How to Roast a Whole Chicken with a Rotisserie Gas Grill

Roasting a whole chicken with a rotisserie attachment on your gas grill is a way to cook the chicken evenly, giving it a golden color as it turns. You can prepare a roasted chicken as good as your local grocery store and send a delightful aroma wafting through the neighborhood.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 3-5 pound chicken
• Olive oil (or margarine or butter) w/salt and pepper for basting
• Meat thermometer

1. Setup the rotisserie attachment to your grill. Place a drip pan on the grill with about half an inch of water to add moisture to the roasting process and to prevent flare-ups from dropping juices (see Tip below). Turn the grill on high, close the lid, and allow the grill to heat as you prepare the chicken. NOTE: Turn all the burners on to heat-up the grill, but during roasting process, turn the burner off that is directly under the chicken.

2. While the grill heats up, clean the chicken by removing the giblets pack from the cavity of the chicken if included. Rinse the chicken completely, inside and outside, and then pat dry with paper towels. Rubbing butter and/or salt on the inside of the cavity is optional. Truss the chicken to keep the wings and drumsticks from hitting the grill. There are many methods to truss a chicken, the easiest of which is to use one piece of butcher’s heatproof twine to tie the ends of the drumsticks snuggly together; then use a second piece of butcher’s twine to wrap under the back side of the chicken to encircle across the breasts, securing the wings to the sides/breasts of the chicken. NOTE: If you do not have butcher’s twine, you can tuck the tips of the wings under the back of the chicken (imagine placing the tops of each of your hands on your back at about waist level; that’s what you want to emulate with the chicken’s wings). To secure the drumsticks, use non-coated wire. In Step 3, a ring of eight paper clips hooked together was wrapped around the end of the drumsticks in the shape of an eight.

3. 
   Chicken on spit

   The spit (long rod) of the rotisserie will have two sets of prongs to secure the chicken. Make sure the first prong attachment is on the spit, loose at the handle end. Push the spit completely through the chicken the long way (neck to tail opening). Center the chicken on the spit. Slide the second prong onto the spit with the prongs facing the handle end. Now, force the prongs from both ends of the spit into the chicken and then turn the set screw to hold the prongs in place (and subsequently, hold the chicken in place).

4. Check the temperature on the grill. It should be at about 325 degrees. When ready, drop the chicken and spit into place, turn the burner off directly beneath the chicken, turn on the rotisserie, and close the lid.

5. 

   Prepare the basting solution from olive oil or melted butter or margarine, along with desired seasoning, like salt and pepper. Allow the chicken to cook for 10-15 minutes, and then baste. Turn the temperature down to medium. Baste again 20 minutes later.

6. A 3 to 5 pound chicken will need 75 to 90 minutes to cook; anticipate longer if the lid is opened frequently. It’s important to have the lid open as little as possible to retain the heat needed for cooking. To tell when the chicken is done, poke a meat thermometer into the meaty part of the drumstick, missing the bone. A temperature of 180 degrees Fahrenheit means it is done.

7. 

   Remove the chicken from the spit to a platter and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Tips & Warnings

• DRIP PAN. The drip pan, if not included with the grill, needs to be larger than the chicken. A shallow disposable aluminum pan can be used. Or, you can create a drip collector from aluminum foil with the sides turned up.
• Even on gas grills, the rotisserie is operated by an electric motor, so do not use the rotisserie on a rainy day.

Resources

• How to Roast Potatoes and Other Vegetables on a Grill

[maryanne09]

on 9/29/2009 Great article on How to Roast a Whole Chicken with a Rotisserie Gas Grill! 5*'s and a recommend! :o)