If you like roast chicken but not a fan of the stuffing or the long cooking time, then you need to try butterflied chicken! I'm a very impatient cook but love a whole chook and the flavour of the BBQ so this is perfect for feeding a crowd for a summer BBQ or meal prepping for the week.
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Why you'll love this recipe
Even cooking. Butterflying helps it cook more evenly giving you juicy meat and crispy skin without the risk of underdone spots.
Versatile. From Taco Seasoning to Lemon Mustard Marinade, this recipe is the perfect base to mix and match flavours.
Faster than roasting. Flattening helps it cook quicker than a Whole Roast Chicken —perfect for a midweek meal or fast weekend BBQ.
Meal prep friendly. Cook once, eat multiple ways! This BBQ butterfly chicken is easy to slice up for salads, wraps, rice bowls or other meal prep chicken recipes.
How to BBQ Butterfly Chicken
Step 1: Remove the backbone: Place the chicken breast-side down (the fatter half). Using poultry shears, cut along both sides of the backbone from tail (where the hole is) to neck, removing it completely. (Save for stock if you’d like)
Note - you could use normal scissors, but it will be harder and you'll want to make sure they're super sharp! Don't use a knife!!!
Step 2: Flatten the chicken: Flip the chicken over so it's breast-side up. Press firmly on the breastbone with the heel of your hand to flatten the bird—you should hear a little crack and the chicken will then lie flat on its own.
Pat dry with paper towels (this helps the skin crisp up).
Marinate with your choice of flavours (e.g. Honey Lemon, Sweet Chilli Soy)
Step 3: Preheat Weber BBQ (or other BBQ) on high, and maintain a similar temperature range (180–200°C / 360°F - 400°F). Spray with oil. Turn off one side of the burners for indirect cooking.
Step 4: Wrap chicken wings in aluminium (this will prevent them from burning when placed down on grill)
Step 5: Place chicken skin-side down on the hot side of the grill for 3-5 minutes until you're satisfied with the char marks.
Step 6: Flip chicken onto cooler side of the grill (indirect heat), skin side up. Close the lid and cook for 35-45 minutes, depending on size until it reaches 69°C (165°F). Maintain temperature range by keeping an eye on the temperature dial (on a Weber BBQ)
Step 7: Allow the chicken to rest for at 10-15 minutes before carving so it comes up to temperature 74°C (165°F).
Top Tips
Use sharp poultry shears. A clean cut makes butterflying easier and safer. Avoid using knives for this—it’s trickier and increases the risk of injury.
Come to temperature. Take the chicken out of the fridge 20–30 minutes before grilling. This helps it cook more evenly throughout.
Meat thermometer. If there's one tip you take from me, it's to USE A MEAT THERMOMETER because dry chicken is not a vibe.
What do I do with the backbone?
I'm not a big fan of waste, so when there's an opportunity to use the WHOLE chicken, like in my Homemade Chicken Stock recipe, I'll do it.
You can make a gravy or jus with the backbone at the same time you're cooking the chicken, which makes it easy to pop on the table right away.
- Slice backbone into chunks and add to a small pot over medium heat. Allow it to turn golden brown (approx. 5 minutes)
- In the meantime, roughly slice a brown onion, carrot and celery. Allow to become fragrant (approx. 5 minutes).
- Pour in 2 cups of stock (or water), a splash of soy sauce, some peppercorns and a couple of bayleaves. Bring to a boil and then turn the heat down to simmer.
- Allow it to reduce for at least 30 minutes before straining. You can then add it back to the stove to make a gravy by adding some cornstarch to thicken.
Serve with
A grilled chicken is a versatile option for meal prepping as you can easily cook 6-8 serves without much fuss.
You can mix-and-match your sauce options from a Sweet BBQ Sauce, Garlic Soy Sauce or just add some Everything but the Bagel Seasoning once cooked.
You can serve with Grilled Vegetables and Gnocchi, a fresh Salad, or you can use up cold leftovers in a Chicken Tzatziki Salad or Macaroni Chicken Salad.
The chicken can be kept in the fridge for up to 4 days and reheated with a drizzle of water in the microwave, or over the heat on the BBQ for the extra char.
Can you freeze butterflied chicken?
You can freeze a raw butterfly chicken whole by covering it tightly in plastic wrap and allowing it to thaw before cooking. You can do this with the marinade (like a lemon mustard or garlic soy) or plain.
You can also freeze a cooked whole butterfly chicken in the same way, but I would suggest separating into single serve pieces (e.g. a whole breast) or breaking it up into bite sized pieces. Wrap tightly to prevent freezer burn and it can be frozen for up to 6 months. If you have jus or gravy you've made, add this to the chicken to help keep it moist.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not really—the butterflying (or spatchcocking) technique is the same whether you're using the BBQ or oven. The main difference is in how you cook it afterward. On the BBQ, you’ll use indirect heat with the lid closed, giving it that smoky, chargrilled flavour. In the oven, you roast it flat on a baking tray or wire rack.
The butterflying option for the BBQ is a fantastic option because you get the char marks all the way through which increases the flavour.
1. Place the chicken breast-side down on a cutting board.
2. Using poultry shears, cut along both sides of the backbone and remove it.
3. Flip the chicken over and press down firmly on the breastbone to flatten it (you'll hear a crack)
Once cooked and rested, flip the chicken breast-side up and:
1. Cut between the legs and body to separate thighs and drumsticks.
2. Slice down the middle of the breast to split the chicken into halves or quarters.
3. For meal prep, you can break it down further into bite-sized pieces for salads or bowls.
Recipe
BBQ Grilled Butterflied Chicken
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg (3 ? lb) whole chicken, weight approx.
Instructions
Butterfly the chicken
- Place the chicken breast-side down. Using poultry shears, cut along both sides of the backbone from tail (where the hole is) to neck, removing it completely. Don't use a knife!!
- Flip the chicken so it's breast side down, allow the legs to come out as much as possible (like splits). Press firmly on the breastbone with the heel of your hand to flatten. You should hear a little crack.
- Use paper towels to pat the chicken dry.
Marinate the chicken (optional)
- Use your favourite marinade or dry rub (see note 1 for links to some of mine). At a minimum, put some salt and pepper onto the skin.
Grill on BBQ
- Heat until the internal temperature of the BBQ or Weber is approximately 220°C (430°F). Spray the grill well with olive oil and turn one side of the burners off.
- Place the chicken breast side down on the grates until the marks begin to form (should be within 2-3 minutes).
- Lower heat to 180°C (360°F). Flip chicken onto cooler side of the grill (indirect heat), skin side up. Close the lid and cook for 35-45 minutes, depending on size until it reaches 69°C (165°F). Maintain temperature range by keeping an eye on the temperature dial (on a Weber BBQ)
- Allow the chicken to rest for at 10-15 minutes before carving so it comes up to temperature 74°C (165°F).
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