Cooking surfaces
BBQ Temperature
Main ingredient
Cook Type
Roast
Vertical roast chicken is probably the best and simplest way to cook a whole chicken on the Big Green Egg. Cooking it vertically seems to keep the chicken far moister than if it just laid down in a traditional trivet. It also gives you way more space to cook on your grill so why not cook more that one at a time?
The one pictured is the most simple, just a dash of oil and then a sprinkling of salt and pepper. However there’s nothing to stop you from putting herbs and butter under the skin along with seasoning.
If you really want to spice it up, apply a firely rub to the outside of the chicken. Perfect.
Ingredients
- 1 chicken
- Olive oil to rub into the skin
- Maldon Salt
- Pepper, freshly ground
Method
- Setup your Big Green Egg for an indirect cook (plate setter feet up, stainless grid on top).
- Get the temperature of your Egg to around 180°C, or 200°C if your bird is really moist and you want a crispy skin.
- Prep your chicken with the seaoning of your choice.
- Remove any trussing and let the wings free (untuck them).
- Place the vertical chicken roaster inside the chicken and stand on the Egg. You can use a drip pan if you wish to collect the juices and make a gravy at the end of the cook.
- Cook with the Egg lid shut for around 1hour 15mins for a medium chicken.
- Probe the meat with a Thermapen or the equivalent. You’re aiming for the chicken to reach 74°C or higher in the thickest part of the meat.
- Once cooked rest for at least 15 minutes covered in foil.
- Carve and serve.
Notes
When carving chicken or turkey, it’s much better to take the full breast off the bird and then carve across the breast, across the muscle fibres. The traditional way of carving slices off the bird results in you cutting along the fibres of the muscle and the resulting slice will tase far more moist.