Five Spice Grilled Spatchcocked Chicken with Soy Glaze
Look no further for a wonderful grilled spatchcocked chicken recipe! This whole grilled chicken is easy to make.
Recently, I found a bunch of whole chickens on deep discount. I bought 10 of them and put them straight in the deep freezer! I cut several up to make fried chicken, but also decided I wanted to try my hand at grilling chicken whole. I have done this before while leaving the bird intact (like in this Smoked Beer Can Chicken recipe), but when I researched my options, it really seemed like spatchcocking the chicken was my best option if I was going to grill the chicken!
Now, I don’t want you to be scared to learn how to spatchcock a chicken. If I can do it, you can do it. I promise. My secret? I use kitchen shears to cut the backbone out of the chicken! That’s it!
I love a good barbecue grilled chicken, but I wanted to mix the flavors up a bit for this recipe. So, for the spices, I used Chinese five spice powder, which has a combination of ground anise, cloves, Chinese cinnamon, Sichuan pepper, and fennel seeds. It’s super fragrant and pairs perfectly with chicken! To the five-spice powder, I added just a bit of garlic, ginger and salt to round it out. For the glaze, I kept it simple with soy, brown sugar and seasonings.
If you happen to get rained on, you can absolutely do this recipe in the oven. I would, however, recommend using a roasting rack to keep the chicken out of its juices.
Serving Suggestions
Pair this wonderful grilled chicken with grilled corn on the cob, kimchi slaw, Asian cucumber salad, air fryer mac and cheese, fresh apple gorgonzola salad or the best potato salad recipe!
For dessert, try something like this beautiful Heaven on Earth cake, or my Easy Blueberry Cobbler!
Saving Leftover Grilled Chicken
If you have leftover chicken, lucky you! Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. I like to reheat it in the oven or in the air fryer to give the skin a chance to crisp back up.
I hope this helps you grill spatchcock chicken to perfection! If you enjoy this recipe, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below.
Five Spice Grilled Spatchcocked Chicken with Soy Glaze
Ingredients
- 3-4 pound whole chicken, livers and gizzards removed
For the dry rub:
- 2 tablespoons Chinese five spice rub
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ginger, ground
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
For the sweet soy glaze:
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
- 2 green onion stalks, finely diced
Instructions
- Prepare your grill to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, and for indirect heat grilling.
- In a small bowl, add the spice rub ingredients. Stir to combine.
- To prepare the chicken, place on a cutting board breast side down. Staring at the neck, use kitchen scissors or poultry shears to cut along each side of the backbone to remove it. Once you have cut down each side of the spine, you should be able to pull the back bone free. Discard the backbone to use to make broth.
- Flip the chicken over, spreading both sides out. Press down on the breastbone, flattening the chicken until it is completely flat.
- Pat all sides of the chicken with paper towels. Sprinkle the spice rub on the chicken and gently rub it into the skin, making sure to cover both sides.
- Place the chicken breast side up directly on the grill grates. Grill over indirect heat for about 40-45 minutes.
- While the chicken is grilling, prep the soy glaze. Add all ingredients except the fresh green onions into a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 1 minutes, then whisk to combine. If the brown sugar has not dissolved, microwave in additional 30 second increments until it is. Add the diced green onions and allow to rest at room temperature.
- Next, transfer the chicken to direct heat to finish and add char, grilling for about 5 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Brush with the soy glaze every 1-2 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the grill and transfer to a rimmed platter or tray to catch the juices. Allow the chicken to rest for at least 10-15 minutes. It will reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit (or more) during this rest time, and the juices will redistribute during this time.
- Cut into pieces, serve warm or at room temperature.
