Recipe courtesy of Steven Raichlen and adapted from Man Made Meals: The Essential Cookbook for Guys by Workman Publishing. You can find out more about Steven in our Lifestyle Magazine.
Watch for the Big Green Egg on Steven’s TV show, Project Smoke!
Ingredients
- 1 chicken 3 1⁄2 to 4 lbs (1.5 to 1.8 kg), preferably organic
- Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise
- 1 lemon, cut in half crosswise
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary (optional)
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) extra virgin olive oil or butter, at room temperature
Instructions
Set the EGG for indirect cooking (with the convEGGtor) at 400°F/204°C.
Rinse the chicken under cold water and blot dry with paper towels. Place the chicken in a Roasting & Drip Pan. Generously season the neck and cavities with salt and pepper. Place 2 garlic cloves in the main cavity along with 1 of the lemon halves and a sprig of rosemary. Place a third garlic clove in the neck cavity.
Concentrating on the breast, rub the chicken with the cut side of the garlic, remaining lemon half and the butter or olive oil. Generously season the bird on all sides with salt and pepper. Truss the chicken, then place breast side up in the pan. Add the garlic halves, lemon half and rosemary, with the cut side of the garlic and lemon facing the bird.
Place the chicken in the EGG and roast it until the skin is crisp and golden brown and the meat is cooked through, 1 to 1 1⁄4 hours. After 30 minutes, start basting the bird with the juices that accumulate in the bottom of the pan.
Roast until the internal temperature reaches 165°F/74°C. Lay a piece of foil over the breast if it starts to brown too much before the bird is fully cooked.
Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for about 5 minutes. Remove the trussing string before carving the bird.
I have two giant chickens weighing in at 6 pounds a piece. Both going on large egg today. Time? I’m thinking 2.5-3 hours?
Season chicken skin with remaining salt. Roast for 45-55, basting half way through cooking time, until juices run clear when chicken thigh is pierced with a skewer.
What would the estimated cook time be for 2 chickens at 400 degrees?
I did two chickens at 300 degrees and it took almost two hours… admittedly, I may have had the top open too much.
Doubled garlic, butter, and rosemary… Best. Chicken. Ever.
Yum!!
?
Plate Setter legs up/down? Grill or no grill?
My guess is legs up with the grill grate to prevent the drippings from burning.
Super recipe and easy instructions. Thanks a lot.
My first cook on my mini, using a temperature iGrill mini probe. It turned out fabulous. I was never able to achieve temperature of 400; however, it stayed at 380. Cook time was 80 minutes to achieve the 165 temperature. I sprayed it with chicken broth at 120 degrees. Result was a moist skin and chicken. I was very pleased with my first Egg experience. I am ready to do another Egg meal this week end. I own a Mini-Max.
Excellent! This is my wife’s new favorite!