Grilled Whole Chicken on the Barbecue with dry rub seasoning – Cooking a whole chicken on the grill gives the chicken a rotisserie like flavor that is unbeatable. At first, it can seem a little intimidating cooking a whole chicken. But, don’t worry, it’s pretty dang easy!
When cooking the chicken, I used a gas grill and put a temperature gauge in there to make sure the temperature was about 375 degrees. You can also use a charcoal grill. Just place the charcoals on one side of the barbecue and monitor the temperature of the inside of the grill.
You will also need a meat thermometer to make sure the chicken is cooked thoroughly to 165 degrees.
Ingredients you need for this recipe:
- Whole Young Chicken
- Butter
- Paprika
- Chili Powder
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Creole Seasoning (use salt if you don’t have creole)
- Black Pepper
- Yellow Onion
- Garlic Cloves
Tools to have on hand for this recipe:
How to Grill a Whole Chicken On The Barbecue:
Clean the chicken: Remove all the giblets, trim, and pat the chicken dry.
Stuff the chicken with the onion and garlic cloves. Tie chicken legs together with kitchen thread.
In a small bowl, mix the seasonings and melted butter. Rub this mixture all over the entire chicken. You can use a basting brush to make this a cleaner process.
To Cook the Chicken: Heat your grill to high heat on one side. You want the temperature inside your grill to be about 375 degrees. To barbecue the chicken, we will be using indirect heat. Place chicken on the barbecue with the legs facing the back of the barbecue on the opposite side of the heat. Close the lid and let cook for 45 minutes and do not open. Rotate the chicken so the wings are facing the back of the barbecue and close the lid. Let cook for another 40 minutes. Internal temperature of the chicken should be 165 degrees.
Once your chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees, it is ready to come off the grill. Let the chicken rest for about five minutes. Carve your chicken and serve!
If you enjoyed this recipe, here are a few more grilling recipes I think you’ll love:
- BBQ Pork Skewers with Filipino BBQ Marinade – Delicious grilled pork skewers in a homemade sticky, sweet, and spicy Filipino style BBQ marinade. This grilled pork recipe is one of my favorite things to cook on the grill.
- Grilled Spicy BBQ Chicken Thighs – Juicy grilled chicken thighs basted in a spicy homemade barbecue sauce.
- Teriyaki Chicken Skewers – The most delicious marinated teriyaki chicken grilled to perfection and finished with a delicious teriyaki sauce.
- BBQ Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs – Seasoned chicken thighs wrapped in thick cut bacon, basted in a sweet sauce and then grilled to crisp perfection.
How To Grill A Whole Chicken On The Barbecue
Ingredients
- 4-5 lb. whole young chicken
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp creole seasoning use salt if you don’t have creole
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 large yellow onion
- 4 large garlic cloves
Instructions
- Clean the chicken: Remove all the giblets, trim, and pat the chicken dry.
- Stuff the chicken with the onion and garlic cloves. Tie chicken legs together with kitchen thread.
- In a small bowl, mix the seasonings and melted butter. Rub this mixture all over the entire chicken. You can use a basting brush to make this a cleaner process.
- To Cook the Chicken: Heat your grill to high heat on one side. You want the temperature inside your grill to be about 375 degrees. To barbecue the chicken, we will be using indirect heat. Place chicken on the barbecue with the legs facing the back of the barbecue on the opposite side of the heat. Close the lid and let cook for 45 minutes and do not open. Rotate the chicken so the wings are facing the back of the barbecue and close the lid. Let cook for another 40 minutes. Internal temperature of the chicken should be 165 degrees.
- Once your chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees, it is ready to come off the grill. Let the chicken rest for about five minutes. Carve your chicken and serve!
I had my bbq at a great constant temp of 375 but the 4 lb chicken took 45 mins then a further 55 mins and was still just 145 internal temp. Otherwise it was absolutely delish and so moist.