Spatchcock it right cut out the backbone with a sharp pair of shears, none of that butter knife nonsense. Flip it over, heels of your hands on the breastbone, and press down hard till it cracks like a dropped pint glass. It should lay flat like it’s sunbathing on a deckchair, ready to soak up the smoke.
Dry the skin before cooking – Kitchen roll, pat it dry – gets you a better crisp.
Prepare ahead safely Keep the chicken covered and refrigerated until you are ready to cook.
Cook to temp, not time – After crisping the skin, check the thickest breast and inner thigh with a clean thermometer, avoiding bone. Both must reach at least 75°C and remain at or above it for 30 seconds. If either part is below target, return the chicken to indirect heat with the lid down and keep cooking. A 70°C breast reading is only the earlier pre-crisp checkpoint in this recipe.
2-zone BBQ is key – Indirect for the cook, direct for the crisp. Don’t try and wing it over one big flame.
Rest after the final check Let the cooked chicken rest briefly on a clean board before carving. Resting does not replace the measured 75°C for 30-second requirement.
Get the dry rub on early – give it time to sink in before cooking. Let the salt do its thing and the flavours settle – meat straight out the packet with rub slapped on tastes rushed. Give it half an hour minimum, longer if you’ve got it, covered in the fridge until cooking.
Brush the chilli honey at the end – Do it too early and it’ll burn. Let the glaze kiss it right before
