Rosemary Lemon Grilled Spatchcocked Chicken (Butterflied Chicken)
This keto grilled spatchcocked chicken recipe features the most delicious rosemary lemon chicken marinade! With this butterflied chicken trick, you can grill a whole chicken in less than 45 minutes!
Table of Contents
What is Spatchcocked/Butterflied Chicken?
Spatchcocking or Butterflying is the process of removing the backbone of the whole chicken to make it able to completely open and flattened, so it cooks faster! This process reduces the time of cooking a whole bird to just 45 minutes!
These terms are used interchangeably and mean the same thing. While it may sound intimidating, it’s actually quite easy. This recipe will walk you through the steps to do it yourself at home!
What Makes This Recipe Great
The weather is warming up, Memorial Day is almost here, and I don’t know about you, but bbq season is about to commence and I am SO excited! I will be making this rosemary lemon grilled spatchcocked chicken all summer long!
This butterflied chicken recipe features the most delicious rosemary lemon chicken marinade, I just can’t get enough! Simply smother the chicken in lemon zest, rosemary, and garlic olive oil rub. The best part? It’s cooked and ready in less than 45 minutes. Summer grilling is my favorite!
Watch The Recipe Video
Note: You can also watch this recipe video on YouTube.
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken: I love using Cooks Venture chicken since all of their chicken is pasture-raised and the highest quality you can buy.
- Herbs: I love using rosemary, but you could use thyme if that’s what you have. Fresh is always best, but you can use dried also. You’ll need about 1.5 tablespoons of dried rosemary (or thyme).
- Avocado Oil: Or your favorite neutral cooking oil.
- Lemons: Using fresh lemons is best for this recipe. A bottle of lemon juice will work in a pinch.
- Fresh Garlic: You’ll need fresh garlic cloves, grated, or finely chopped.
- Salt and Pepper: Use to taste.
Rosemary Lemon Chicken Marinade
The very *best* part of this recipe is the grilled lemons. You simply cut the lemons in half and grill them during the last few minutes of cooking the chicken. The heat cooks out all the sourness of the lemon and reduces the juices and pulp inside. When you squeeze out the lemons, the pulp gets all thick and wonderful, almost like a paste.
This lemon chicken marinade is the go-to marinade that I make constantly because I always have these items on hand. It’s so simple with minimal ingredients and packs in tons of flavor.
Recipe Step by Step
- Make the marinade in a large bowl by combining the avocado oil, lemon zest, rosemary, garlic, kosher salt, and black pepper. Stir this rosemary lemon chicken marinade with a fork to combine.
- Spatchcock the chicken by placing the whole chicken breast side down on your cutting board. Using kitchen shears, cut along either side of the spine to remove the spine from the chicken. Flip the chicken over so it is now breast side up, place your palm on the breast bone in the center, then use medium pressure to push down on the breast and sides of the backbone until you hear a crack and are able to get the chicken flattened.
- Marinate the chicken by placing the butterflied chicken in the large bowl with the rosemary lemon chicken marinade. Use your hands to rub it all over the chicken on both sides. You can grill right away, or allow the chicken to marinate for up to 3 days covered in the refrigerator.
- Heat your grill over medium heat (I heat my Traeger Grill at 400ºF). Clean and oil the grill grates. You can use a charcoal grill or gas grill, but keep in mind that cooking times may vary.
- Grill the chicken and lemons on your grill once your grill is fully heated. Grill the chicken breast side up, and the lemons cut side down. Cook until the chicken skin is crispy and the chicken has an internal temperature of 165ºF. On my Traeger Grill, it takes about 45-55 minutes. No need to flip the chicken, but you can flip it halfway through cooking if you prefer.
- Carve and serve the butterflied chicken along with the grilled lemons. Squeeze out the grilled lemons on top of the breast meat and enjoy!
Expert Tips
Oven Roasted: You can make this in the oven by placing the marinated butterflied chicken and the cut lemons on a rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan and roasting at 425ºF for 40-50 minutes until the skin is crispy and the chicken has an internal temperature of 165ºF.
Spatchcocking: Spatchcocking (butterflying) is really simple, but if it intimidates you, you can ask your butcher to do this for you. I love spatchcocking a chicken for a few reasons:
- it grills faster since it’s butterflied chicken.
- it’s more flavorful since you’re able to easily season and marinate all sides of the flattened chicken.
- it’s so much easier to carve after.
Chicken Spine: After removing the backbone, freeze the chicken spine and add it to your next batch of bone broth.
Equipment: I like to use kitchen scissors to prepare and butterfly the chicken, and then a sharp kitchen knife to carve after it is done roasting. Use what you feel comfortable with!
Storage Tips
- Leftovers will keep in an airtight container refrigerated for at least 5 days, or frozen for at least 6 months.
Recipe FAQs
If you’ve never carved a chicken before, check out this How To Carve A Chicken post. It’s so easy, and not as intimidating as it seems.
Yes! This recipe chicken is just 1 net carb per serving! Serve it with low carb sides to keep the net carbs low.
More Grilling Recipes
Did you love this recipe? Thank you! Please give this recipe a star rating and leave a review below. I respond to every one! Be sure to follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, and Facebook. Tag me if you try a recipe!
Rosemary Lemon Grilled Spatchcocked Chicken (Butterflied Chicken)
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken (around 3 pounds)
- 1/4 cup avocado oil
- 3 lemons, zested, then sliced in half
- 3 sprigs of rosemary, chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, grated or finely chopped
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
Equipment
Instructions
- Make the marinade in a large bowl by combining the avocado oil, lemon zest, rosemary, garlic, kosher salt and black pepper. Stir this rosemary lemon chicken marinade with a fork to combine.
