Brick Chicken
My best mate sammy sweetheart showed me how to cook this recipe many, many years ago and ever since then it has been my go to party trick when i’m cooking a barbie for a group of friends. It’s super easy, once you have the chicken de-boned, most of the work is done. It’s also pretty fun to make so I encourage you to find yourself a brick and give it a go.
Brick Chicken Steps
Spatchcock the bird
For this to work, you need to remove the backbone and squash the breastbone so it sits flat on the BBQ. This will ensure that the skin renders evenly and there’s no thick centre that stays underdone while the outside dries out. If it’s your first time, use kitchen shears rather than a knife. Sit the chicken breast-side down, cut down either side of the backbone from tail to neck, then flip it over and press hard on the breasts to crack the keel bone flat. Watch my YouTube video to see how it's done.
Low and slow with the brick
This cooking method is a long, gentle render. The grill goes on low, the chicken goes on skin-side down, and the brick presses the bird flat against the heat. You should hear a light sizzle. If it’s spitting and cracking, the heat’s too high and the skin will burn before the fat has rendered. Give it 15 minutes under the brick on low, then bump the heat to medium for a couple of minutes to finish the skin.
Why use a brick?
It's just something that a lot of people would have laying around so it's great for this process. All we're looking for is even, downward pressure. It doesn’t need to be a literal brick. A big flat stone, a heavy cast-iron pan, a protein press, anything flat and weighty will do the same job. Whatever you use, wrap it in foil or lay baking paper between the brick and the chicken. This stops any grit or grease transferring between the two and makes clean-up easier. Be careful, the brick will be really hot after the cook!
Ingredient Notes
Spice rub:
The oregano, cumin and coriander blend is my go-to for chicken, but this is completely flexible. Sub in smoked paprika, garlic powder, thyme, ground fennel or a Middle Eastern blend like za’atar. My rule of thumb for scaling: the total volume of spices should be about twice the volume of the salt.
Sea salt:
Coarse sea salt draws moisture from the skin as it sits with the rub, which helps the crackle. Table salt works too, just use a little less because it’s finer and packs more into a teaspoon.
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp ground cumin seeds
- 1 tsp ground coriander seeds
- 3 tsp sea salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Equipment
-
1 brick, wrapped in foil (or a big stone, heavy cast-iron pan or protein press)
-
Kitchen scissors (shears)
-
Sharp boning knife or paring knife
-
Chopping board
-
Small bowl (for the rub)
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BBQ with a flat top grill and a lid
-
Tongs
-
Baking paper or foil
-
Tray with a wire rack
-
Meat thermometer
Directions
SPATCHCOCK THE CHICKEN
SEASON
COOK YOUR CHICKEN
Notes
Chef Tips
Rest for 10 minutes minimum
Never skip the rest. Pulling the chicken straight to the carving board means all the juices run out when you cut it. Ten minutes on a wire rack lets the juices redistribute so the meat stays properly moist. It also gives carryover cooking a chance to take the chicken up its final couple of degrees to a safe internal temperature.
Storage
The cooked chicken keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The skin will lose its crisp on storage, so this dish is best served fresh. Leftovers are excellent in salads, sandwiches, tacos or fried rice the next day. Shred the meat straight off the bone once it’s cool. Don’t freeze it, the texture suffers on defrost.
FAQs
Can I make this without a BBQ?
Can I use a different spice rub?
Do I really need a brick?
What should I serve it with?
How do I know when the chicken is cooked?
Nutrition
Nutrition
- Serving Size
- 1 serving
- Calories
- per serving
- 610
- Carbs
- 1 grams
- Protein
- 53 grams
- Fat
- 43 grams
- Saturated Fat
- 10 grams
- Fiber
- 0 grams
- Sugar
- 0 grams
- Sodium
- 1910 milligrams
- Cholesterol
- 205 milligrams
- Potassium
- 510 milligrams
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