Balsamic Grilled Spatchcock Chicken with Peaches

A beautiful spatchcock chicken makes a stunning summer dinner for two tonight, and the leftovers give you an easy head start on a completely different dinner tomorrow. This balsamic grilled chicken is juicy with crispy skin, paired with sweet grilled peaches, red onion, and basil. And, I'll show you exactly what you need to know about spatchcock chicken from how to spatchcock to how to grill including cooking times.

A whole chicken may sound like a lot when you're cooking for two. And yes, a 3-pound bird will probably leave you with leftovers. But around here, I like to think of that as a bonus.

Tonight, you get a gorgeous dinner that tastes like the best parts of summer. Juicy chicken with crispy, crackly skin. Sweet peaches that get a little charred and caramelized on the grill. Tangy red onion. Fresh basil. And a glossy balsamic glaze that somehow brings the whole thing together.

Tomorrow? You don't have to eat the same dinner again but it is so good you can do that to. But, this leftover chicken can become the starting point for something completely new. So don't let the size of a whole bird keep you from enjoying this lovely meal.

And when it comes to cooking a whole chicken on the grill, I think spatchcocking-or butterflying-it is absolutely the way to go. Removing the backbone allows the chicken to flatten out, which means more of that wonderful skin is exposed to the fire and the chicken cooks more evenly. We start it over the cooler side of the grill, giving the fat time to render and the skin time to dry out, then move it over the hotter fire for just a few minutes to crisp everything up.

But the real genius move here is the balsamic vinegar.

We marinate the whole bird for at least an hour-and you can let it soak up all that flavor for 6 hours or even overnight-in a mixture of balsamic vinegar, honey, mustard, garlic, and thyme. Meanwhile, more balsamic vinegar gets reduced with honey and red pepper flakes until it becomes thick, glossy, tangy, and just a little sweet.

When the chicken comes off the grill, we paint it with that beautiful glaze and toss the grilled peaches and red onion with a little more. A sprinkling of fragrant basil over the top finishes the whole thing off.

It is juicy, sweet, tangy, smoky, and a little messy in the very best way.

In other words, it tastes like the best parts of summer.

Jump to:

• What Is Spatchcock Chicken?
• How to Spatchcock a Chicken
• Balsamic Chicken Marinade
• The Honey Balsamic Glaze
• How to Grill Spatchcock Chicken
• Grilled Peaches Recipe
• Share your thoughts
• Leftover Spatchcock Chicken Ideas: Tonight's Dinner, Tomorrow's New Meal
• Balsamic Grilled Spatchcock Chicken with Peaches
• my new cookbook is here!

What Is Spatchcock Chicken?

If you've never heard the term before, spatchcock chicken is simply a whole chicken that has had its backbone removed so it can be opened up and flattened. You may also hear it called butterflied chicken.

Other than being a humorous word to say out loud, to spatchcock a chicken doesn't require special equipment or culinary school training. With a good pair of kitchen shears, you cut along both sides of the backbone, remove it, flip the chicken over, and press down firmly until the bird lies flat.

That's it.

But that simple step makes a big difference when you're grilling a whole chicken. Instead of trying to cook a thick, round bird evenly, the chicken lies flat on the grill. More of the skin is exposed to the heat, the chicken cooks more evenly, and you end up with a juicy, moist and flavorful chicken with a beautifully crisp skin.

And for this recipe, that's exactly what we're after.

How to Spatchcock a Chicken

If you're grilling a whole chicken, spatchcocking is the way to go. Removing the backbone and flattening the bird does more than make it look a little different-it changes the way the chicken cooks.

Because the chicken lies flat, the heat reaches more of the bird evenly. More skin is exposed to the grill, which means more crispy, golden skin. And because the chicken is flatter, the breasts and legs cook more evenly than they do when you're trying to grill a whole, round bird.

And here is a great tip, Most any butcher will be happy to spatchcock a whole chicken for you, saving you time and mess, but it's easy enough to do yourself. All you need is a pair of sturdy kitchen shears and a cutting board.

