Welcome to our Simple Sunday Dinner series. We love to cook, and one of our favorite foods to cook is chicken. Chicken is a very versatile protein. It can be cooked in endless different ways and pairs very well with a wide array of vegetables, herbs, and spices. Tonight’s bill of fare is a whole roast chicken. This recipe can easily transition to the oven (details below), however tonight, we’re roasting our chicken on the Traeger. In fact, we’ll cook tonight’s entire meal (sides included) on the Traeger. Let’s get going:
Things You’ll Need
Chicken:
- One whole chicken
- Your favorite rub (I used The Gospel by Meat Church)
- Twine
- 1 tbsp butter (optional)
Potatoes:
- One package creamer potatoes
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- Garlic Salt
- Ranch Seasoning (optional)
- Heat-safe pan (i.e. Pyrex)
Broccoli:
- 1 lb package of broccoli florets (can use 2 heads of broccoli as well)
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- Sea salt
- Vegetable grill basket
Bonus Item:
- Digital meat probe or meat thermometer (more on this later)
Timing:
- Prep Time: 15 minutes (includes preheating time)
- Cook Time: 60 – 90 minutes
- Total Time: 75 – 105 minutes (1:15 – 1:45)
Step by Step
Before we do anything else, we’ll get our grill heating up. If you’re using a pellet grill like us, follow the specific preheat instructions and then turn your grill up to high/450℉ depending on your grill’s controls. If you’re opting for the oven, preheat the oven to 450℉. While that’s preheating, we’ll get the chicken and sides ready to go:
Step 0 (Optional)
I like to take some butter and slide it under the skin near the breasts. This helps keep them moist during the cooking process as well as helps the skin crisp. Cut the butter into 2 pieces and slide it under the skin. You’ll find the skin is easy to separate near the cavity of the bird, so place the butter under the skin here and slide it over to the breasts.
Step 1:
Very liberally apply your selected seasoning all over the skin of the chicken. I like to do this over the sink to contain any excess seasoning to an easy-to-clean area. Once you coat the entire bird, place the bird on either a plate or cutting board.
Step 2:
Truss your chicken. Using the twine, tie the legs of the chicken together to prevent them from flailing outward while cooking. This will help the chicken cook consistently and avoid any burning.
Step 3 (Optional)
If using a digital meat probe, insert it into the breast of the chicken. We’re shooting for a temperature of 165 ℉ for the chicken, and this will give you a constant read on your temperature. I like to use one that has a base station at the grill as well as a separate unit I can carry with me. This allows me to see the temperature of the chicken if I’ve stepped away from the grill. The model I use also has a feature wherein the device will alert you when the probe reaches your set temperature. This model can be set for various types of meat as well as specific temperatures depending on what you’re cooking. If you’re using any other sort of meat thermometer, just check the temperature of the breast periodically throughout the cooking process to avoid overcooking your chicken.
Step 4:
Place the chicken on the grill. If using the oven, you’ll want to place your chicken on a roasting pan and then place the pan in the oven. Your chicken will cook for anywhere from 60-90 minutes based on how consistent your grill keeps temperature and how many times you open/close the lid. The digital meat probe helps reduce the number of times you need to open the lid to check the cooking process.
Step 5:
Next we’ll prepare the potatoes for the grill. Place the potatoes into your baking dish and coat with olive oil and garlic salt (ranch seasoning as well if you’re using it). Stir the potatoes around the baking dish to evenly coat all potatoes in the olive oil and seasoning.
Step 6:
Place broccoli florets inside a mixing bowl or ziplock bag, coat the broccoli with olive oil, and sprinkle salt liberally across the broccoli. Set aside.
Step 7:
Approximately 20 minutes after you place the chicken on the grill, place the baking dish with potatoes on the grill (in the oven) as well. Potatoes can handle a lot of heat, so if the chicken timeline drifts into the upper end of the 60-90 minute time range, the potatoes will be fine.
Step 8:
At the same time as Step 7, place the vegetable grill basket on the grill to preheat prior to cooking the broccoli.
Step 9:
Approximately 30 minutes after you place the potatoes on the grill (now 50 minutes since chicken has been placed on the grill), add the broccoli florets to the grill basket (on the grill).
Step 10:
Once your meat probe/thermometer reaches 165 ℉, remove the chicken from the grill. Place the chicken on the cutting board and cover with foil.
Step 11:
Once the chicken has been removed from the grill, check the potatoes by sticking them with a knife or fork. If the utensil slides into the potato with ease, they are done. If they’re not quite done don’t worry, they’ll finish cooking while the chicken rests.
Step 12:
Remove the potatoes and broccoli from the grill. Both can be covered with foil to keep warm while the next step is completed.
Step 13
Carve your chicken. We typically carve ours into quarters: breast, breast, thigh/leg, thigh/leg, however you can break your chicken down to suit your preferences.
Step 14:
Plate and eat!