- Spatchcock the chicken by placing the whole chicken breast side down on your cutting board. Using kitchen shears, cut along either side of the spine to remove the spine from the chicken. Flip the chicken over so it is now breast side up, place your palm on the breast bone in the center, then use medium pressure to push down on the breast until you hear a crack and are able to get the chicken flattened.
- Marinate the chicken by placing the butterflied chicken in the large bowl with the marinade. Use your hands to rub it all over the chicken on both sides. You can grill right away, or allow the chicken to marinate for up to 3 days covered in the refrigerator.
- Heat your grill over medium heat (I heat my Traeger Grill at 400ºF). Clean and oil the grill grates.
- Grill the chicken and lemons on your grill once your grill is fully heated. Grill the chicken breast side up, and the lemons cut side down. Cook until the chicken skin is crispy and the chicken has an internal temperature of 165ºF. On my Traeger Grill it takes about 45-55 minutes. No need to flip the chicken, but you can flip it half way through cooking if you prefer.
- Rest the chicken on your cutting board for 10 minutes.
- Carve and serve the chicken along with the grilled lemons. Squeeze out the grilled lemons on top of the chicken. The lemon pulp gets thick and concentrated as it is grilled and loses a lot of its sourness. It's very delicious!
- Leftover grilled spatchcocked chicken will keep in an airtight container refrigerated for at least 5 days, or frozen for at least 6 months.
- See the Recipe Notes below for more tips, FAQ's and ingredient substitutions.
47 Comments on “Rosemary Lemon Grilled Spatchcocked Chicken (Butterflied Chicken)”
This chicken is SO easy to do and is a crowd pleaser. I got my hubby a traeger for our anniversary in December and after I prepped this chicken and told him to get it to 165 degrees it has been perfect each time and he raves that this is the best chicken he has done on it. This will be what we make when having company over because it’s so easy and delicious. Paired with baked potatoes and a simple green salad. Perfection!
Aww, thank you Harriet! This is such a wonderful comment to read. So happy you and your husband enjoy this recipe so much. And Happy Belated Anniversary!
Do you close the grill cover? This is important. I didn’t see this noted
Yes, covered!
This was the most delicious chicken I have done on the grill. I spatchcock my chicken myself, having a wonderful supplier of fresh organic chicken weekly.
I will be making this recipe frequently during this short summer of ours in northern Ontario Canada.
Thanks so much!!
I am so happy you liked my chicken Lyn! Even better that it is your favorite chicken on the grill. That makes my day! I am so glad you will be making it throughout the summer. Yeah!
This is the 4th time we have made this recipe, it is so simple yet the most amazing chicken recipe I have. The lemons make it for sure.
I’m so glad you like it! This is one of our family favorites! Especially since by flattening it, the chicken cooks way faster on the grill. Thanks for letting me know you liked my recipe, this made my day!
Thank you for making your recipes printable.
Made this tonight! Wow!! Easier than I thought and AMAZING! This will definitely be a repeat!
I am so glad to hear that Lori! I love this dinner. One of my favorites. Nothing better than flavorful and crispy skinned chicken. Thank you so much for taking the time and letting me know you like my recipe. You just made my day!
This chicken looks amazing! Sad it took me this long to finally read about it. I’ve never had grilled lemons. Wow, they sounds like the best.
Hope CA has cooled off a bit! 100+ weather is no joke!
Great photography here! Looks tasty :)
Ooof sorry about the heat, girl! No wonder you’re steering clear of the kitchen, but geez what a fab dinner to make on the grill regardless! I love that it takes under an hour and I NEED to experience a grilled lemon.
Sweat marks are the worst! Poor Shawn! I love grilled lemons! They add such a great flavor to everything you add them to. I’ve never cooked a whole chicken before, but that seems like such a great idea to cut the backbone out and flatten it. We finally got a bunch of rain and it has cooled things down a bit. I’ll keep my fingers crossed that you get some cool weather soon!!
Wow great chicken recipe, I’m sorry that it’s so dang out for you guys! Hang in there, fall we be there soon. The weather is cooling off in NC but it’s still great grilling weather. I’ll have the hubby make this for us, pinning!
Rosemary and lemon is a great combination for chicken. This video i great, I love it. Pinning !
The grass is always greener…because I want your heat! I feel like summer never came here and we only got to use our grill a handful of times. Soup is for dinner more often than not! This chicken looks so good! But I kinda get the hebejeebees (?) when I have to cut off the backbone. Maybe I can get Jon to do it next time since he is in charge of the grill :)
This chicken looks perfect! It’s funny the weather is hot there because it’s around 55 here in Philly now :(
Wow!! This looks super impressive!! I tried this once (the flatten chicken thing) but I am such a wuss that I gagged the whole time I tried to take the bone out. COULD NOT HANDLE IT! ha! I am going to be brave and try again because this looks so worth it!!
I LOOOVE lemon and rosemary flavors on pretty much everything, and this chicken looks absolutely delicious!!
No wonder this is a favorite it looks delicious! I’ve got to give it a try on the grill before the grilling days are gone here in PA.
Have a beautiful day!
This seriously has to be the most gorgeous chicken I have ever seen! I am salivating!
This chicken looks so perfectly crispy and charred. Great video too, I love the way those grilled lemons release all that amazing juice.
Oh my, this does look delicious. Totes agree with you about the grilled chicken, I love the stuff.