Chicken Under a Brick

Name: Chicken Under a Brick
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 whole chicken, backbone removed; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 1 to taste kosher salt and pepper; 2 pieces bricks wrapped in foil

A classic grilling technique where a whole chicken is flattened and weighted down with foil-wrapped bricks, resulting in evenly cooked meat with exceptionally crispy skin. The indirect grilling method ensures the chicken stays juicy while developing a beautiful golden crust.

4 servings

1 hr 15 min

Published October 4, 2025

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Ingredients

•1 whole chicken, backbone removed
•2 tablespoons vegetable oil
•1 to taste kosher salt and pepper
•2 pieces bricks wrapped in foil

Cooking Instructions

1.
Prepare grill for high, indirect heat (for a charcoal grill, bank coals on 1 side of grill; for a gas grill, leave 1 or 2 burners off).
10 min
2.
Place chicken on work surface, skin side up. Using your palms, press firmly on breastbone to flatten breast.
5 min
3.
Rub chicken with oil; season with salt and pepper. Tuck wings slightly under breast. Place chicken, skin side down, over indirect heat, set bricks on top, and grill, covered, until skin is golden and crisp, 25-30 minutes. Using tongs, remove bricks; turn chicken, skin side up. Replace bricks and continue grilling until chicken is cooked through and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of thigh registers 165°F, 25-30 minutes longer.
60 min