BBQ recipes, product reviews, & how-to's
Grilled sweet potatoes are the perfect Thanksgiving side dish! These are essentially baked potatoes on the grill, but with the addition of a nice smoky flavor. This sweet potato recipe is more like a candied yams recipe in that we add brown sugar and marshmallows…
This white bean chicken chili is a warm, hearty bowl of deliciousness that is also a healthier alternative to traditional red meat chili. Follow along and learn how to make this fall food that can be eaten any time of year! White Chicken Chili Recipe…
Want to make a flavorful chicken that is more evenly cooked and is done faster? Then smoked spatchcock chicken will become your favorite method for this yardbird! This complete guide will walk you through every step of the process, from how to brine, spatchcock chicken, and even breaking down the pieces after the cook.
This spatchcock chicken recipe calls for a whole chicken, also known as a broiler, roaster, or fryer chicken. You can find these in the meat section at most supermarkets. Even big box stores like Walmart will carry them. They range between 5-7 lbs., so select one that will be enough for your meal.
To get more flavor out of your poultry, it is recommended to put it in a brine. Brining is the process of soaking meat in a solution of salt and water. The ideal ratio for a chicken brine is 1/2 cup of kosher salt for one gallon of water. Brining helps meat have more flavor and retain more moisture, which is ideal for chicken.
This recipe will add more ingredients to the brine to add more flavor. To create your brine, get a large, food grade bucket and fill it with two gallons of water. Next, pour in one cup of salt, 1/2 cup sugar, two tablespoons seasoning (I use Santa Maria), and juice of one lime. Feel free to throw in a sprig a thyme to add a touch of earthy, woodsy flavor. Stir ingredients together until salt, sugar, and seasoning are dissolved. Place chicken in the brine bucket and place in the refrigerator.
It is recommended to brine chicken between 8-24 hours. Lesser time won’t help the meat and more time will make the chicken too salty. Once you are done brining chicken, remove from the brine and rinse the yardbird off with water. Pat dry with a paper towel.
Spatchcocking a chicken simply means cutting out the backbone and breaking the breast bone to flatten the bird. This is also known as butterfly chicken. The reason this spatchcock chicken is effective is because you get a more even cook between the white and dark meats. The meat also cooks quicker. I do this with my smoked turkey recipe and it takes an hour or two off my cook time!
The best way for how to spatchcock a chicken is to cut down both sides of the spine. Using kitchen shears or a heavy duty kitchen knife, such as a chef’s knife or cleaver, will make the process easier. Remove the backbone and either set aside for making chicken stock or simply discard.
Turn the chicken over and press down on the center of the breasts. This will help flatten the chicken further to make for a more even cook.
Prepping the chicken is simple. Drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil on top and rub around on the skin. Apply two tablespoons of seasoning all over the skin. Use more if you need.
This recipe calls for zesty Italian dressing which we will use later, but now is a good time to have it ready. Take chicken out to the preheated grill at 375 degrees over indirect heat with pecan wood.
With the grill preheated at 375 degrees over indirect heat, place your spatchcock chicken skin up on the grill. After 30 minutes on the grill, baste the chicken with zesty Italian dressing. This will add some more, well zesty, flavor to the chicken.
Cooking times can vary due to the size of the chicken you are cooking with, but rule of thumb says two hours is how long to smoke spatchcock chicken. For the best results, cook by temp, not time. Chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees in white meat (breast), 175 degrees in dark meat (thighs, drums, wings).
When measuring internal temps, it is best to insert the digital meat thermometer, such as the Thermapen ONE, into the center of the thickest part of the meat. Since dark meat is fattier and doesn’t dry out as fast, I always probe the white meat.
The key element to a moist chicken is to let it rest! I don’t like using that “m” word, but I use it to make a point. Allowing the smoked spatchcock chicken rest for 15 minutes will help the meat to stop cooking internally and retain juices. Because if you slice right away, those juices will come running out and your meat will be too dry.
