Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- SPATCHCOCK: Place the chicken breast-side down on a large cutting board. Using sharp kitchen shears, cut along both sides of the backbone and remove it entirely. Flip the chicken over so the breasts face up. Press down firmly on the breastbone with both hands until it cracks and flattens. Tuck the wing tips behind the back. Pat the chicken dry if needed.
- SEASON: Season the entire surface of the chicken generously with Kinder's All Purpose Seasoning -- both sides, including the underside. Let the seasoned chicken sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- GRILL SETUP: Prepare a two-zone cooking setup on the grill. Preheat for 5-10 minutes until the grill reaches 350 degrees F. Clean the grates with a grill brush and wipe with a lightly oiled cloth.
- INDIRECT COOK: Place the chicken skin-side UP on the cooler, indirect side of the grill, with the legs angled toward the hotter zone. Close the lid and cook until the thickest part of the breast reaches 120 degrees F -- approximately 35 to 45 minutes.
- DIRECT CHAR: Once the breast hits 120 degrees F, move the chicken skin-side DOWN directly over the hot zone. Grill uncovered for 5-7 minutes until the skin is deeply browned and lightly charred. While skin-side down, brush the underside (now facing up) with Kinder's Chipotle Pineapple BBQ Sauce.
- SAUCE AND FINISH: Carefully transfer the chicken back to the indirect side, skin-side UP. Brush the top generously with Kinder's Chipotle Pineapple BBQ Sauce. Close the lid and cook for 5 minutes until the sauce begins to set. Add a second layer of sauce, close the lid again, and continue cooking until the thickest part of the breast reaches 150 degrees F -- about 5 to 10 additional minutes.
- REST AND CARVE: Remove from the grill and rest for 10 minutes. Carve and serve -- the chicken will have continued cooking during the rest to a fully safe temperature.
Nutrition
Notes
- Paper towel grip — Grip the spine at the cut edge with a dry paper towel while the shears do the cutting. The paper towel gives you control over the carcass without your hand slipping. Worth the extra second.
- Crack the breastbone fully — Press down with both palms until you feel and hear the break. If it's only partially cracked, the bird bows in the center and the breast cooks faster than the thigh. Flat is even. Flat is the whole point.
- Indirect first, direct to finish — Starting skin-side up over indirect heat lets the breast reach 120°F without the skin touching the flame. Flipping to direct heat after that gives you a controlled char instead of a burned skin over raw meat.
- Move decisively during the flip — Use large tongs and commit to the transfer. The skin is the most delicate part of the cook. A slow, tentative flip tears it. One clean move.
- Two sauce layers, not one — The first coat sets during 5 minutes with the lid closed. The second goes on wet, then caramelizes in the final minutes. Two thin layers build a lacquer. One heavy coat steams and pools.
- Pull at 150°F, rest 10 minutes — USDA pasteurization at 150°F with a rest period is fully food-safe. Chicken breast pulled at 165°F from the grill is consistently dry. This is the number that produces juicy white meat.
- Carve into quarters — two leg quarters and two breast halves — and plate on a board. Put extra Kinder's Chipotle Pineapple BBQ Sauce in a small bowl on the side. The skin holds, the portions are clean, and it looks like you meant business from the start.
- For a backyard cookout spread: grilled corn, coleslaw, and potato salad. The sweet-smoky lacquer on the chicken connects to the char on the corn and cuts through a vinegary slaw.
- Next day: pull the cold leftover meat and use it in tacos with pickled red onion, fresh cilantro, and a drizzle of the BBQ sauce. Or slice it over coconut rice with grilled pineapple — the pineapple in the Kinder's sauce ties directly to that pairing.
- Carve and store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven, skin-side up, loosely covered with foil, for 12 to 15 minutes until warmed through. Skip the microwave — it steams the skin and kills the lacquer you spent time building.
- Cold leftover chicken pulls clean for salads, grain bowls, sandwiches, and tacos without reheating. The seasoning holds and the BBQ lacquer keeps its flavor on day two. If you're pulling for tacos, cold is actually the better call — the texture is firmer and slices cleanly.