ChezCindy: Butterflied Grilled Chicken with Herb Butter

 

Fresh herbs from the garden mixed with sweet creamy butter is a wonderful addition to grilled chicken to enjoy dining outside on a warm Spring Day.  

Here I used a whole chicken that I "butterflied" to open it up to expose the cavity and lay flat on the grill grates.  Individual pieces of bone-in chicken would work great too.  Basting with the herbed butter at the last minute before removing from the grill will create a lovely sauce to compliment the natural chicken juices.  

Butterflied Grilled Chicken with Herb Butter

1 whole chicken, 4-5 pounds, butterflied

    or bone-in pieces, leg quarters and/or breast 

1 tablespoon oil

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 stick unsalted butter, softened 

4-5 large sprigs of various herbs

    tarragon, rosemary, basil, and/or thyme

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Light the grill to preheat to a temperature of 400-425 degrees using the indirect heat method for either gas or charcoal.   

Make the herb butter:  Place the softened butter into a small bowl.  Remove the leaves of the herbs from the stems, chopping the leaves into small pieces.  Add the chopped leaves to the bowl with the butter, along with the teaspoon of salt.  Mix to combine.  

Prepare the chicken for grilling:  Using paper towels, pat dry the chicken on the top skin and bottom cavity.  Brush or rub the skin of the chicken with the oil.  Sprinkle the tablespoon of salt over the entire chicken.  Transfer to a large sheet tray to transition to the grill.  Once the grill is hot, place the chicken cavity side down over indirect heat onto the grill grate.  Close the lid and grill undisturbed without turning, moving, or opening the lid for 25-30 minutes.  Watch for flair ups so that the chicken doesn't burn.  Cooking over indirect heat should minimize flair ups.  We are grilling the chicken on one side, not flipping over, remaining skin-side up for the entire cooking time. 

At 25-30 minutes, begin checking the internal temperature.  Once the chicken reaches 150 degrees at the thickest part, the skin should be nicely browned at this point.  Add 2-3 tablespoons of the herb butter to the top of the chicken.  With the lid open, continue cooking until the chicken reaches 160 degrees.  Remove the chicken to a clean sheet tray or serving platter.  Carry-over cooking while resting the chicken for 5-7 minutes will continue bringing the chicken to 165 degrees.  Serve with additional herb butter dolloped on the chicken.