| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 35 min |
| Prep: | 10 min |
| Inactive: | 1 hr |
| Cook: | 25 min |
| Yield: | 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh rosemary leaves, plus 2 sprigs
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Good olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 roasting chickens (2 1/2 to 3 pounds each), deboned and butterflied
- 1/2 lemon, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Mix the chopped rosemary, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together in a small bowl to make a paste.
- Place the chickens on a sheet pan, skin side up, and loosen the skin from the meat with your fingers. Place 1/2 of the paste under the skin of each chicken. Rub any remaining paste on the outside and underside of the chickens.
- Turn the chicken skin side down and scatter the lemon slices and sprigs of rosemary over each chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Roll each chicken up, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Heat a grill with coals. Spread the coals out in 1 dense layer and brush the grill with oil. Unroll the chickens, place them on the grill and cook for 12 minutes on each side.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 531 |
| Total Fat | 40 g |
| Saturated Fat | 11 g |
| Carbohydrates | 2 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 0 g |
| Protein | 39 g |
| Cholesterol | 196 mg |
| Sodium | 762 mg |
Reviews
This is definately on our chart for best chicken recipe, we totally enjoyed after marinating for 24 hrs.
5 Stars for sure!!!
5 Stars for sure!!!
This was really tasty. I wouldn’t hesitate to make it again. I deboned the chicken myself’ which was a chore but worthwhile.
My chicken was a bit over 4 pounds. I cranked up my four burner grill all the way and placed the chicken skin side down, and then turned the middle burners off and put the outside burners all the way down. I cooked it 15 min on each side. It could have gone a couple of minutes less overall but it was great. So flavorful!
My chicken was a bit over 4 pounds. I cranked up my four burner grill all the way and placed the chicken skin side down, and then turned the middle burners off and put the outside burners all the way down. I cooked it 15 min on each side. It could have gone a couple of minutes less overall but it was great. So flavorful!
Hands down one of the simplest and best grilled chicken recipes I have ever tried. Even the leftovers were tasty days later. The lemon and rosemary were the right combination and it tasted good with or without the skin.
wonderful – I never have fresh rosemary so I use a mixture of dried rosemary and fresh or dried thyme, sometimes I add a little herbs de provence. I marinate at least 8 hrs or better yet overnight I leave it spread open and put it in a 13 X 9 pan skin side down and cover tightly with cling rap in refrigerator.
One of my favorite ways to grill chicken. It’s also the most cost effective to buy a whole fryer than it already cut up. Plus it is great for those who like both dark and white meat. Google how to butterfly your chicken if you don’t know how. It’s super easy!
Enjoyed this recipe–as I do almost all Ina’s recipes. However, Cook’s Illustrated had a very similar recipe listed about two years ago. They butterflied but did not debone the chicken. Those of you who prefer to do it yourself–just butterfly the chicken by removing the backbone. Do not debone it, just be prepared to add some cooking time… Still a great recipe and unlike the Cook’s recipe–Ina uses less olive oil so there are fewer flare-ups on the grill!
I have made this chicken several times, truly wonderful! I had a dinner party, one of the guests being a cookbook writer…she went crazy over this. I love that Ina keeps things simple, fresh and always delicious!
This will become a staple at my house. Ok, so maybe the grocery store employees weren’t “thrilled” to have to debone and butterfly a chicken, but if you marinade the chicken overnight, it is incredibly good! Even my kids loved it! Great BBQ recipe.
This recipe is a keeper, I will definitely do it over and over again.
This is a wonderfully flavorful chicken and presents beautifully on the plate. I love doing it with Cornish Game Hens. I have made all of Ina’s roast chicken recipes and all are tasty but the butterflied look is beautiful.