• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Sip Bite Go logo

  • Recipes
    • All Recipes
    • Smoker Recipes
    • Air Fryer Recipes
    • Homemade Pizza
    • Sous Vide Recipes
    • Trader Joe’s Recipes
    • Steak Recipes
    • Chicken Recipes
    • Pasta Recipes
    • Keto Friendly
  • Smoker Recipes
  • Air Fryer
  • Sous Vide
    • All Sous Vide Recipes
    • The Home Chef’s Sous Vide Cookbook
    • Buttery Sous Vide Lobster Tail Recipe
    • Sous Vide Frozen Steak
    • Sous Vide T Bone Steak
    • Sous Vide Chicken Wings
    • Sous Vide Egg Bites
  • Cookbooks
  • More
    • Entertaining
    • Kitchen Remodel
    • Travel
    • Blogging Chat
  • About
    • About Jenna
    • Start here
    • Work With Me
    • Contact
    • Get Updates
  • Podcast
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Find A Recipe
  • Smoker Recipes
  • Main Dish Recipes
  • Pizza Recipes
  • Holiday Dishes
  • Air Fryer Recipes
  • Sous Vide
  • Salad Recipes
  • Cookbooks
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Grill Recipes » Smoker Recipes » Pellet Smoker Spatchcock Chicken

    Pellet Smoker Spatchcock Chicken

    Published: Sep 20, 2022 by Jenna Passaro · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Pin48
    Tweet
    Share
    Share
    48 Shares
    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe
    Traeger Pellet Grill Smoked Spatchcocked Chicken Recipe images with text overlay and Jenna Passaro from Sip Bite Go

    Smoked spatchcock chicken on the Traeger pellet grill is the only way to go! It’s tender, it’s juicy, it’s crispy, and of course it’s extra crispy! Sip Bite Go’s EPIC recipe will show you how to smoke Traeger spatchcocked chicken to perfection. Time to fire up the smoker!

    Crispy Skin Traeger Smoked Spatchcocked Chicken
    At the moment, I am no longer using my charcoal grill for chicken…👀. Smoking is the way to go!

    It’s our new favorite smoked family meal for Sunday dinner… 

    Carving Traeger Pellet Grill Smoked Spatchcocked Chicken

    HEY FOODIES — Follow SBG for new recipes on Instagram / TikTok

    Table of Contents

    • Why Smoked Spatchcock Chicken is so delicious…
    • Ingredients
    • How to smoke a spatchcock chicken
    • Tasty whole chicken recipes from Sip Bite Go
    • FAQs 
    • More Tasty Grill + Smoker Recipes
    • Meat thermometer recommendations
    • Are you a foodie, too?
    • EPIC Crispy Skin Smoked Spatchcock Chicken Recipe | Sip Bite Go

    Why Smoked Spatchcock Chicken is so delicious…

    • Who doesn’t love crispy chicken skin! After several attempts, I finally found this full-proof way to get the chicken skin super crispy. 
    • You can be creative! I kept it pretty simple in this recipe by just basting the chicken with melted butter. If you want to make it more sauce forward, then you should baste it with any bbq sauce of your liking. I’m sure it will turn out delicious. 
    • Smoke penetrates chicken! In my smoking experience, I found that chicken really picks up the smoky flavor during cooks. If you’re looking to get into smoking, this is a great starter recipe. Your family and friends will “thank you” later! 
    Holiday Dinner Platter With Traeger Smoker Spatchcocked Chicken And Vegetables
    This is a great Traeger recipe for holiday meals like Christmas, Easter, and more…

    New to smoked food recipes and Treager recipes? See my step by step video for beginners (scroll to bottom of page). 

    Smoking Spatchcocked Chicken On Traeger Pellet Grills With Meater Thermometer and BBQ rub

    Ingredients

    Here’s what you need to make Smoked Spatchcock Chicken.