And that's it. You've just spatchcocked a chicken.

Balsamic Chicken Marinade

Now we get to the part that makes this balsamic grilled chicken so special.

The marinade is simple, but don't let that fool you. Balsamic vinegar brings the tang, honey adds just enough sweetness, Dijon mustard gives it a little bite, and garlic and thyme bring everything back to savory territory. A little olive oil rounds it all out.

For this recipe, an inexpensive supermarket brand of balsamic vinegar works just fine.

In a large bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, smashed garlic cloves, chopped fresh or dried thyme, kosher salt, and pepper. Gradually whisk in the extra-virgin olive oil until the marinade is smooth and emulsified.

Pat your spatchcocked chicken dry-this helps the marinade cling to the bird-then add the chicken to the bowl. Turn it over a few times, making sure every nook and cranny gets coated.

How Long to Marinate the Chicken

At the very least, give the chicken 1 hour in the marinade. That's enough time for the balsamic, honey, mustard, garlic, and thyme to help keep the chicken moist and flavorful.

If you have the time, though, let it go longer. Six hours is ideal, and you can even marinate the chicken overnight-up to 24 hours.

This is one of those recipes that makes summer entertaining a little easier. Get the chicken into the marinade earlier in the day, put it in the refrigerator, and when dinner time rolls around, you've already done most of the work.

Just remember to take the chicken out of the refrigerator while you get the grill ready so it isn't going straight from very cold to very hot.

And while the chicken is marinating, there's one more thing we can do ahead: make the balsamic glaze.

The Honey Balsamic Glaze

While the chicken is soaking up all those good balsamic flavors, let's make the glaze.

This is where things get really good.

Combine the remaining balsamic vinegar and honey in a small saucepan with a pinch of salt and a little red pepper flake. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat, then turn the heat down and let it gently simmer until it's reduced by about half.

You'll know it's ready when it has thickened into a glossy, syrupy glaze. It should still be pourable, but thick enough to cling to the chicken and those juicy grilled peaches.

The whole process takes about 10 to 15 minutes, so don't wander too far from the stove. Balsamic can go from beautifully reduced to oops, I just made balsamic candy surprisingly quickly.

Set the glaze aside to cool while you get the grill ready.

Note: You will find the measurements and other helpful ingredient tips in the recipe card below.

How to Grill Spatchcock Chicken

For this recipe, we take advantage of that shape by starting the chicken over the cooler side of the grill. The slower heat gives the fat beneath the skin time to render and helps dry the skin. Then we move the chicken over the hotter side of the grill for a few minutes to crisp and caramelize the skin.

The key is then to set up the grill for two-zone grilling: one side of the grill is hotter, and the other side is cooler. We start grilling on the cooler side, then finish over the heat to get that crispy, golden skin.

Setting Up a Charcoal Grill for Two-Zone Cooking

If you're cooking this spatchcock chicken on a charcoal grill, we're going to set things up so you have both a hot side and a cooler side of the grill. That gives you the control you need to cook the chicken gently first, then move it over the hotter coals to crisp up that beautiful skin.

Start by opening the bottom vent completely. Place a disposable aluminum pan on one side of the grill, with the long side facing toward the center. This will become your cooler, indirect-heat zone-and it will also catch any drippings, which is never a bad thing when you're working with chicken and a little honey in the marinade.

Next, fill a large chimney starter with charcoal briquettes and light it. Once the coals at the top are beginning to turn gray and ash over, carefully pour evenly over other half of grill (opposite the disposable pan).

Then scatter a few unlit coals over the top of the lit ones. Set the cooking grate in place, put on the lid, and open the top vent completely. Give the grill about 5 minutes to get good and hot.

And there you have it: one hot side for finishing the chicken with crispy skin and one cooler side where the spatchcock chicken can cook more gently.

Now you're ready to put that bird on the grill.

Setting Up a Gas Grill for Two-Zone Cooking

First, Turn all burners to high and close the lid on the grill. We are going to heat the grill until it is good and hot, about 15 minutes.

