Summer means one thing, grilling! Today we’re going to look at how to make a chicken rub perfect for any preparation then show you how to grill a whole chicken or game hen using the rotisserie function. First let’s look at the rub ingredients: 

Rub Ingredients

1/4 cup paprika

2 tbsp cayenne pepper

4 tbsp ground pepper

5 tbsp garlic powder

3 tbsp onion powder

5 tbsp salt

2 tbsp dried oregano

2 tbsp dried thyme

Now that we have all the ingredients, let’s make some magic happen.

 

Rub Preparation

In a small bowl combine all dry ingredients; make sure to mix the spices well together to form a well-distributed rub.

Put this rub to the side, it will come in handy when we are preparing our chicken or game hen.

Most people don’t even know where to start when grilling a rotisserie chicken. Pay close attention to these next instructions and you will soon be teaching your friends.

This recipe involves a great deal of preparation, but it is so worth it. 5 hours before throwing the bird on the grill, you need to clean and prepare the whole chicken or game hen. I prefer to choose smaller ones rather than larger ones because they cook much easier and give me more peace of mind while cooking. A 4-pound whole chicken or game hen should do just fine, make two if you have to!  Clean that bird up, clean it off and then spread the rub we have prepared in a large bowl all over the bird (can also spread some oil over). Cover it with foil and let sit for 5 hours before grilling.

Now comes the fun part. Take the bird out 20 minutes before you would like it to go on the grill and let it warm up, you never want to throw ice cold meat on a grill (or rotisserie).

Now, tie up the legs and wings with kitchen twine, this is to prevent burning while on the grill. Put the spit through the center of the chicken, put the prongs in and make sure they are tight.

Remove the grill grates and take a look at your grill. If the chicken will be spinning in the front, it is smart to add some oil to the skin to increase browning. If it is more towards the back,  you have nothing to worry about, it will brown just fine.

Do your best to keep the grill around 350-375 degrees and don’t forget about it! Make sure to be checking the heat and the prongs to make sure they haven’t come lose. This bird can take anywhere from 1.5 to 2 hours. The measurement I use is 20 to 30 minutes per pound. Know how much your bird weighs! The final reading on your thermometer should be about 175 degrees.

Take the chicken off, let it cool for 20-30 minutes and serve.  Perfect to please any crowd!