Easy Grilled Half Chicken and Dry Rub

Name: Easy Grilled Half Chicken and Dry Rub Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 70 min
Ingredients: 1 whole chicken (broiler-fryer), (about three and a half pounds ); ¼ cup brown sugar, (firmly packed ); ¼ cup sweet paprika; 3 tablespoons black pepper; 3 tablespoons kosher salt; 2 teaspoons garlic powder; 2 teaspoons onion powder; 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 2 cups purchased barbecue sauce, (your favorite brand ); 1 tablespoon lemon juice; ½ cup melted butter

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Easy Grilled Half Chicken and Dry Rub is a delicious and flavorful main dish that will have your taste buds dancing. Whether hosting a summer barbecue, looking for a tasty weeknight dinner idea, or just craving some juicy and tender grilled chicken, this recipe is a winner.

With just a few simple ingredients and some basic grilling techniques, you can have this flavorful main dish on your dinner table in no time.

A chicken half cooking on a grill surrounded with sweet corn.

So fire up the grill and get ready to enjoy some easy-to-make grilled chicken halves. Slathered in sweet and tangy BBQ sauce with a juicy texture and smoky flavor, it’s no wonder grilled chicken is one of America’s favorite foods!

As a bonus, I’m also sharing my recipe for the best homemade grilled chicken rub that acts as a brine and infuses the meat with flavor. The rub is what takes ordinary grilled chicken and makes it extraordinary!

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Why you will love this recipe:
Ingredient notes:
Three secrets to great grilled chicken:
How to make the dry rub and grill the chicken halves:
Serve this dish with these sides:
The difference between barbecuing and grilling:
Recipe FAQs:
Top tips and tricks:
More grilled chicken recipes:
📋 Recipe:

Why you will love this recipe:

Grilling the chicken adds a smoky and charred flavor to the meat while keeping it juicy and tender.
Like my recipe for Simple Lemon Grilled Whole Chicken, this is a popular and versatile dish that can be enjoyed in many different ways.
Grilling is a healthy cooking method that allows excess fat to drip away from the chicken, making it a nutritious choice for any meal.

Ingredient notes:

Ingredients to make grilled chicken including BBQ sauce, and a whole chicken.

Chicken – you will need a whole chicken or two halves, which consist of white and dark meat with a breast, wing, thigh, and leg.
Dry ingredients – brown sugar, paprika, salt and pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper – combine to make my chicken dry rub for grilling, which is used to season the bird to perfection.
Butter and lemon juice – make a flavorful citrusy sauce that provides another layer of flavor.
Barbecue sauce – I use a purchased BBQ sauce for this recipe; I like and use Sweet Baby Ray’s. If you prefer to make your own sauce, here is a tasty tomato-based homemade BBQ sauce recipe.

Three secrets to great grilled chicken:

Season the bird first with a dry rub, which acts like a brine to infuse the meat with flavor. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes to 24 hours; the longer, the better.
Wait to add the barbecue sauce until the last few minutes before you take it off the grill.
Use an instant-read meat thermometer to ensure the chicken is fully cooked.

How to make the dry rub and grill the chicken halves:

If you have a whole chicken, check for any giblets inside the bird, and remove and discard them. Pat dry with paper towels.
To cut the chicken in half, start by placing it on a cutting board, breast-side down. Locate the backbone, which runs down the center of the back. Cut along one side of the backbone using poultry shears, starting from the tail end and moving toward the neck.
Once you’ve cut through the backbone, repeat the process on the other side, cutting along the other side of the backbone. Finally, remove the backbone completely and discard it or save it to make chicken stock.
Open the chicken up like a book, press down hard on the breast, and use the shears, sharp knife, or meat cleaver to cut through the breastbone to separate the chicken into two halves.

A raw chicken cut in half with ingredients to make a dry rub.

Mix all the rub ingredients in a small bowl to make the grilled chicken rub.

Place the chicken halves on a rimmed baking sheet, and sprinkle the dry rub generously on both sides. Cover and let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or as long as 24 hours. The longer, the better!

Two chicken halves covered with a rub and corn ready to go on the grill.

Mix the melted butter and lemon juice in a small bowl and set aside.

Butter and lemon juice mixed together in a small bowl.

