Spatchcocked chilli chicken

Spatchcocked chilli chicken

Impress guests with a whole barbecued spatchcocked chicken, marinated in hot sauce and lemon. Serve with a fresh green salad.

Spatchcocked chilli chicken

You can see how to spatchcock a chicken, with  images to illustrate each step, here.

  • Serves icon Serves 6 as part of a barbecue menu
  • Time icon Hands-on time 15 min, barbecue time 40-45 min, plus marinating

Impress guests with a whole barbecued spatchcocked chicken, marinated in hot sauce and lemon. Serve with a fresh green salad.

You can see how to spatchcock a chicken, with  images to illustrate each step, here.

Nutrition: per serving

Calories
197kcals
Fat
3.6g (1.1g saturated)
Protein
40.5g
Carbohydrates
0.6g (0.6g sugars)
Salt
1.3g

Ingredients

  • 1 free-range chicken, around 1.6kg
  • 1 litre whole milk, or natural yogurt
  • Juice 1 lemon (if using milk)
  • 1 tbsp salt or 2 tbsp sea saltflakes
  • 50ml hot sauce such as Cholula, Lingham’s or Sriracha (available at most supermarkets), plus extra to serve
  • Lemon wedges for squeezing
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Method

  1. To spatchcock the chicken, put the bird breast-side down on a chopping board. Using a pair of heavy duty kitchen scissors or poultry shears, cut out the backbone, starting at the arrowhead-shaped parson’s nose. Remove the bone, turn the chicken back over and press down firmly with the flat of your hand between the breasts. You’ll hear the wishbone snap and the chicken will flatten out when you push it down.
  2. Combine the milk or yogurt, lemonnjuice (if using), salt and hot sauce in a large baking dish that will hold the flattened chicken comfortably. Add the chicken, turning to coat, cover with cling film and leave to marinate in the fridge for a minimum of 6 hours or up to 24 hours, flipping it over a couple of times during the marination.
  3. Heat the barbecue to medium. If you have a kettle barbecue with a thermometer, it should read 180-200°C. Remove the chicken from the marinade and put on the barbecue, breast-side up and away from the hottest coals. Cover with the lid and cook for 25 minutes, checking the underside now and then – if the chicken is blackening too much, move it to a cooler place on the barbecue grill using tongs.
  4. Turn the chicken over and cook for another 20 minutes, moving it around so different parts of the breast touch the grill. It’s done when a digital probe thermometer pushed into the thickest part of the meat reads 65°C, or when the juices run clear when you pierce the thickest part of the thigh with a skewer. Put on a chopping board and rest for 10-15 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges and more hot sauce.

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving
Calories
197kcals
Fat
3.6g (1.1g saturated)
Protein
40.5g
Carbohydrates
0.6g (0.6g sugars)
Salt
1.3g

delicious. tips

  1. To cook this in an oven, roast it at 200°C/180°C fan/ gas 6 for 45 minutes. You can also start the chicken off in the oven for 30 minutes, then finish on the barbecue for 15 minutes, if you don’t have a barbecue with a lid.

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