    Inforgraphic with list of ingredients for traeger smoked spatchcock chicken recipe Sip Bite Go
    • Whole chicken (I’ll teach you how to spatchcock it)
    • Olive oil
    • BBQ rub, or any chicken / poultry dry rub seasoning you’d like
    • Butter (optional, for crisping skin toward the end of smoking it)
    • Parsley, or fresh herbs of your choice, optional for serving
    Crispy Skin Traeger Smoked Spatchcocked Chicken

    How to smoke a spatchcock chicken

    Now I’ll walk you through it…

    Inforgraphic with recipe steps and captions to smoke spatchcocked chicken on traeger pellet grills with Jenna Passaro from Sip Bite Go

    Quick look at Smoked Spatchcock Chicken recipe

    1. Preheat the smoker to 225 degrees F and prepare chicken by spatchcocking it and adding seasoning. 
    2. Smoke spatchcocked chicken at 225 degrees F for 30 minutes. 
    3. Then increase the temperature to 400 degrees F.
    4. Baste smoked spatchcock chicken with melted butter. 
    5. Continue smoking until internal temp reaches ~150 degrees F.
    6. Finish smoking spatchcock chicken by increasing smoker temperature to 450 degrees F until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
    7. Carve and enjoy.
    Resting Traeger Smoked Spatchcocked Chicken After Smoking On The Pellet Grill

    Detailed recipe steps

    1. Preheat Traeger Grills or Pitt Boss or whatever pellet grill you’re using to 225 degrees F. 
    2. Prep whole chicken for smoking. (skip if you’re smoking an already spatchcocked chicken) Remove whole chicken from packaging and discard extra chicken parts (giblets). Rinse if desired.
    3. Spatchcock whole chicken for smoking it by flipping it back bone side up (breast side down) on a large cutting surface. I like to use a baking sheet with a rim to catch chicken juice. And I like to use gloves and kitchen shears. Cut along each side of the backbone, remove and discard it.
    4. Flip spatchcocked chicken upside down (breast facing up) and push on the breast, to flatten it out and help it smoke evenly. This should break the breast bone so it lays flat.
    5. Season spatchcocked chicken by first patting it dry with a paper towel, to help the seasonings stick. Then drizzle on olive oil and rub it in with a good ol’ massage. Lastly, sprinkle seasonings all over the chicken (as much as you’d like), and rub in the seasoning.
    6. Smoke chicken for 30 minutes at 225 degrees F. Place the spatchcocked chicken in the smoker, directly on the grill grates, with breast side up. Close the lid to the Traeger and hit the “super smoke” button. This will help you get more smoke flavor from the pellet grill. Basically, you’re going to blast it with a smoky flavor for a half hour at a low smoke temperature, then crank it up in the next step. 
    7. Crank the smoker up to 400 degrees F, while leaving the partially smoked spatchcock chicken in there. Continue smoking the bird. NOTE: This is a good time to add a thermometer to the chicken, if you have a probe you can leave in while smoking (see my recommendations in this post).
    8. Brush on melted butter (optional step for extra crispy skin) when spatchcock chicken smokes to about 15 degrees LESS than the done temp of 165 degrees F (around 150-155 degrees F), it’s time to brush on melted butter. (I usually pull mine OFF / finish smoking it completely at 165 degrees F or 170 degrees F, as measured in the thickest part of the thigh, and it continues coming up to temp a bit. That’s where I arrive at the “brush the butter temp” of 150-155 degrees math-wise. Now, some people like to smoke whole spatchcocked chickens to 180 degrees F. So do what’s right for you. ) 
    9. Crank the smoker up to 450 degrees F to finish smoking with crispy skin.
    10. Remove Traeger spatchcock smoked chicken when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F (or 170, 180 depending on your preference) as measured with an internal read thermometer in the thickest part of the chicken thigh. (Also see how to make smoked chicken thighs – they’re so good!)
    11. Finish smoker spatchcocked chicken with a sprinkle of fresh herb, if desired. Rest for 20 minutes, slice / carve, and enjoy.

    You’ll see in the step by step recipe video, I made some roasted veggies to serve on the side. 

    Also check out these smoked red potatoes and smoked asparagus for other tasty side dish ideas for this chicken.

    Serving Pellet Grill Smoked Spatchcocked Chicken

    Next up? Learn how to smoke a ham…

    Tasty whole chicken recipes from Sip Bite Go

    • Pellet smoker beer can chicken
    • Smoked whole chicken
    • Smoked spatchcock chicken
    • Air fry whole chicken
    • Sous vide whole chicken
    • Crock pot whole chicken
    • Vacuum seal whole chicken
    • How to spatchcock chicken

    FAQs 

    How long to smoke spatchcock chicken?

