Yield: 4 Servings

j. Kenji Lopez / Serious Eats

Summer 2017: Butterflied (spatchcocked) birds cook a lot faster than regular ones. The two zone cooking keeps the chicken moist and prevents the skin from burning. I’ve also made this with herbes de Provence seasoning added. It’s great either way.

• 1(3½ to 6 lb) whole chicken, giblets saved for stock
• Salt and pepper

Pat chicken dry with paper towels and place on a large cutting board, breast sidedown. Using sharp kitchen shears, remove backbone by cutting along either side of it.  Make sure to add the backbone to your stock bag in the freezer.  Turn chicken over and lay out flat. Press firmly on breast to flatten chicken. For added stability, run a metal or wooden skewer through chicken horizontally, entering through one thigh, going through both breast halves, and exiting through other thigh. Tuck wing tips behind back. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Set half the burners of a gas grill to high heat. Preheat for 5 minutes. Clean and oil grilling grate.

Place chicken, skin side up, on cooler side of grill, with legs facing toward hotter side. Cover grill. Cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast registers 110°F, 20 to 30 minutes.

Carefully flip chicken and place on hotter side of grill, skin side down, with breasts pointed toward cooler side.

Reduce heat to medium-low. Press down firmly with a wide, stiff spatula to ensure good contact between bird and grill grates. Cover and cook until skin is crisp and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast registers 145 to 150°F, about 10 minutes longer. If chicken threatens to burn before temperature is achieved, carefully slide to cooler side of grill, cover, and continue to cook until done. Also check the thigh temperature for 165°F.  Do not leave the lid off for longer than it takes to check temperature.

Transfer chicken to a cutting board, cover loosely with foil and allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Carve and serve.

Serve with:
Starch: Potato Salad, Grilled Potatoes.
Veg: Corn, Grilled Asparagus, Grilled Green Beans