Set up your grill for direct grilling and preheat it to medium, 325-350° F. This is the same whether you use a gas grill, electric grill, charcoal grill, or kamado-type grill such as a Green Egg.
When your grill is ready, clean the grill grates with a grill brush and oil the grates to prevent the meat from sticking.
Arrange the chicken halves on the grates, skin-side down, and cook for about ten minutes. Coat the halves with the lemon butter mixture with a basting brush or mop.
Then, use tongs to flip the chicken over and coat the other side.
Cook the chicken for eight to ten minutes on the second side. If a fire flares up, temporarily move it to a cooler section of the grill.
Flip the chicken over again and generously coat it with barbecue sauce. Cook for two to three minutes; flip it over and cover the other side with the sauce. Cook for another couple of minutes to caramelize the BBQ sauce.

To ensure the chicken is fully cooked, use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the meat, not touching the bone. The internal temperature should be at least 160° F before removing the meat from the grill.
After removing the chicken from the grill, cover it loosely with foil and let it rest for ten minutes before serving. This will allow the juices to redistribute and make it more tender and flavorful. It will also allow time for carry-over cooking to raise the internal temperature to 165° F.
Cut the halves into quarters and serve with additional barbecue sauce.

Two grilled chicken halves with barbecue sauce on a wooden cutting board.

Serve this dish with these sides:

Grilled half chicken pairs well with just about any side, but I like to keep things simple when grilling. Here are some of my favorite make-ahead sides: Southern Potato Salad, Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes, Black-Eyed Peas, Baked Pineapple Cheese Casserole, Air Fryer Loaded Twice Baked Potatoes, Broccoli Salad, Sweet and Sour Green Beans, Baked Mac and Cheese, or Deviled Eggs.

For dessert, you can’t go wrong with Chocolate Chiffon Cake, Easy Mixed Berry Sherbet, Homemade Strawberry Sherbet, or Strawberry Trifle.

And, if you want to sip something icy cold while you are grilling, my Ultimate Frozen Margaritas or Frozen Cranberry Margaritas would be awesome.

The difference between barbecuing and grilling:

Nowadays, even though the word barbecue or BBQ is synonymous with outdoor grilling for most people, grilling means cooking food fast and hot, directly over the fire. On the other hand, barbecue is cooked slowly over low heat, and it’s usually reserved for the tougher cuts of meat.

Recipe FAQs:

What’s the best way to store leftovers?

Leftovers can be stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator and should be used within three to four days. Leftovers may also be frozen.

What can I make with leftover grilled chicken?

Chicken is such a versatile meat; I always make more than I need so that I will have leftovers. Depending on the amount of leftovers you have, these are all excellent options: Chicken Salad, Wild Rice Chicken Salad, Chicken Ranch Dip, Chicken Chili Verde, Chicken Noodle Soup, chicken quesadillas, or fried rice.

How long does it take to grill a half chicken?

Of course, the answer here is it depends on the bird’s internal temperature, its size, and the temperature of the grill. You can expect a half chicken at room temperature, cooked on a 350° F grill, to take approximately 30 minutes.

Can you precook the chicken before grilling it?

I do not precook my chicken in this recipe; however, if you prefer, it is a good way to ensure the meat is fully cooked. If you precook it, you will not need to add the dry rub or butter and lemon mixture; consequently, the meat will not be as flavorful.

Instead, you simply add the precooked chicken to the grill and coat it with barbecue sauce. It should only take a few minutes to caramelize the sauce.

Here are two methods for precooking:
1. Boiling: Place the chicken halves in a large pot of boiling water and simmer for 10-15 minutes until cooked. Remove the pieces from the water and pat them dry before grilling.
2. Oven-baking: Preheat the oven to 350° F (175° C). Place the chicken halves in a baking dish and bake for about 20-25 minutes until it is cooked through. Remove it from the oven and let it cool slightly before grilling.

Top tips and tricks:

Watch the heat: Watch the grill’s heat and adjust it as needed. For example, if the chicken is cooking too quickly or the skin is getting too dark, move it to a cooler part of the grill or lower the heat.
Let the chicken come to room temperature: Before grilling, let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour. This will help it cook more evenly and prevent the meat from seizing up on the grill.
Prepare the grill properly: Make sure your grill grates are clean and lightly oiled to prevent sticking. Preheat your grill first before trying to clean your grates. Then, scrub the grates with a wire cleaning brush.
The easiest way to oil the grates is to use a paper towel and tongs. Fold the paper towel into a three-inch square and pick it up with tongs. Dip the paper towel in a small bowl of oil and rub the grates.
If you have really dirty grill grates, try these tips from Charbroil: when you have food that won’t come off with a grill brush, soak the grates overnight with two cups of vinegar and one cup of baking soda. The vinegar and baking soda will work together to break apart burnt-on food.
If you have room on your grill, add some corn or veggies or double up on the meat to have plenty of leftovers.