    For this Sip Bite Go recipe, it took 60 – 90 minutes to fully cook the chicken. Please keep in mind that timing will change depending on the size of the chicken and the temperature that you smoke it. Always use an internal read thermometer and cook to 165 degrees F temperature vs cooking to a specific time. In any case, you can expect a spatchcocked chicken to cook a lot faster than a non-spatchcocked whole chicken. 

    What temp to smoke spatchcock chicken?

    In this spatchcock chicken smoker recipe I uses three different temperatures. I first started the smoker at 225 degrees F set on ‘super smoke’ (if you have it) to blast it with its initial smoky flavor. I then increased the temperature to 400 degrees F and finished the bird at 450 degrees F to crisp up the skin after the butter baste. 

    Do you need to flip a spatchcocked chicken when it’s smoking?

    No, you do not need to flip the chicken during the smoke. Keep it breast / meat side UP the entire time. 

    How do you get crispy skin on a smoked spatchcock chicken?

    You do this by doing three things…1). You increase the smoker temperature to at least 400 degrees F after 30 minutes of smoking at a lower temperature like 225 degrees F. 2). You add a butter or oil baste on top of the chicken skin. This will help crisp up the skin. 3). You increase the smoker temperature again to 450 degrees F for the last 15 minutes of the cooking time to give the chicken one final blast of heat which will crisp up the skin. 

    How do you spatchcock a chicken?

    Start by placing the chicken breast side DOWN on a cutting board. Removing the backbone is done by using a sharp pair of kitchen shears and cutting along each side of the backbone. After cutting down each side of the backbone, you should easily be able to pull out the backbone. 

    Next, you’ll want to flip the chicken so it’s facing breast side UP on the cutting board. Using the palms of your hand, press down firmly on the center of the chicken breasts to fully flatten out the chicken. It should lay flat on the board when done. Now you have a spatchcocked chicken ready for smoking. 

    How do you carve a cooked spatchcock chicken?

    First, lay the cooked spatchcocked chicken on a cutting board. Grab a really sharp knife and start by removing the legs / thighs to begin. Gently run the knife along the thigh bone while pulling the leg a bit with your other hand. If done properly, you should pull off the leg and thigh in one piece. You can follow the same steps for each wing. 

    For the chicken breasts, there is a breast bone that runs down the center. Use your knife and run it along each side of the breast bone (that’s directly in the center of the breasts). Use your free hand to slowly pull away the chicken breast as you cut alongside the bone. You do this for each chicken breast, so you’re making two cuts in total. When you’re done, you should have two equal pieces of boneless chicken breasts (skin still intact). 

    Resting Smoked Spatchcock Chicken On Cutting Board With Meater Thermometer

    More Tasty Grill + Smoker Recipes

    • Smoked mac and cheese
    • Smoked cream cheese
    • Smoked brisket flat
    • 321 ribs
    • Beer can chicken on the smoker
    • Smoked wings
    • Smoked tomahawk steak
    • Traeger tri tip
    • Smoked turkey breast
    • Smoked turkey legs
    • Whole smoked turkey
    • Smoked Traeger pizza
    • Smoked onion rings
    • Traeger smoked ham
    • Smoked whole chicken
    • Smoked jalapeno poppers
    • Smoked corn on the cob
    • Traeger beef ribs
    • Smoked leg of lamb
    • Smoked shrimp
    • Grilled chicken wings
    • Grilled skirt steak
    • Flank steak marinade
    • Grilled potato wedges
    • Smoked pulled pork
    • Want more? See my lineup of easy smoker recipes

    See my favorite smoker tools and seasonings in my Amazon Storefront.

    Meat thermometer recommendations

    Every home chef needs a reliable meat thermometer to cook food perfectly. 

    On Sip Bite Go, you’ll often see me using:

    1. Meater thermometer – a fancy wireless thermometer that connects to a phone app – gifted to me from a Traeger partnership.
    2. ThermoPro digital thermometer – which has a wire that connects the thermometer to a display box outside the oven/grill. 

    It’s like being psychic! The great thing about either of the thermometers above is that I don’t have to take the food out of the oven to know the temperature. 

