Nothing beats a juicy, flavorful Grilled Whole Chicken! Never tried? It's easier than you think, thanks to our step by step instructions for both charcoal and gas grills. You can have a tasty, crowd-pleasing dinner any night of the week with just a few minutes of prep.
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Everyone LOVES a grilled chicken. But if you've never BBQ'd one before, it can feel intimidating. Don't let that stop you! It's actually one of the easiest things to grill if you know a few tips and tricks. Follow our step by step instructions for perfectly juicy grilled chicken every time!
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What makes this recipe unique
- Don't heat up the house when the temperatures climb. Instead of roasting a whole chicken in the oven, you can BBQ a whole chicken outside!
- This grilled whole chicken recipe comes out with crispy, crackly skin and perfectly juicy white and dark meat.
- This method is almost entirely hands-off! Just a few minutes of prep work, and you can set it and forget it once it's on the grill.
- We've included instructions for both gas and charcoal grills so you can easily adapt this recipe to whatever grill you have.
Ingredients
Three ingredients are all you need for perfect grilled chicken:
Note: This guide is best for a 3 ½ - 4 pound whole chicken. It will serve 4 people.
Tools
- Gas or charcoal grill
- Vertical roaster
- Instant Read Thermometer
Instructions
You can make this recipe on either a gas or charcoal grill. Detailed instructions for both are in the recipe card, but they generally follow the same steps.
- Preheat the grill to medium high heat and prep the chicken by rubbing oil and seasoning all over the bird.
- Place seasoned chicken on the roaster with the legs at the bottom. Maintain medium heat on the grill and cook for at least 60 minutes. Use an instant read thermometer to check temperature in the thickest part of the breast without touching bone. Remove the chicken from the grill when it reaches 160 degrees. Carryover cooking will get it to 165 degrees, the FDA recommended temperature for chicken.
FAQS
A vertical roaster insures your grilled whole chicken will have crispy skin all over because the air is circulating all around it. If you don't have one, you can easily use a tall beer or soda can. (Hence the name beer can chicken!)
Some vertical roasters come with a holder just for the beer can. Just be sure to pop open the beer and pour half of it out before adding the chicken or else the can may explode during grilling.
You can also use a bundt pan in a pinch, but sometimes the bottom part of the chicken doesn't brown as evenly.
YES! Any professional chef will tell you this is their most trusted tool. You'll never second guess whether a piece of meat is under or overcooked again.
However, a secret tip for knowing when chicken is cooked is by making a small cut between the breast and the leg. If the juices run clear, your chicken is done. If the juices are pink, it needs more time on the grill!
Of course! This is all about technique. Dress your bird up any way you'd like and experiment with fun flavor profiles. Or go simple and add a delicious sauce for serving.
I always pull my chicken out of the fridge 30 minutes before grilling. While the whole chicken won't be completely room temperature during that time, it does help take the chill off the chicken so it cooks more evenly on the grill.
Expert tips for making a grilled whole chicken
- Thoroughly pat the chicken dry after removing it from the packaging. This helps the oil and seasoning stick better to the chicken.
- I use neutral-flavored oils with a higher smoke point when grilling, like canola or grapeseed oils.
- If you're a minimalist, salt and pepper is really all you need, but I often reach for a jar of seasoning mix from the grocery store. It's a simple way to amp up the flavor even more. (I used a store bought version that contained oregano, garlic, salt, pepper and a bit of crushed red pepper in this recipe.)
- Resist the urge to open the grill and check on the chicken. You release heat every time you do that, which prolongs your cooking time.
- Make sure you let the chicken rest for at least 15-20 minutes after you take it off the grill. This allows the juices to redistribute and moist, tender chicken.
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Recipe
Grilled Whole Chicken recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Whole Chicken (3 ½ - 4 pounds)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons seasoning mix (I used a store bought version that contained oregano, garlic, salt, pepper and a bit of crushed red pepper
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Instructions
For Gas Grills:
- Preheat grill to medium hot heat.
- Remove chicken from packaging and pat dry.
- Combine oil and seasoning mix in a small bowl. Rub seasoning mixture all over chicken, even inside the cavity. Place upright on a vertical roaster (legs at the bottom).
- Turn off one grill burner and place chicken there. Reduce heat to medium on remaining burner(s) to maintain a constant heat of about 350-375 degrees.
- Grill whole chicken for 60-75 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer reaches 160 degrees. Carryover cooking will get it to 165 degrees. Rest at least 15 minutes before carving and serving.
For Charcoal Grills:
- Light a chimney full of charcoal. When coals are ready, pour them evenly over one-half of your grill. Cover and allow the grill to preheat for at least 5 minutes.
- Remove chicken from packaging and pat dry.
- Combine oil and seasoning mix in a small bowl. Rub seasoning mixture all over chicken, even inside the cavity. Place upright on a vertical roaster (legs at the bottom).
- Place whole chicken on the cool side of the grill with the lid's vents over the chicken. Adjust the vents to maintain a grill temperature between 350-365 degrees.
- Grill whole chicken for 60-75 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer reaches 160 degrees. Carryover cooking will get it to 165 degrees. Rest at least 15 minutes before carving and serving.
Notes
- Thoroughly pat the chicken dry when removing it from its packaging. The oil and seasoning will stick better to a dry bird. The skin will also become more crispy when grilled, too.
- I like to grill with neutral oils that have a higher smoke point like canola or grapeseed oils.
- Check the temperature of your chicken about minutes short of the recommended cooking time as grill temperatures can vary. An instant read thermometer makes this quick and easy. Insert the probe into the thickest part of the breast as white meat is easy to overcook. Avoid having the thermometer touch the bone as that will skew the results.
- Let the chicken rest for at least 15 minutes after you remove it from the grill. (Use heat proof gloves or oven safe mitts for this!) This allows the juices to redistribute for moist, juicy chicken.
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Nutrition
Nutrition info not guaranteed to be accurate.
Mary says
I tested my chicken for temp and it read 180 but it still runs very pink, also it is not crisp and won’t even cut apart easily. I will try again but ended up cutting up and putting back on grill
Tim says
Make sure to take the temp in the thickest part of the breast with a probe type thermometer make sure your don’t go all the way through breast wall or you will get a false reading
cary says
I have a 4 burner grill Do I turn off two of the burners for indirect cooking?
Hi Cary, I don't have a 4-burner grill, but the advice I received about indirect cooking is to adjust the burners on the sides of the food to the correct temperature and then turn off the burner directly below where the food is placed. Hope that helps!
Kathy says
How long would you cook a 4.5lb chicken?
Hi Kathy, my guess is it would take a little over an hour and a half, but definitely use a thermometer and keep tabs on it frequently. Some grills run hotter than others. Enjoy!
Peter Coleman says
Your chicken looks like it didn't lose any weight on the grill. I followed the directions and used my thermometer frequently and my chicken has shrunk down. I also used aluminum foil on the top so the wings wouldn't burn.
Calvin says
Wow it just look so amazing, delicious and juice! I can't wait to try it. Thank for sharing.
Angelle says
Thank you so much for this recipe. I just attempted my first whole chicken on my gas grill, and your post was a great guide. 75 minutes was just perfect for my grill as well. The skin was perfectly crispy and the meat very moist. No more oven or crockpot chickens in this house!
Love it, Angelle! Thanks for stopping back to let us know how well it worked for you!
Nancy Friarson says
Can I use a mason jar to put my chicken on to vertically roast on a gas grill
Hi Nancy, a mason jar will not tolerate the heat of the grill. You can use a half empty beer can in lieu of the chicken roaster, if you prefer. Happy grilling!