Barbeque Spatchcock Chicken: A Weber Q Recipe to Up Your Camping Game.

Barbeque spatchcock chicken turns an ordinary grilled chicken dinner into a spectacular feast. Spatchcocking a chicken is nothing more than butterflying it before cooking. This method of cooking is perfectly suited for any barbecue grill, especially a portable Weber Q gas grill.

I am a beginner barbecuer and a new camper, so finding a foolproof grilling strategy for chicken was critical. Researching Weber Q recipes, I came across spatchcock chicken and discovered that barbecuing a whole butterflied chicken on the grill is an absolutely stunning way to serve chicken. And because the chicken lies flat to cook, it cooks more evenly and in less time than if it was oven-baked. 

Up your grilled chicken, and your camping game, by spatchcocking a chicken on your Weber Q grill at your next camp cookout!

This post is all about Barbeque Spatchcock Chicken, a Weber Q recipe for your gas grill.

BBQ Whole Chicken

Chicken is a no-brainer in our weekly meal rotation, whether we’re eating at home, tailgating, or we’re out camping.

Chicken is usually cheaper to find when buying the whole bird versus individual pieces already prepped and cut. I buy it in bulk when it’s on sale and like to cook the whole chicken at once, ensuring the possibility of leftovers. Plus, cooking chicken with the bone left in adds more flavor, while keeping the skin on locks in the juices.

How to Spatchcock Chicken

Butterflying a whole chicken so that it lies flat during cooking is an easy way to achieve even cooking. This method of cooking can be done on a whole chicken (cornish hen, or turkey) by cutting out the backbone (picture 1), then pushing down on the breastbone to break it (picture 2) so the bird can be sprawled out and positioned flat for grilling (picture 3).

• Locate the backbone of the chicken. Lay the chicken breast and leg side down, with the bottom opening closest to you.
• Remove any innards from its cavity.
• Use the triangle-shaped tail to guide the scissors, cutting all the way up to the neck. Use good kitchen shears to cut through the ribs.
• Repeat on the other side until the backbone is removed completely.
• Turn the chicken over and press down hard on the breastbone, breaking it so the chicken will lie flat.
• Alternately, you can remove the breastbone, rather than pushing it down to break it. Here is a great video tutorial on how to remove both the backbone and the breastbone. 
• Once deboned, rub with cooking oil and liberally season both sides with your favorite spice blend.

How to Cook Spatchcock Chicken

While the Weber Q grill was preheating on high heat for 15 minutes, I threw a handful of apple smoking chips into a make-shift foil pouch – a sheet of aluminum foil loosely crumpled into a ball. For an unbelievably smoky flavor, leave a small opening at the top for the smoke to escape. I picked my wood chips up at the grocery store in the barbecue aisle, but of course, Weber makes their own brand.

Grilled Spatchcock Chicken 

Another reason I wanted to cook a whole chicken on the barbecue was I didn’t want to have to tend to individual chicken pieces halfway through cooking, so I opted for a low and slow roasting method using indirect heat. A roasting rack served as a trivet to suspend the butterflied chicken off the cooking surface during cooking, circulating the hot air all the way around the bird.

Butterfly Chicken Cooking Time

• Roast chicken on medium heat until cooked to 165 degrees.
• Rest at least 10 minutes before carving.

Weber includes a Grilling Guide with their grills, but as a general rule, whole chicken roasts for about 15-20 minutes per pound. I started checking mine after 45 minutes of medium heat, then reset my timer for two 20-minute intervals until the meat thermometer read 165 degrees between the leg and breast meat. My almost 3.5-pound chicken took an hour and 25 minutes, but we live in a colder climate at a higher elevation (4500 feet), both of which increase cooking time.

Weber Q Helpful Hints

One of the first things I bought when I purchased my little travel trailer was an equally little barbeque grill. I wanted something I could handle on my own, and Weber’s “Baby Q” propane gas grill fit the bill.

The Weber Q 1200 gas grill fits perfectly in the backseat, making transport a breeze:

Find the Weber Q120 Grill Here

What I love most about these small gas grills is that a total barbecue novice like myself can serve up insanely impressive dishes just by following some basic Weber recommendations: 

• Always preheat on high flame for 10-15 minutes before grilling. This keeps food from sticking to the grates & provides a flavorful sear.
• If needed, scrape the grill grates clean with a wire grill brush after the grill is preheated. Food will stick to particles left behind. 
• Always grill with lid the closed because:
  1. It keeps the grill grates hot enough to sear the meat & cook the food.
  2. It provides natural convection around the food, speeding up the cooking time and keeping moisture inside the meat.
  3. When the fat and juices vaporize in the grill, the closed lid traps the smokiness all around the meat, imparting all of that mouthwatering barbeque flavor.
  4. It keeps food from burning from fire flare-ups, which are fueled by free-flowing oxygen around the grill. Keeping the lid closed, limits the amount of oxygen inside the grill and will smother any flare-ups.

Weber Q Recipes

As far as grilling on the Weber Q, I couldn’t have picked a better grill to start adventuring outside more often. It performs flawlessly with meat entrees, like the spatchcock chicken, but what about recipes requiring a little more finesse? 

The Weber grill did not disappoint. I also tried a few recipes for appetizers this week and thought you’d appreciate knowing that no which recipe you decide to try, this portable gas grill can get the job done.

Puff Pastry Tomato Tart:

Onion Bombs:

Conclusion

Barbequing a whole butterflied chicken on the grill is a surefire way to elevate your camping game. 

Another post you might like for camp meal inspiration is the #1 Camp Baking Method for Campers Without a Campfire.

This post was all about Barbeque Spatchcock Chicken, a Weber Q recipe for your gas grill.