    How to use ‘em… What I do is stick the digital thermometer in steak, pork, chicken, whatever… Then put the food in the oven, on the smoker, or grill.

    While the meat cooks, it reads the temperature so I know exactly what temp meat is as it’s cooking. Without having to take it out and check. It’s really difficult to overcook food when you know exactly what temp it is inside!

    Are you a foodie, too?

    Hey home chefs, hope that answers all your questions about smoking a spatchcock chicken. 

    See how to get more smoke flavor from your favorite Traeger dishes and check out these game day smoker recipes.

    Connect…

    • Instagram / TikTok / YouTube
    • Browse the Sip Bite Go recipe collection
    Crispy Skin Traeger Smoked Spatchcocked Chicken

    EPIC Crispy Skin Smoked Spatchcock Chicken Recipe | Sip Bite Go

    Smoked spatchcock chicken on the pellet grill makes it tender and juicy with crispy skin. Sip Bite Go’s EPIC recipe will show you how to smoke Traeger spatchcocked chicken to perfection. Time to fire up the smoker! | sipbitego.com
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dinner, Main Course, Main Dish
    Cuisine: American, BBQ
    Diet: Gluten Free
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories: 531kcal
    Author: Jenna Passaro

    Equipment

    • Traeger Mesquite Pellets
    • Traeger Pellet Grill Ironwood 650
    • Meater Plus Thermometer

    Ingredients

    • 1 whole chicken I’ll teach you how to spatchcock it
    • 2 tbsp olive oil
    • 3 tbsp BBQ rub or any chicken / poultry dry rub seasoning you’d like
    • 2 tbsp butter salted, melted (optional, for crisping skin toward the end of smoking it)
    • 1 tbsp parsley or fresh herbs of your choice, optional for serving

    Instructions

    • Preheat Traeger Grills or Pitt Boss or whatever pellet grill you’re using to 225 degrees F.
    • Prep whole chicken for smoking. (skip if you’re smoking an already spatchcocked chicken) Remove whole chicken from packaging and discard extra chicken parts (giblets). Rinse if desired.
    • Spatchcock whole chicken by flipping it so the back bone side is up (breast side down) on a large cutting surface. I like to use a baking sheet with a rim to catch chicken juice. And I like to use gloves and kitchen shears. Cut along each side of the backbone, remove and discard it.
    • Flip spatchcocked chicken upside down (breast facing up) and push on the breast, to flatten it out and help it smoke evenly. This should break the breast bone so it lays flat.
    • Season spatchcocked chicken by first patting it dry with paper towel, to help the seasonings stick. Then drizzle on olive oil and rub it in with a good ol’ massage. Lastly, sprinkle seasonings all over the chicken (as much as you’d like), and rub in the seasoning.
    • Smoke chicken for 30 minutes at 225 degrees F. Place the spatchcocked chicken in the smoker, directly on the grill grates, with breast side up. Close the lid to the Traeger and hit the “super smoke” button. This will help you get more smoke flavor from the pellet grill. Basically, you’re going to blast it with a smoky flavor for a half hour at a low smoke temperature, then crank it up in the next step.
    • Crank the smoker up to 400 degrees F, while leaving the partially smoked spatchcock chicken in there. Continue smoking the bird. NOTE: This is a good time to add a thermometer to the chicken, if you have a probe you can leave in while smoking (see my recommendations in this post).
    • Brush on melted butter (optional step for extra crispy skin) when spatchcock chicken smokes to about 15 degrees LESS than your desired done temp, it’s time to brush on melted butter.
      For this recipe demonstration, that targeted "done temp" for me was around 165 degrees F or 170 degrees F (so butter was brushed on around the chicken reaching 150-155 degrees F internally).
      (Now, some people like to smoke whole spatchcocked chickens to 180 degrees F. So do what’s right for you.)
    • Crank the smoker up to 450 degrees F to finish smoking with crispy skin.
    • Remove Traeger spatchcock smoked chicken when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F (or 170, 180 depending on your preference) as measured with an internal read thermometer in the thickest part of the chicken thigh. (Also see how to make smoked chicken thighs – they’re so good!)
    • Finish smoker spatchcocked chicken with a sprinkle of fresh herbs, if desired. Rest for 20 minutes, slice / carve, and enjoy.