A cooked, spatchcocked chicken will be fairly easy to break down. The easiest place to start is with the legs. Since this is a spatchcock chicken, the legs are basically held together by the skin. Slice along the very top of the thigh and it’s already separated! If you want to break down the leg, look for the joint between the thigh and drumstick. Bend the drum away from the thigh to find the right part in the joint to cut. Use a chef’s knife or paring knife to cut through.
To cut the wings off from the main part of the body, find the joint that connects the wing under the breast. You can bend back and either pull off or use the tip of your knife at the joint toward the main body to cut apart.
Finally, the chicken breast will take a little strategy. Slice down the center where the two breasts meet together, slightly toward the side you are cutting off first. As you cut down, you will feel your chef’s knife start to hit bone. This is the point where you cut down at a 45-degree angle and finish through with your blade level with the cutting board.
Check out these side dishes for the perfect pairings:
Dutch Oven Fries (Five Guys Copycat)
Brussels Sprouts w/Bacon and Parmesean
If you happen to have leftovers, then I highly recommend trying my chicken bacon ranch Hawaiian roll slider recipe!
Want to make a flavorful chicken that is more evenly cooked and is done faster? This smoked spatchcock chicken will become your favorite method for this yardbird!
NOTE: Nutrition information isn't always accurate.
Smoked cream cheese is one of the easiest, tastiest appetizers you’ll ever make! It’s one of the best game day snacks out there and I’ll show you the steps to this easy appetizer. Three Ingredients. And Smoke. The ingredients list is short for this smoked…
Breakfast burritos are one of my most favorite things to eat on the planet. Turns out they are super simple to make, too. This chorizo breakfast burrito recipe will be one that you will keep coming back to! Let me show you the details. What…
This classic gooey butter cake recipe is a dessert that has ingredients of a cake but is served up like a brownie. With it’s buttery crust and flaky, gooey, cream cheese-based top, it’s one of the best dessert recipes out there!
As a native of St. Louis, I grew up on this dessert. Longing for a taste of home, I made this for my family years ago and it has since become a family favorite. This recipe is a must try!
Gooey butter cake got it’s origins in St. Louis in the 1930s when a baker accidentally reversed the measurements for butter and flour. Instead of letting it go to waste, especially during the Great Depression, the baker decided to sell it.
The local legend of a dessert was born as customers flocked to it. In this recipe, I will teach you how to make gooey butter cake.
To make this treat, you will need ingredients for the two layers. For the first layer, you’ll need a box of yellow cake mix, an egg, and a half cup of melted butter. The top layer requires an 8 oz brick of softened cream cheese, teaspoon of vanilla, two more eggs, and four cups of powdered sugar.
In a medium sized mixing bowl, put in yellow cake mix, one egg, and stick of melted butter. Mix together and pour into a greased 9×11 baking dish. In a separate mixing bowl, combine softened cream cheese, two more eggs, a teaspoon of vanilla, and four cups of powdered sugar. Mix until smooth, with no lumps. Pour on top of first layer, completely covering the edges and corners.
In your preheated oven or grill (indirect heat), place baking dish inside and cook at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.
As with most cake or brownie recipes, it’s best to use a toothpick to poke into the center of the gooey butter cake to make sure it is done. Unlike cake or brownies, you want to see a little batter on the toothpick. Hence, the “gooey” in front of “butter cake.”
Once pulled out of the oven or grill, sprinkle a light dusting of powdered sugar on top while it rests. Not that this recipe needs any more sugar, but it does add to the aesthetic of the dish.
While it may be tempting to eat right away, this ooey gooey butter cake needs to completely cool to room temperature. Otherwise, it will be too runny due to it’s gooey nature. Place on a cooling rack for at least two hours. If bottom of pan still feels warm, let cool for longer.
If you happen to have leftovers, you can keep it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days. I usually keep mine in a resealable plastic bag on the kitchen counter.
Being the BBQ blogger that I am, I like to make this on the grill with cherry wood over indirect heat. This gives it a kiss of smoke flavor that adds a little more depth to the flavor profile.
Gooey butter cake is a classic St. Louis dessert that combines a buttery crust with a gooey, cream cheese center with a flaky top. Dense with flavor and a classic for a reason!
