Grilling a whole chicken?

[kidlets2]

Has anyone grilled a whole chicken? How did you do it? I'd love to try, but I'm afraid to. I have just a regular gas grill and I'm afraid of everything burning before the middle is even close to done.

Any suggestions?

[Duchess Talks Too Much]

You can't cook a whole chicken on a gas grill. They're not deep enough. What you can do is cut the whole chicken in half and cook it that way (bone side down). That's the way we always do it. Unless we use our BIG, wood burning pit/smoker! Then we make a "beer" chicken and shove an opened can of beer (or soda) up the chicken and stand it upright in an old iron skillet. The steam and helps keep the chicken tender and moist!

[nancyny]

I just made a whole chicken on my gas grill and it turned out fine.

If you have a grill that can hold a chicken (with the cover down), and you have enough control over the heat to keep the internal temperature of the grill between 325 and 350, it should work just as well as in your oven. Use a meat thermometer and check every 15 min. or so. If you can use "indirect" heat, even better.

I didn't do anything special. Put it on the cooking grate and cooked until done, an 8-lb. bird took about 2-1/2 hours.

[Misty37]

I love the chicken cooked on the grill with a can of beer shoved up it. very good

[ginnyb]

Not only can you cook a whole chicken on a gas grill--you can cook a turkey on one. If your grill is large enough, simply put your bird in a black roasting pan--just like you would in the oven--placing a wire rack in the bottom of the pan and don't cover the roaster. Add water or broth to the pan and close the lid of the grill. I like to rub the bird with veg. oil so that it browns nicely and it stays moist that way. You need to watch to keep water in the pan and you can baste as you like. Use a meat thermometer to check internal temp. for doneness. On medium heat it will take about the same time as it would in the oven.

A friend of mine still raves after 12 years that the best Thanksgiving turkey he ever had was the one I made on the grill!!

Happy grilling!!
ginnyb (aka loves2cook)

[Tattyfatty]

I have cooked whole chicken on the grill as well. I cook alot and like to be daring, so I have deboned the whole chicken (keeping it whole, a little tricky but worth the effort, just leave the wing and drumstick bones in) cooks a whole lot faster, easier to cur up, and you can fill the interior with any mixture of herbs and spices you like.





David

[peachplus]

I made the beer can chicken yesterday using diet pepsi and lemon juice. With a greek seasoning rub. The bird was about 6-7 lbs. I placed it in an old frying pan and turned off the heat on that side. I covered the top with a bit of foil, as the bird was big and touched the top of the barbecue, and it worked just wonderful. It took about 3 1/2 hours at 350 degrees. It was really moist.

I will certainly do this again.

[140karen]

I always make beer can chicken in my gas grill with diet rite orange. It turns out wonderful. I rub it with Memphis rub and test it with a meat thermometer. It does say to only light 1 burner and put your chicken on the opposite side. Indirect heating.

[Wan2live]

I've been doing a whole chicken on my gas grill for years and it does fine. I coat the chicken with salt (looks like way too much salt, but most of it comes off during the basting) put a quartered onion in the cavity, cook it on high for about 30 minutes to seal the skin and then turn one burner on low and cook the chicken on the opposite side of the grill, turning it every 30 minutes (and brushing with a misture of oil, vinegar and cayenne pepper with each turn) until it has cooked about an hour and a half or until the juices run clear. I remove the skin to eat but it is so tender it nearly falls off the bone. Also good to do using a mixture of 1/3 cup low sodium teryaki sauce and 1 Tablespoon of garlic/pepper blend.

[peachplus]

tis the season, bumping

[PKGuy323]

I'm blessed because my gas grill has a rotisserie attachment with a back-wall burner and it has made some amazing chicken.

Sometimes, we just slap salt and pepper on it, tie it up and spray it down with Olive Oil cooking spray. 2 hours laters, it's chow time!

If you have an Outback Steakhouse nearby, they might be kind enough to sell you their steak seasoning...it's the BEST for steaks and chicken.

[mooksgrandma]

We absolutely love 2-brick chicken. Cut the backbone completely out of the chicken and open the chicken up. Season the skin with way too much seasoning salt or rub of your choice, (we like to lift the skin and put garlic cloves under it) and place bone side down on preheated grill. Place two foil wrapped bricks on chicken and close lid. Cook for about 45 minutes and check temperature. The bricks make the chicken cook from both sides, so it cooks much faster. I believe the grill temperature is about 350 degrees.

The first time my young granddaughter saw this on the grill, she thought she was getting bricks for dinner.

Enjoy

[LilPup]

We generously coat our chicken with Lemon Pepper both on the skin and under the skin. I also put about 1/8 of cup of lemon pepper in the beer can as well. I always place an onion or potato in the the neck cavity to help seal the steam in. It always turns out wonderfully.

[Blackbeard]

Absolutely you can cook a whole chicken. If your lid isn't high enough to set it upright, you can cut the spine out (kitchen shears up either side of the back), and splay it out flat. Season both sides and grill over low or indirect heat. Delicious!

If you have a Weber kettle or other similar high-domed grill, try doing the beer-can method. Just google "beer can chicken". It's the best chicken I've ever had.