    Video

    Notes

    You’ll see in the step by step recipe video, I made some roasted veggies to serve on the side. 
    Also check out these smoked red potatoes and smoked asparagus for other tasty side dish ideas for this chicken.
    See the recipe: https://sipbitego.com/smoked-spatchcocked-chicken
    Watch the full-length YouTube recipe video for Smoked Spatchcock Chicken on Sip Bite Go’s YouTube channel.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 531kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 158mg | Sodium: 180mg | Potassium: 388mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 605IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 3mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @SipBiteGo or tag #sipbitego!
    « How To Smoke Hot Dogs On Pellet Grills
    Gas Grill Broccoli Side Dish »

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    jenna passaro food blogger from Portland Oregon

    Hey, I’m Jenna Passaro.

    I develop easy recipes that can transform your kitchen into a restaurant – and you into a true home chef.

      

    Where to start?

    Learn the secrets to smoking tasty Traeger recipes and making pizza at home. And cook amazing tri tip steak dinners.

    Or, fall in love with something new to cook with your air fryer, pellet smoker, BBQ grill, sous vide cooker, and more…

    You’ll notice, I kind of geek out over new cooking trends and tools!

    Instagram me @sipbitego & chef hubs @handmodelpatrick

    My story. Growing up, I didn’t learn to cook.

    (I was actually banned from cooking for years)

    And then in my 20’s I didn’t have to cook because my job as an event planner involved a lot of travel and it was easier to eat out. At the time, I was 100% positive that restaurant food would always taste better than cooking at home, and there was nothing I could do about it.

    Until I fell in love with a chef. He would come over and cook me delicious meals right in my own kitchen. My mind was blown.

    Since then, I’ve been on a mission to figure out easy ways to make restaurant style food at home and share it here on Sip Bite Go.

    Love to eat out and travel? I can totally relate. See my guide on where to eat in Portland, OR.

    jenna passaro the home chef's sous vide cookbook

    Never in a million years did I imagine I’d ditch the 9-5 lifestyle in my late 20’s, move across the country on a whim, start a new life, start a food blog, and write a book.

    But here I am!

    See my book on Amazon: The Home Chef’s Sous Vide Cookbook.

     

       

    Game Day Food

    Chicken Wing Recipe with dip

    9 EASY Chicken Wings Appetizers

    How To Cook Tri Tip In Oven Recipe

    How To Cook Tri Tip In Oven Perfectly

    Turkey Legs In Oven Sip Bite Go

    Easy Baked Turkey Legs In Oven Recipe

    Traeger Smoked 321 Ribs Babyback Pork Meat Covered With BBQ Sauce

    321 Method Smoked Baby Back Ribs

    Grill + Smoker

    Best Burger Recipes List for Grill Smoker Sous Vide

    Best Burger Recipes For Game Day

    Smoked Porchetta Box from Traeger Provisions

    Traeger Provisions Review of Smoked Porchetta Box With Video

    Community Favs

    How To Cook Tri Tip In Oven Recipe

    How To Cook Tri Tip In Oven Perfectly

    easy potato side dishes for steak dinners

    15+ Easy Potato Side Dish Recipes For Steak

    Air Fryer

    Air Fryer Turkey Legs Disney Copycat Recipe

    How To Air Fry Turkey Legs

    Air Fryer Brats Recipe

    Air Fryer Beer Brats (aka Bratwurst)

    Pizza Cravings

    Cheeseburger Recipe With Mustard And Pickles

    Cheeseburger Pizza Recipe With Mustard And Pickles

    Fig And Prosciutto Gourmet Pizza Recipe

    Dried Fig And Prosciutto Flatbread Pizza

    Holiday Dishes

    Spoon of gravy with a Turkey Gravy Packet lemon garlic and herb

    How To Make Turkey Gravy From Packet Taste Better

    Traeger smoked turkey legs

    Pellet Smoker Turkey Legs

    Footer

    • Sip Bite Go
    • Recipe Index
    • Sous-Vide Recipes
       
    Sip Bite Go As Seen On
    • Work with Sip Bite Go
    • About
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Get Updates
    • Accesibility Info

    COPYRIGHT © 2021 SIP BITE GO