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3 Great Alternatives to Rotisserie Chicken for Your Grill
Hands down, rotisserie is one of the most popular methods for cooking chicken. It provides us with a way to prepare chicken with crispy, golden brown skin and juicy, tender meat. But are you aware of other roasting techniques that are just as effective in creating a delectable chicken dish? Destined to remain in obscurity, these alternatives to rotisserie chicken are must-haves recipes that you need to bring to your home grill!
As great as rotisserie chicken is, it does have some drawbacks. For one thing, it requires special equipment in the form of a spinning rotisserie spit. As well, rotisserie chicken often takes a longer time to cook than other grilling options. And what’s more, this type of food is so common that it’s often much easier and more convenient to buy it at the store.
To bring some variation to your BBQ, try out these fabulous alternatives to rotisserie chicken when you’re grilling chicken at home.
Table of Contents
Alternative to Rotisserie Chicken #1: Beer Can Chicken
Who needs the hassle of buying and storing yet another kitchen gadget? If your cupboards are already overflowing with rarely-used impulse purchases, consider cooking chicken using the decidedly low-tech recipe of Beer Can Chicken!This simple recipe is a fantastic one to try out. It doesn’t require special equipment, nor does it need any out-of-the-ordinary ingredients. Everything you to make this recipe can probably be found in your kitchen including the one mandatory element: a beer can.
To make this recipe, position a whole, pre-marinaded chicken on top of a half-full can of beer on your BBQ grill. The result is a crispy outside complemented by juicy, fall-off-the-bone meat inside. Instead of just serving as an ad hoc holder, the half-full beer can also helps tenderize the chicken.
You can purchase special racks designed to keep beer-can-mounted chickens stable and upright, but they are not completely necessary. Additionally, you can swap out the beer for cola and cook the chicken using a soy-based marinade.
PROS:
- No need for special tools
- Can be made with ordinary ingredients
CONS:
- Beer can may not be enough for stability
- Don’t get to drink half a can of beer
Alternative to Rotisserie Chicken #2: Bundt Pan
A spinning rotisserie spit can make for a great tool to have in your kitchen. And yet, just because you don’t have one doesn’t mean you’re out of options. If you’re an active baker, try using a Bundt pan to grill your next chicken.
Bundt pans are baking pans that have a distinctive mold that feature a hole in the middle. Because a Bundt pan is equipped with this hole-making “pillar” in its center, this makes for a great place to mount your chicken in an upright fashion. Not only that, but a Bundt pan also provides the advantage of providing a roasting pan for cooking potatoes at the same time.
PROS:
- Grill chicken and bake potatoes at the same time
CONS:
- Needs a baking sheet underneath to catch drippings falling down from its hole in the center
And if you don’t happen to have this type of specialty baking pan, you still have options. You can also try using a rimmed baking sheet, a casserole dish, or a cast-iron pan. This last item is great for grilling chicken because it retains heat well, takes up less room, and even comes with its own ready-to-use handle.
Alternative to Rotisserie Chicken #3: Spatchcocking
No lie: whole chickens are awkward things to cook. They’re bulbous, gangly, and don’t fit well in a pan. So the next time you grill your chicken, consider doing it the spatchcock way and turn the roundness of a whole chicken into a manageable cooking ingredient that is flat.
A spatchcocked chicken is one in which the backbone of a chicken is removed and the chicken is flattened out. By doing so, this increases the chicken’s surface area that makes contact with the grill, thereby making it easier and quicker to cook. Not only that, the shorter cooking time helps ensure that the chicken remains juicy instead of drying it out.
As great as these advantages are, this cooking technique has a major drawback: the heavy cutting required. If you’re on good terms with your butcher, you can ask to have the backbone of the chicken removed when you purchase it; or, if you’re willing to put in the work, you can get a sharp knife and do the work yourself.
PROS:
- New, flattened shape helps the chicken finish cooking at about the same time
- Makes for juicier meat
CONS:
- Requires a lot of work
Final Thoughts
No matter how you cook your chicken, you’ll want to cook it until it achieves an internal temperature of about 160°F (71°C). For best results, use a ThermoPro Instant-Read Thermometer like the TP03, or a ThermoPro Digital Wireless Meat Thermometer like the TP20. This way, you’ll know your chicken is safe to eat, and is at its most tender and juicy. As shown, there are many other available options for preparing whole chickens when grilling. We hope you’ll consider adopting these great alternatives to rotisserie chicken, and make delicious chicken for your diners!
