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This simple Provencal-style grilled whole chicken has a great rustic gourmet vibe. Plus it’s about as effortless as you can get as far as grilled chicken recipes go! It features a three-ingredient spice rub of salt, herbs de Provence, and lemon zest that takes no time to make but packs serious flavor. The only other ingredients are a little olive oil for brushing and a bit of lemon juice for finishing. I’ve also included my lemon-garlic drizzle sauce which is a nice addition but not necessary. This recipe is quick enough for weeknight meals but it can also be easily dressed up for entertaining. Just grab a nice platter a few sprigs of rosemary and a few extra slices of lemon.
Looking for more chicken entrees? Try my hunter’s chicken stew or chicken bonne femme.
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Ingredients
This recipe uses a short list of simple ingredients.
- 1 whole chicken, 4 to 5 pounds
- Spice Rub: salt, herbs de Provence, and lemon zest
- olive oil
- lemon juice
- Sauce: greek yogurt, lemon, and garlic
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Spatchcock your chicken (i.e., remove the backbone). If you’ve never spatchcocked a chicken, check out this video for a detailed visual how-to. Tip: Be sure to save the backbone for making homemade chicken stock.
Combine the seasonings in a small dish and mix them together. Rub the mix all over the chicken.
Grill the chicken skin side down for 5 minutes over high heat. Then flip the bird so it is skin-side up. It should have some color (as shown above) but it won’t be all golden and crisp like the fully cooked bird below. Reduce the heat to low and grill for another 45 minutes.
Remove chicken from grill and check the internal temperature. It is done once it hits 165 F.
Let the chicken rest for 7 to 10 minutes. Then carve and garnish with lemon juice and lemon-garlic drizzle sauce.
Hint: Use poultry shears to spatchcock your chicken instead of a knife. I like these OXO shears.
Pairings
Grilled chicken is pretty simple to pair. I like this recipe with:
- Baby Potatoes – Boil baby potatoes and dress them with a little vinaigrette or butter and garlic. Here are two easy recipes if you need more instruction: Natasha’s Kitchen and A Couple of Cooks.
- Simple Green Salad – Dress spring mix with a simple vinaigrette.
- Summer Squash and Zucchini – Roasted or grilled squash and zucchini go well with this recipe. Keep the seasoning simple – a little olive oil, salt, garlic, and parsley works great.
For drinks, why not try a róse for Provence? A dry róse from California, Oregon, etc. would do nicely as well. If you prefer white wine, try a pinot Gris or Albarino – these have nice citrusy flavors. Pinot noir is a good choice if you prefer red.
Variations
This method for grilling a whole chicken is so easy. You will want to use it all summer. If you get tired of the Provencal-style herb blend, you can easily tweak the spice rub. Some flavor profiles to experiment with include:
- Classic: A little dried paprika, garlic, onion, and oregano. Try this simple rub from simple recipes.
- Moroccan: Try a little dried paprika, cumin, cumin, ginger, etc.. Here is a spice rub recipe from fine cooking.
- Caribbean: Brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and more. Here is a recipe.
You can also experiment with the lemon-garlic drizzle sauce. Stir in a few herbs or spices. Or create a new sauce to pair with your favorite spice rub.
Hint: If you are making your own spice rub or herbs de Provence blend, make sure to store them in an air-tight container. A ziplock bag will do but I love these airtight glass jars. Also, spice rubs don’t last forever. They will start losing their flavor as they age. Generally, they will keep for 6 months to a year.
Equipment
For this recipe, I recommend using a meat thermometer. I use a simple digital thermometer that I insert when I want to check the temperature. There are also fancy newer models that allow you to monitor the bird’s temperature from your phone as it cooks. Other useful tools include a lemon zester, tongs, and a cutting board with juice grooves. For the grill, gas or charcoal both work but I prefer the temperature control on my gas grill. See instructions for more detail on grilling.
Top Tip
To ensure your chicken is grilled to perfection, use a meat thermometer to monitor the temperature and shoot for 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Be sure to take the temperature in the thickest part of the bird (the breast). Also, make sure you let the chicken rest for 7 to 10 minutes before carving.
PrintSimple Provencal-Style Grilled Whole Chicken
Description
This simple Provencal-style grilled whole chicken is effortless gourmet.
Ingredients
Provencal-Style Grilled Whole Chicken
- 1 chicken, about 5 pounds
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon Herbs de Provence
- zest and juice of 1 lemon
- olive oil for brushing
Lemon-Garlic Drizzle Sauce
- 1 cup greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- juice of ½ lemon (or more to taste)
- pinch of salt
- optional: a tablespoon of fresh chopped herbs (chives, thyme, basil, etc.)
Instructions
- Spatchcock your chicken. Use kitchen sheers or a boning knife to cut the backbone from the chicken.
- Use paper towel to pat the chicken dry. Combine the salt, Herbs de Provence, and lemon zest in a small bowl and mix. Rub the mixture all over the chicken getting both sides and the cavity. Work a little under the skin too for maximum flavor. Transfer the chicken to a plate and refrigerate for one hour.
- Remove chicken from the refrigerator. Heat grill to medium-high. Brush chicken with olive oil and place on grill skin side down. Cook for 5 minutes. Flip the chicken and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 45 to 60 minutes – the chicken is done when the temperature reaches 165.
- Transfer chicken to carving board and let rest for 5- 10 minutes before carving.
Lemon-Garlic Drizzle Sauce
- Combine ingredients in bowl and whisk well.
- You can add a little more lemon or olive oil to adjust the consistency to your desired thickness.
- Stir in herbs if using.
If you make this simple provencal-style grilled whole chicken recipe, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I love hearing from readers and always do my best to respond to every comment.
FAQ
Herbs de Provence is a dried herb mixture traditionally containing some combination of rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, tarragon, savory, marjoram, fennel seed, lavender, and bay leaf. It is used most commonly in French and Mediterranean cuisine.
Spatchcocking is the process of removing a chicken’s backbone so that it can lay flat as you cook it.
Spatchcocking allows the chicken to cook quicker and more evenly on the grill.
Food safety
When grilling chicken, remember to:
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils or cutting boards for cooked food, that previously touched raw meat