Rotisserie Chicken with a Buttermilk Brine
On January 31, 2020 (Updated December 05, 2024)
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This Rotisserie Chicken is juicy, tender, and a great way to enjoy a whole roasted chicken. Brined in a savory buttermilk brine, then cooked on a rotisserie on the grill, this chicken is unlike any other you’ve had before.
Best Rotisserie Chicken
If you’ve been on the hunt for the best rotisserie chicken recipe, you’ve come to the right place. I can’t recommend this chicken enough. Not only is it relatively inexpensive to purchase a whole fryer chicken at the grocery store, but cooking on a rotisserie brings out all the flavor and juices in the bird.
This chicken is brined in a buttermilk brine, making it tender and juicy. Believe me when I say this brine is magical and will result in the best rotisserie chicken you’ve ever had.
Rotisserie Chicken on the Grill
Cooking rotisserie chicken on the grill is a great way to get the bird evenly cooked. I also recommend placing a baking sheet or large, flat pan under the rotisserie to catch any drippings and prevent flare ups. You can also cook your veggies at the same time as you cook your chicken. During the last 20 minutes of cooking, add your favorite vegetables to the baking sheet or pan and allow them to cook with the chicken.
Some great vegetable ideas to cook with your chicken include carrots, Brussels sprouts, baby potatoes, zucchini, and summer squash. Remember to check your vegetables periodically so they don’t overcook and become too soft.
Fair warning: If you add vegetables to your grill it will take longer for everything to cook, so be prepared to increase your cook time as needed.
Rotisserie Chicken Brine
Brining chicken before cooking it is a great idea, especially when grilling whole chicken. When cooking a whole chicken you are cooking a variety of parts. Not only are you cooking light and dark meat, but you’re also cooking the wings, breast and more. Everything on the chicken cooks at different times, so the brine maintains juiciness while it cooks, and it keeps things juicy even when they’re done and you’re waiting for the other areas of the chicken to reach temperature.
The buttermilk in this recipe is truly the secret ingredient. Buttermilk is acidic, so it acts as a tenderizer and will help the meat become nice and tender before it is cooked. It also has a good amount of fat in it as well which adds flavor to the chicken. When you combine the buttermilk, salt, and seasonings together they make a perfect brining mixture for the chicken.
Here’s what you’ll need for the chicken brine (exact measurements provided in the recipe card below):
- Buttermilk
- Smoked Paprika
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Salt
- Celery Seeds
- Black Pepper
Combine all ingredients for the brine in a zip-top bag and massage to combine. Add your whole chicken to the brine and place it in the refrigerator. Allow the chicken to brine for 4-12 hours.
How to Make Rotisserie Chicken
Simply follow these instructions, and you are well on your way to enjoying a tasty rotisserie chicken:
- Brine. Follow the instructions in the section above to brine your chicken.
- Season the chicken. After you have allowed your chicken to brine for 4-12 hours, remove the chicken from the brine, drain off excess liquid, and pat dry. Sprinkle the outside of the chicken with kosher salt on all sides, then fill the cavity with garlic, rosemary, thyme, and a shallot.
- Finish prepping the bird. Preheat your grill to 400-450 degrees F. While the grill is preheating, prepare the bird to go on the rotisserie. Slide the rotisserie spit through the chicken and secure. Tuck the wing tips and tie the legs together with butchers twine.
- Cook on the rotisserie. Place the chicken on the grill and turn on the rotisserie spinner. Cook your chicken for 45 minutes to 1 hour, basting with melted butter every 20 minutes. Using a reliable meat thermometer, remove the chicken when the thickest part of the breast reaches 160-165 degrees F and the thighs are close to 175 degrees F.
- Rest and serve. Remove the chicken from the grill and allow to rest for 10-15 minutes. Take the chicken off the spit, slice, and serve.
What To Do With Rotisserie Chicken?
Rotisserie chicken is delicious sliced and eaten as-is. It is also extremely versatile and can be used to make a variety of recipes. This chicken is great in soup, sandwiches, on pizza, in chicken pot pie, or even on top of nachos.
I prefer to eat the chicken as the main course the day that it’s cooked, then I refrigerate the remaining chicken in the fridge and use it in following days for more lunches and dinners. This chicken is good in just about any recipe that calls for chicken.
More Grilled Chicken Recipes
Looking for more grilled chicken recipes from Hey Grill Hey? These are some of our favorites that are great for dinners any day of the week!
Grilled Chicken Wings
Sweet Heat Marinated Grilled Chicken Breast
Grilled Chicken Thighs
Best Rotisserie Chicken Recipe
Rotisserie Chicken
Video
Ingredients
Buttermilk Brine
- 4 cups buttermilk
- 2 Tablespoons smoked paprika
- 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon onion powder
- 4 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons celery seeds
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Brine the chicken. Fill a gallon size zip top bag with the buttermilk brine ingredients and mix to combine. Place your chicken into the brine and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 12 hours.
- Salt and season the bird. Remove the chicken from the brine, drain off any excess liquid and pat dry. Lightly sprinkle the outside of the bird with salt on all sides. Fill the cavity of the chicken with 2 cloves of garlic, 2 sprigs of rosemary, and 2 sprigs of thyme, and 1 shallot.
- Prep the chicken for the grill. Slide the rotisserie spit through the chicken and secure. Tuck the wing tips and tie the legs together.
- Grill the chicken on the rotisserie. Preheat your grill to 400-450 degrees F. With your chicken on the rotisserie spit, place it onto the grill and turn on the rotisserie spinner. Cook for approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour, basting with melted butter every 20 minutes.
- Remove, rest, and serve. Monitor internal temperature with a digital meat thermometer. When the thickest part of the breast reads 160-165 degrees F, the thighs will be close to 175 degrees F. Remove the chicken and rotisserie spinner. Let rest for 10-15 minutes. Slice and serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Amazing recipe. Just made this and it was delicious
Would we still cook it at 400 if we don’t have a rotisserie? And would it be direct or indirect?
This was amazing. Possibly the best chicken i have ever had. Thank you for a great recipe!
Have you tried basting with the left over brine instead of the melted butter?
You don’t want to do that unless you boil the brine to kill bacteria!
Followed this recipe to completion and I have to say it knocked my socks right off. I’ve brined before, but I’ve never used buttermilk! It kept it oh so moist and tender and the flavor was amazing! You Must try
The buttermilk brine appears great! Can you use this brine and then spatchcock the chicken and smoke it instead of rotisserie?
Absolutely!
I usually use buttermilk to marinate my chicken tenders before I fry them up and they turn out awesome! My question is can I use this marinating process for a whole chicken when using a smoker? I have chicken on our smoker now … wish i had stumbled upon this prior….
Hello! Looks like a great recipe but if I don’t have a rotisserie option, could I just lay it on the grill? Maybe butterfly it and have it on a sheet pan? Thank you!
Did you try it with a smoker? Wondering same thing!
I have tried several rotisserie chicken recipes. This one is by far the best, both in taste and ease of preparation.