When ready to grill the chicken, leave the primary burner on high and turn other burner(s) to low. You will need to adjust the primary burner as needed to maintain grill temperature of 350 to 375 degrees.

Start Over Indirect Heat

Get your grill set up for two-zone cooking, with one side over direct heat and the other side cooler. Place the marinated chicken skin-side up on the cooler side of the grill, close the lid, and let the grill do its work.

This slower cooking time allows the fat under the skin to render while the chicken cooks gently. It also gives the skin a chance to dry out, which is exactly what we want if crispy skin is the goal.

How Long Does Spatchcock Chicken Take to Cook?

For a 3-pound spatchcock chicken, plan on roughly 35 to 50 minutes of total grilling time, depending on the size of the grill, grill temperature and size of the bird.

But here's the important part: don't cook by the clock alone.

Chicken is done when the thickest part of the meat reaches the proper internal temperature. An instant-read thermometer is your best friend here.

Finish Over Direct Heat for Crispy Skin

Once the chicken is nearly cooked through, it's time for the fun part.

Move the chicken, skin-side down, over the hotter side of the grill. This only takes a few minutes, so stay close. The skin will quickly turn golden and crisp, and you'll get those beautiful grill marks that make everyone think you worked much harder than you actually did.

Watch for flare-ups from the rendered chicken fat, and move the chicken if needed.

And this is when I like to have that honey balsamic glaze ready.

As soon as the chicken comes off the grill, brush it generously with the glaze and let it rest before carving. The warm chicken soaks up some of that sweet-tangy balsamic goodness while the juices settle back into the meat.

What Temperature Is Spatchcock Chicken Done?

The thermometer is the final word here. Check the thickest part of the breast and the thickest part of the thigh, avoiding the bone.

Once the chicken reaches the safe internal temperature, take it off the grill and let it rest before carving. My best tip is to pull when the breast hits 160°F, not 145°F and not 170°F but somewhere between 155°F and 160°F. I will repeat this - pull it when the breast reaches a temperature between 155°F and 160°F.

Speaking of resting, that little rest matters. This gives the juices a chance to redistribute, and you'll be rewarded with much juicier chicken when you finally slice into it.

Grilled Peaches Recipe

Heat up your grill and let it get good and hot. Meanwhile, halve your onion and peaches. Oh, and also remove the peach pit.

Once your grill has had about 15 minutes to heat up, clean and oil the cooking grate. Brush the cut sides of the peaches and onion with a little of that honey balsamic glaze, then place them cut-side down on the hot grill. Let them cook until they're nicely charred and caramelized, turning once halfway through. This should take about 4 minutes.

You're looking for those beautiful dark grill marks and peaches that are warm and slightly softened but still holding their shape.

Transfer the peaches and onion to a large plate and let them cool just enough to handle. Then cut the peaches into quarters and slice the onion.

When you're ready to serve, spoon the warm grilled peaches and onion right over the chicken. Add a little more balsamic glaze, scatter the fresh basil over the top, and bring it all to the table.

Leftover Spatchcock Chicken Ideas: Tonight's Dinner, Tomorrow's New Meal

Now let's talk about that 3-pound chicken.

If you're cooking for two, you may be tempted to skip a whole chicken because it sounds like a lot of food. But this is exactly where a little leftover chicken can become a very good thing.

Tonight, enjoy the balsamic grilled spatchcock chicken with those sweet, smoky peaches, red onion, and fresh basil. Then tuck the remaining chicken away in the refrigerator and give it a completely different personality tomorrow night.

No reheating the same plate and calling it dinner.

Below you'll find a few of my favorite ways to turn leftover spatchcock chicken into tomorrow night's dinner. From Chicken Taco Salad, A Grain Bowl with pickled corn, blueberries and chicken to Chili Verde Chicken Enchiladas. Just click on the photos for the recipes and swap in the the spatchcock chicken for the meat!

Because when you're cooking for two, a whole chicken doesn't have to mean eating chicken for three nights in a row.