Easy Grilled Half Chicken Recipe with Dry Rub

Name: Easy Grilled Half Chicken Recipe with Dry Rub
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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My Easy Grilled Half Chicken Recipe with Dry Rub is a delicious and flavorful main dish that will make your taste buds dance. Whether hosting a summer barbecue, looking for a tasty weeknight dinner idea, or craving some tender and juicy grilled chicken, this half chicken recipe is a surefire winner-winner chicken dinner.

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

Grilled half chicken surrounded with sweet corn cooking on grill grates.

So let’s 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 it’s 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 and my lemon butter sauce are what take ordinary grilled half chicken and make it extraordinary!

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Why you will love this recipe:
Ingredient notes:
Three secrets to great grilled half chicken:
How to grill a half chicken:
What to serve with grilled half chicken:
The difference between barbecuing and grilling:
What’s the best-grilled chicken temperature:
What’s the best grill temperature for chicken:
Recipe FAQs:
Top tips and tricks:
More grilled chicken recipes:
📋 Recipe:

Why you will love this recipe:

Coating the chicken first with my grilled chicken rub and lemon butter sauce sets this recipe apart, making it the best way to grill a half chicken. Grilling a split whole bone-in chicken is much easier than grilling a whole one.
Like my recipes for Grilled Spatchcock Chicken, Grilled Ham Steak, and Beer Can Chicken, grilled half chicken is a popular and versatile recipe that can be enjoyed in many different ways.
This recipe is great because it includes white and dark meat. You get the best of both worlds.

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, kosher salt and black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper – combine to make my grilled chicken rub for grilling, which is used to season the bird perfectly.
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.

(A complete list of ingredients and measurements is listed in the recipe below.)

Three secrets to great grilled half chicken:

Season the bird first with a dry rub first, 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.
For the best results, wait to add the barbecue sauce until the last few minutes before you take it off the grill.
Use a leave-in instant read thermometer to ensure it’s cooked to the correct temperature.

How to grill a half chicken:

If you have a whole chicken, check for any giblets inside the bird, and remove and discard them. Pat dry with paper towels.
Place chicken on a cutting board, breast-side down, to cut it in half. Looking at the back of the chicken, 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 it 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 it 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.

Use paper towels to blot the chicken dry, then place it 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 heat, which is a cooking temperature of 325-350°F. This is the same whether you use a hot coals, 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 meat 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 it over and coat the other side.
Cook the meat for eight to ten minutes on the second side. If a fire flares up, temporarily move it to a cooler side of the grill for indirect cooking..
Flip the halves over again and generously coat them 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.

Use a leave-in meat thermometer to check the internal temperature to ensure it is fully cooked. 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 it 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.
If desired, cut the halves into quarters and serve with additional barbecue sauce.

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

What to serve with grilled half chicken:

This easy-grilled dish pairs well with just about any side, but I like to keep things simple when cooking outdoors.

Here are some of my favorite make-ahead sides: Southern Potato Salad, Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes, Black-Eyed Peas, Baked Pineapple Cheese Casserole, Field Peas, or Purple Hull Peas.
Loaded Twice Baked Potatoes, Broccoli Salad, Sweet and Sour Green Beans, Baked Mac and Cheese, Grape Salad, or Deviled Eggs, are also great choices.
For dessert, you can’t go wrong with Chocolate Chiffon Cake, Easy Mixed Berry Sherbet,Homemade Strawberry Sherbet, Orange Sherbet, Strawberry Trifle, or cool off with my easy Watermelon Popsicles.
And, if you want to sip something icy cold while you are grilling, my Ultimate Frozen Margaritas or Frozen Cranberry Margaritas would be refreshingly delicious.

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 indirect grilling cooked slowly over indirect heat, and it’s usually reserved for the tougher cuts of meat.

I believe that the specific name given to this dish, whether it be BBQ half chicken, barbecue chicken, or grilled half chicken, may not be as important as the fact that it is a simpler alternative to cooking a whole bird and incredibly tasty.

What’s the best-grilled chicken temperature:

According to the USDA, the final safe cooked chicken temperature is 165°F as measured by an instant-read meat thermometer in the thickest part of the meat not touching the bone.

What’s the best grill temperature for chicken:

I like to set up my grill for direct grilling and preheat it to medium, which is 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.

Recipe FAQs:

What’s the best way to store and reheat 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.

To reheat leftovers, wrap in foil and add a few drops of water. Place in a preheated 325°F oven and heat for 10 minutes or until the leftovers are warm.

What can I make with leftovers?

I always make more than I need so that I will have leftovers.

Depending on how much leftovers you have, these are all excellent options: Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad, Wild Rice Chicken Salad, Chicken Ranch Dip, Chicken Chili Verde, Chicken Noodle Soup, Chicken Egg Rolls, Chicken and Dumplings, 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 to 40 minutes.

Can you precook the chicken before grilling it?

I usually do not precook my chicken; however, if you prefer, it is a good way to ensure the meat is fully cooked.

Here are two methods for precooking:
1. Boiling: If you are boiling your chicken you will not be able to add the dry rub. Place it in a large pot of boiling water and simmer for 10-15 minutes until partially cooked. Remove the pieces from the water and pat them dry before grilling.
2. Oven-baking: Preheat the oven to 350° F (175° C). Pat the chicken dry and add the dry rub. Place it in a baking dish and bake for about 20-25 minutes until they are mostly cooked through. Remove from the oven and place on the grill.

For both of these methods, after precooking, place the chicken halves on the grill and coat with the lemon butter mixture.

Cook for about five minutes on each side, then add the barbecue sauce and cook for an additional two to three minutes on each side or until the sauce is caramelized and the internal temperature has reached 160°F. Follow the recipe directions for resting.

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 meat 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.
Poultry shears or sharp kitchen shears: Will make short work of cutting a whole chicken in half.
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 fresh corn on the cob, or grilled vegetable kabobs or double up on the meat to have plenty of leftovers.

More grilled chicken recipes:

If it’s too hot, cold, or raining outside, check out my recipes for Baked Chicken Thighs, Broiled Chicken Thighs, and Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs.

If you need more menu ideas, you can find all of my chicken recipes here, and here is a link to all of my grilled recipes.

⭐ ⭐ ⭐⭐⭐If you make this dish, please leave a comment and give this recipe a star rating. I would love to know how you liked it!

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