Smoky Cajun Butterflied Chicken

Butterflying (Spatchcock), which is a process to remove the backbone of a chicken, lets you grill a whole bird evenly without a rotisserie. The smoked paprika in this recipe gives the chicken a wonderfully smoky flavour. Perfect for a weekday family meal.

20 min

Ingredients

Whole Tied Chicken

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1 Whole Tied Chicken
1 small onion, peeled & quartered
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons of smoked paprika
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon each of salt and black pepper
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

Directions

1. Place whole chicken breast side down on a work surface. Starting at the leg end, cut along one side of the backbone with kitchen shears. Turn chicken around; cut along the other side. Discard backbone or save for stock. Flip chicken and open it like a book. Press firmly on the breastbone to flatten.

2. Puree or mince onion (a mini-chop or food processor works well here) and mix with remaining marinade ingredients to form a paste.

3. Rub flattened chicken with paste, starting on the underside, under the skin where possible (using your fingers) and the top of skin; let marinade in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

4. Grill over medium indirect heat, breast side down, for about 10 to 15 minutes until skin is charred; turn and cook 30 to 40 minutes or until the internal temperature reads 165 °F (78 °C) in the thickest part of the chicken.

5. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting into serving pieces.