Incredibly juicy, smoky and crispy-skinned, this rotisserie chicken is likely as good as it can get. With minimal preparation and some basic seasonings it requires little hands-on time but tastes like a gourmet dish.
I look for three things in my rotisserie chicken:
- Tender and juicy meat
- Crispy skin
- Smoky flavor
Your typical store-bought rotisserie chicken won't give you that. The good news is that you can make a heck of a rotisserie chicken if you have a charcoal or a gas grill. I don't recommend using an electric rotisserie as, unfortunately, they don't provide the same results.
Rotisserie equipment
To cook chicken on a rotisserie you will need a rotisserie attachment for your grill. Luckily, there are dozens of those around these days.
If you have a Big Green Egg or a Kamado Joe, you best bet is Kamado Joe's JoeTisserie. They come in several sizes to accommodate the size of your grill. I've owned one for several years and love it. If you own a Weber charcoal grill, the Weber Charcoal Kettle Rotisserie is a great choice.
If you have a gas grill, look for a rotisserie attachment for your specific grill, like the Weber Gas Grill Rotisserie for their Genesis line gas grills. Depending on your grill and the ability to make some minor modifications, you can use a universal model like the OneGrill Rotisserie Kit.
Brining
Do you need to brine chicken before cooking it on a rotisserie? The short answer is 'no'. I've tried both ways and can hardly tell the difference. Chicken meat, like any other meat, starts to lose liquids at around 150F as meat fibers begin to contract. Brined or not, the meat will lose water. The secret to juicy meat in a rotisserie chicken is not brining. It's not overcooking the meat.
Dry rub
When roasting chicken over charcoal with a couple of wood chunks thrown in you will get amazing flavor just from the smoke. No special rub is needed here. Some salt and pepper is all that's really needed at a minimum. I like adding some onion and garlic powder. You can also add some ground rosemary or thyme, they always work great on rotisserie chicken. I also like adding some cayenne pepper.
If you like garlic, crust the chicken with some minced fresh garlic. The aroma you get from it is mind blowing. Garlic bits are prone to charring though especially when cooking at higher temperatures of 325F-350F. If you can liquefy it in a mortar it would solve that problem.
Using a drip pan
A lot of folks use a drip pan filled with water when cooking on a rotisserie. I don't. A drip pan creates steam that prevents smoke from properly adhering to chicken skin. A drip pan between the chicken and the heat source also hinders browning and the skin comes out less crispy. A drip pan may be useful on a gas grill though if you want to keep it clean.
Smoke
If using a charcoal grill, just throw in a few wood chunks to get a nice smoky flavor. My favorite wood to use on a rotisserie chicken is cherry, hickory and pecan. I find apple wood a little weak though many folks like to use it on chicken. You decide. On a gas grill you will need to use a smoke generator, such as the A-MAZE-N Pellet Smoker or the Wood Chip Smoker Box. I like the latter a bit more in this application.
Cooking temperature
I tend to cook my rotisserie chicken at about 300F at the spit level but often go for higher temperatures of 325F to 350F. You will get an even crispier skin but also more charring in some parts, more split skin and more oil rendered from skin. The cooking temperature, the size of the chicken and the distance to the heat source will determine the cooking time so make sure to have an instant read thermometer on hand.
Ideal way to cook a whole chicken on a rotisserie
Cooking a whole chicken always poses a challenge. You want the legs and the wings to cook a little more so that they fall-off-the-bone tender. I like to cook those parts to 185F otherwise the meat is a bit tough and tastes under-cooked. The breasts, on the other hand, must be cooked to the recommended 165F.
So, how do you make a whole rotisserie chicken cooked such that you get legs, thighs and wings are cooked through without overcooking breasts? The secret is to butterfly or spatchcock the chicken and position it on the spit such that wings, thighs and legs get closer to fire than breasts, as shown on the pictures. By the time you get the breast cooked through, the legs and wings will be right where I want them to be. I find that butterflying also helps the chicken cook more evenly.
Serving Rotisserie Chicken
There are hundreds of great sides to serve with a rotisserie chicken. In summer, I like keeping my meals light and take advantage of in-season vegetables. Roasted vegetables are fantastic with thick chicken and so are summer salads like my favorite Heirloom Tomato Salad, Chili Mayo Cucumber Salad, or the Rustic Tomato and Cucumber Salad.
For a slightly more filling meal, go for a salad with plenty of carbs, like the Fusilli Pasta Salad, Mediterranean Quinoa Salad, Zesty Quinoa Salad, or Israeli Couscous Salad. Or Bread Salad (Panzanella). It's delicious.
On colder days, serve this chicken with Southern Potato Salad, Garlic Mashed Red Potatoes, Truffle Fries, or Crunchy Air Fryer French Fries.
