Grilled Half Chicken is a time-saving and cost-effective supper option that should be on your menu this week. Whole chickens are brined and split in half before being grilled with a nice dry seasoning for juicy and flavorful chicken.
With this Spicy Chicken Brine, you can add even more flavour to your grilled chicken. Half of this chicken was used to create Mexican Chicken Cornbread, which was a big success at supper. It’s also delicious in chicken tacos, barbecue chicken sandwiches, soups, and casseroles.
CHICKEN BRINE INGREDIENTS:
- Ice.
- Salt.
- Black Pepper.
- Fresh Garlic Cloves.
- Lemon.
GRILLED HALF CHICKEN INGREDIENTS:
- Olive Oil.
- Brown Sugar.
- Granulated Garlic.
- Chili Powder.
- Dried Thyme.
- Salt.
- Black Pepper.
- Smoked Paprika.
Preparation:
- In a large pan or basin, blend warm water and kosher salt until salt is dissolved. To chill the water, add ice cubes. Whisk in the black pepper, garlic cloves, and lemon peel, then add it to the brine.
- Refrigerate the chicken for at least one hour and up to four hours in the brine.
- Set the chicken aside after removing it from the brine.
- Place on a baking sheet with a rim and blot dry with a paper towel.
- Cut the chicken in half by cutting down the breast and back bones using poultry shears. If desired, the backbone can be eliminated. Because we debone the bird and utilize the carcasses to create homemade chicken broth, we left it whole.
- Both sides of the chicken halves should be sprayed with olive oil.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the dry rub ingredients: brown sugar, garlic, chili powder, thyme, kosher salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika.
- Sprinkle on both sides of the chicken.
- Grill the chicken for 45 minutes over an indirect fire at 325° with the grill closed. Cook until the internal temperature reaches 165° at the thickest section of the thigh, using a digital thermometer.
- For a full supper, cut the chicken and serve it with grilled ranch potatoes and grilled garlic bread.
MEAL PREP TIPS:
To meal prep for the week ahead, debone the chicken and cut or shred it. We frequently roast two chickens at the same time so that we may have quick meals throughout the week.
Half Grilled chicken may be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months in airtight containers. On stressful weeknights, it’s a lifesaver.