NOTE: Nutrition information isn't always accurate.
This bacon jam recipe is so easy and makes the perfect topping for burgers and appetizers! Follow these easy steps to make this game changing topping! What is in Bacon Jam? Bacon jam is a perfect blend of sweet and savory. Bacon jam ingredients include…
Homemade smoked mac and cheese is the ultimate comfort food. I’ve tried different macaroni and cheese recipes over the years and this one is a winner! Using this tried and true recipe, and adding smoke flavor, makes this the ultimate side dish for any BBQ!…
Do you like hot wings, but also like that sweet flavor? These mango habanero chicken wings provide a nice balance of sweet and heat while taking your tastebuds for a ride. It’s makes for the best tailgate food!
When buying chicken wings at the store, they are usually sold as whole wings. You can find chicken wings in the store already separated, but they usually cost more per pound.
The whole wing is composed of three parts: the flat, the drum (or drumette), and the tip. When you order your favorite chicken wings at a restaurant, they come separated into flats and drums.
The drum is the thicker end of the chicken wing that was connected to the body of the chicken. It contains more dark meat, but does come with more cartilage to work around.
The flat of a chicken wing is the middle portion that is connected to joints on both sides. The flat has two thin bones and while it has less meat than the drum, it doesn’t have all that cartilage.
For this recipe, we are prepping 24 chicken wings as drums and flats. Use a paper towel to pat the wings dry. This will help you get crispy skin on your chicken wings, which is always a good thing.
In a medium-sized bowl, place your chicken wings and season with your favorite chicken rub. I prefer Ck rub from Christie Vanover at Girls Can Grill as it has a little heat to it. Pour in enough to cover two dozen wings, which should be about 1/2 Cup. Also add 1 1/2 Tablespoons of corn starch. This helps the skin on the wings get crispy as you cook them.
Preheat your grill to 375 degrees with cherry wood over indirect heat. Once at temp, place your seasoned wings on the grill and make sure none of them touch each other. This makes sure all the wings cook properly, especially the skin.
Cook for 25-30 minutes or until the wings hit close to 165 degrees. I recommend checking the temps with the Thermapen ONE from Thermoworks. I swear by it and use it on every cook I do.
This step for the mango habanero sauce takes the most work, and it’s still easy. Take three habaneros and cut of the stems, then slice in half to remove the seeds. Next, peel a mango and cut up into cubes, cutting around the seed in the middle.
In a blender or food processor, place the mango and habanero inside. You’ll also put in two cloves of garlic, 1/4 Cup apple cider vinegar, 1 Tablespoon honey, 1/4 Cup brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Blend until smooth.
Pour mango habanero sauce on the wings in the medium-sized mixing bowl from earlier and mix around in the bowl. I wear food safe nitrile gloves to do this.
Place back on grill and cook for another 10-15 minutes so the sauce gets cooked into the chicken wings, making them sticky. Remove and serve up with your favorite dipping sauce!
If you want spicier mango habanero chicken wings, then keep the seeds from the habanero in your mix. You can also use a spicier rub on the chicken wings, too.
If you want the sweet to dominate the heat, then add two more tablespoons of honey and increase your brown sugar from 1/4 to 1/3 Cup.
Yes, you can make this chicken wing recipe in the oven instead of the smoker. The smoke flavor will be missing, but the mango habanero sauce on the wings will still be awesome.
When stored properly in an airtight container, cooked chicken wings can last up to three days in the refrigerator. Reheat in an air fryer at 350 degrees for 5 minutes or in the oven at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.
Hosting a party? Here are some other ideas for your tailgate food (and/or party food):
Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers with Chorizo
Do you like hot wings, but also like that sweet flavor? These mango habanero chicken wings provide a nice balance of sweet and heat while taking your tastebuds for a ride. It's makes for the best tailgate food!
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Note: Nutrition information isn't always accurate.
Smoked beef birria tacos are next level! These flavorful, melt-in-your-mouth tacos dipped in a slowly simmered consommé will hit all the right spots with your taste buds! What is Birria? Birria is a meat stew from Mexico, traditionally made with goat or beef. The stew…
