide the low and slow heat and flavorful wood smoke that you need to create a gorgeous chicken that just melts in your mouth. The sharp kitchen shears are there to cut out that pesky backbone that keep your chicken from laying flat on the grill and cooking evenly.
How to Spatchcock a Chicken
If you have never spatchcocked a chicken before, no fear! It’s super simple (and definitely easier than spatchcocking a turkey). Make sure you have quality, sharp kitchen shears. If you don’t, you may be able to muscle your way through the bones, but the skin will prove challenging.
- Begin cutting out the backbone. Flip the bird onto it’s breast with the bottom cavity facing toward you on a large cutting board. Use your shears to cut a straight line up the right side of the backbone, from the tail end to the neck. You may have to double hand the scissors when you are cutting through a couple of parts, but if your shears are sharp you can do it, no problem!
- Finish cutting up the other side of the backbone. Then repeat on the other side, tail to neck up the backbone.
- Lay the chicken flat. Discard the backbone (or better yet, save for stock!!) and flip the chicken back over. Separate the back and press the breast down until the chicken is laying nice and flat on your cutting board. Tuck the tips of the wings behind the shoulder so they don’t burn and turn out the legs so they are even. You did it!
How to Smoke a Spatchcock Chicken
Once you have your chicken spatchcocked, you’re ready to get it on the smoker.
Our next step to the perfect spatchcock smoked chicken is the seasoning. I like to rub my birds down with a little olive oil to help the seasoning stick and then layer on my famous Sweet Rub. It’s the perfect complement to smoked chicken, however you can use whatever BBQ seasoning you like. I do recommend something with a little brown sugar in it, because that helps develop a nice color on the chicken as it smokes.
You can’t have a spatchcock smoked chicken without the smoker, so get that bird on and let it roll. My 3-4 pound chicken took almost 5 hours at 225 degrees F, so be prepared to spend some time waiting. Like all good BBQ though, low and slow is the way and you learn to enjoy waiting.
Once your chicken is cooked to the right internal temperature, it’s time to hit it with the Cherry Chipotle BBQ Sauce! I make this stuff weekly, because my kids just can’t seem to get enough. To be honest, neither can I. We put it on everything from chickens to pulled pork to ribs and it complements all of them. I wrote out the full recipe in a separate post, so you can grab that and print it out HERE. If that sauce isn’t calling to you, feel free to substitute with another sauce of your choice. Either way, I hope you love your Spatchcock Smoked Chicken!
How Long to Smoke a Spatchcock Chicken
It takes approximately 4-6 hours to smoke a whole spatchcock chicken. Cook time varies from one chicken to another, and many variables (like size of the chicken, consistency of smoke temp, etc.) affect final smoke time.
This chicken is done with the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. If you haven’t yet, invest in a good internal thermometer (I like my ThermoWorks MK4 for quick readings) so you can keep an eye on the temperature. It’s always better to cook your meats to temperature instead of time. The beauty of a spatchcock smoked chicken is the even cooking you’re going to get from removing that backbone.
Often, when the birds were kept whole and roasted, the breasts had a tendency to dry out but not with a spatchcocked smoked chicken! The whole thing will cook evenly and be the juiciest, most melt in your mouth chicken you’ve ever had!
More Spatchcock Recipes
Now that you’re the master at spatchcocking poultry, check out these other spatchcock recipes!
Smoked Spatchcock Chicken Recipe
Smoked Spatchcock Chicken with Cherry Chipotle BBQ Sauce
Video
Ingredients
- 1 3-4 pound whole fryer chicken
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2-3 Tablespoons Signature Sweet Rub Recipe linked in notes.
- ½ cup Cherry Chipotle BBQ Sauce
Instructions
- Spatchcock the chicken. Place your chicken breast side down on a large cutting board. Using sharp kitchen shears, cut up both sides of the back bone, from tail to neck. Remove the backbone completely and turn the chicken over to the breast side. Carefully spread apart the back and press down gently on the breast until the bird lays nice and flat on your cutting board. Tuck the wing tips behind the back and adjust the legs until they are fairly symmetrical.
- Season the spatchcock chicken. Pat down your chicken with a paper towel and then drizzle with the olive oil. Rub all across the skin. Season your chicken all over with the sweet rub (even the back side!)
- Begin smoking. Preheat your smoker to 225 degrees F for indirect cooking with a light wood smoke. Place your chicken on the smoker and cook for 4-5 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 150 degrees F in both the breast and thigh meat.
- Sauce and finish smoking. Brush the chicken with the Cherry Chipotle BBQ Sauce (or sauce of your choice) and cook for an additional 25-30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
- Rest and serve. Let the chicken rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
**This post was originally published in July 2017. We recently updated it with more information and helpful tips. The recipe remains the same.
I brined my chicken then followed the recipe. Absolutely delicious (the carcass was picked clean). Spatchcocking the bird worked great on my pellet smoker and that rub and sauce were delicious. I will be making this again soon.