Smoked Spatchcock Chicken On Pellet Grill

This Smoked Spatchcock Chicken on a Pellet Grill is one of the best ways to smoke a whole chicken. Just spatchcock a chicken (I explain how to do it below), cover it in dry rub, and smoke it on the pellet grill. This gorgeous chicken is juicy with crispy skin and full of delicious smoky flavor.

This smoked spatchcock chicken recipe can be made on any type of smoker. I have made it on my Traeger smoker, Pit Boss pellet grill, and Masterbuilt electric smoker. You can even use a charcoal grill.

I start by smoking the chicken at a lower temperature to infuse it with a lot of smoky flavor, then finish it off at a higher temperature to get crispy skin. The result is juicy, tender, and flavorful chicken that is dripping with moisture. Serve it with a side of broccoli slaw for a meal everyone will love.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Using the Spatchcock method is a favorite way to smoke a whole bird.
• It's easy, and no chicken stand is needed.
• The chicken skin is nice and crispy with super juicy meat.
• It is full of delicious flavor from the smoke and the dry rub.

Ingredients Needed

To make this spatchcocked chicken, you'll need:

• Chicken. I used a 4-pound roasting chicken, but you can use any size. Remove the neck and gizzards if it has them inside the body cavity.
• Dry rub. I used my homemade dry rub, which is made with smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, salt, and black pepper. Feel free to use your favorite dry rub.

See the printable recipe card for exact measurements and a full list of ingredients.

How To Make A Smoked Spatchcock Chicken

Spatchcock the Chicken

1. Place the chicken breast side down on a cutting board or baking sheet.
2. The easiest way to remove the backbone of the chicken is to use a pair of sharp kitchen shears. If you don't have a good pair of kitchen shears, use a sharp knife, but be extra careful. Cut into the chicken on each side of the spine and cut both sides of the backbone from bottom to top. Remove the backbone and excess skin.
3. Flip the chicken over and press on the breasts with the palm of your hands to crack the breastbone so the chicken lies flat.

Season the Chicken

1. Dry chicken with paper towels.
2. Brush or spray olive oil or avocado oil over the chicken.
3. Mix the spice rub ingredients together and generously apply it to the entire chicken. Lift up the legs and wings to reach all the nooks and crannies.

Smoke the Chicken

1. Preheat your pellet smoker to 225 degrees F and top it up with wood pellets.
2. Place chicken directly on the grill grates, breast side up, and smoke for one hour.
3. After one hour, insert temperature probes into the thickest part of the breast and the thickest part of the thigh, turn up the temperature to 350 degrees F, and smoke the chicken until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F in the breast.
4. If you want to add BBQ sauce to your chicken, apply it once the chicken reaches 160 degrees F. I usually don't add sauce as I think the chicken has plenty of flavor without it.
5. Once cooked, remove the chicken from the smoker and let it rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving. If you like, serve with barbecue sauce on the side. Enjoy!

Serving Suggestions

I like to serve this smoked chicken with a Creamy Potato Salad, Traeger Smoked Corn on the Cob, and Cucumber Salad with Mayo for a delicious meal.

You can also serve it with Smoked Baked Potatoes, Greek Cucumber Salad, and Hawaiian Macaroni Salad. The possibilities are endless!

Variations

• For a sweeter chicken, use my Brown Sugar Smoked Chicken Rub.
• Let the chicken sit with the dry rub on it for up to 12 hours.
• Add cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes to the spice rub to add some heat.
• Brush the chicken with your favorite BBQ sauce during the last 10-15 minutes of the smoking time.

Recipe FAQ's

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