Ingredients
- 1 large roasting chicken butterflied
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt or sea salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground rosemary
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Rub the chicken with oil then sprinkle with the seasoning all over and pat down to make them stick. Set the chicken aside while you are preparing the rotisserie.
- Preheat the grill to about 300F at the spit level. Add some cherry wood chunks or chips for smoke.
- Place the chicken on the rotisserie spit and secure with forks. Place the spit on the grill. Start the motor and close the lid. Roast for about 60-75 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
Nutrition
Al
Victor, thanks for this recipe. Ok, I’ve done this method twice and both times it was perfect. The skin is crispy, the meat is juicy and it is completely cooked. No chance of any undercooked meat In the center if you follow the temp recommendations. I’m not the best at getting the chicken on the rotisserie forks so it flops around a little until the skin tightens up and then all is good. The temp is very forgiving. My gas grill fluctuated between 400 and 300 until I got it stabilized around 350. It’s a quick cook it 1 hr and 15 mins.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Glad to hear that you liked it, Al. For me, whole chicken doesn't get better than this. Even my favorite whole smoked chicken is a close tie with this one. The crispy skin alone is worth all the effort. I remember back in the day - many years ago - we used to buy rotissery chicken from the store. I liked it a lot back then. Now - not anymore. It's just not up to par. I recall passing by Costco's rotisserie chicken a few weeks ago with my wife, it smelled really nice and was dirt cheap, as usual, their loss leader, but we both said - nah, let's make our own. You just don't want the store-bought one anymore even for cheap.
To prevent flopping around, what I found working for me is when I push the forks as close together as possible, and I make sure to put one tine into each leg and breast. Holds great that way.
Al
Totally agree about Costco. Their rotisserie chickens never were to my liking as they are overly brined. Thanks for the tip on the forks. I also noticed that I had the short tines in the legs and breasts. I will switch it next time so the long tines are used for the legs and breasts.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Good luck. Hope that works.
Tameka
Is the cooking time the same for coal rotisseries that don’t have a lid?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
No, open rotisserie will take longer as a lot of heat escapes.
Archie
Hello. Thanks for this recipe!
In the Kamado Joe do you place the coals towards the back? Or just have them evenly spread out in the basket? Any tips at all with the coal set up. Thanks
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Archie, I keep them evenly spread out. The amount of charcoal is fairly moderate.
XMC Polska
Is it okay to post some of this on my site if I include a backlink to this page?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Please do not copy and paste. Rewrite in your own words. You are welcome to re-use the photos but provide credits with a link to my blog.
Neil
Man i love this system! I've done a lot of butterflied chicken on the weber kettle, but never tried them on the rotisserie! Works great - excellent way to get the thighs fully cooked without overdoing the breast. Took a few tries to get the forks in and set up without tumbling, but worth the effort!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hey, Neil, glad you liked it. I use this setup very often now. Outstanding results. I can't get the same beautifully crispy skin with any other method. And very true that breasts cook very well on rotisserie without drying out.
Kristi
Any thoughts on cooking two butterflied chickens at the same time? I always rotisserie two birds because I have a large family and can always make use of leftovers. Generally it's not a problems to wedge the two whole birds together but I don't know when they are cut like this. If you've tried it I'd love to know!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Hi Kristi, yes, you can do two birds at the same time. I tried that several times and it worked well. My family doesn't like it me doing that though as they like freshly cooked for its juiciness and crispy skin.
Charles Cokley
I enjoy it
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Good to hear it Charles. Thanks for the feedback.
Phillip
On a weber rotisserie grill, how do I setup the charcoals.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Your setup will be similar to mine. What I do is light up a pile of charcoal, about half a chimney worth, let it get red hot, then spread them around the bottom of the grill. You can do the same in the chimney, it will be easier to do.
John
What a difference butterflying the chicken made! A+++ recipe! Our chicken was devoured within 15 minutes and I am being asked to make more!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Happy to hear that, John. Enjoy!
Cesar
How do you setup the rotisserie “forks” on the butterflied chicken to hold it and not break apart during the cooking process?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Cesar, take a closer look at the pictures, they will give you a pretty good idea. I insert the longer forks into breasts and legs/thighs. This works very well and I have yet to have a single chicken break apart.
Joel
About how long did it take to get to the temps you wanted?
victor
It usually takes about 45 to 60 minutes.
Michael
Instead of soaking in brine solution, I have just applied salt all over the chicken and let it set open in the frige over night. Same results, less mess.
Gloria
Wow! Your rotisserie chicken looks so delicious.
Thank you for the recipe.
victor
You are very welcome!
Karyl | Karyl's Kulinary Krusade
I haven't had rotisserie chicken in so long, and this is making my mouth water first thing in the morning!