Grilled Chicken Under a Brick

Want to know the secret to crispy chicken skin? Grilled Chicken Under a Brick! No actual brick required, just something heavy. Get ready for weeknight chicken dinner perfection!

By
Nick Evans
Nick Evans
Nick Evans
Nick has been creating recipes for home cooks for almost 12 years. He is the author of Love Your Leftovers and has contributed to Simply Recipes since 2017.
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Updated June 18, 2022
Nick Evans
Whole chicken cooked on the grill under a heavy cast iron pan
Nick Evans

This is one of my absolute favorite ways to make chicken. Even though grilling season is (technically) over, I'll still put on a coat and light the coals for this chicken—it's that good! The lemon and herb marinade gives the chicken a bright, fresh flavor, and thanks to that heavy "brick" (more on that later), it cooks much faster than a normal grilled chicken.

And the skin? Oh, the skin. So crispy and perfect.

Butterflied chicken on the grill under a heavy cast iron pan
Nick Evans

What Is Chicken Under a Brick?

I have a lot of bricks in my kitchen, but they are all very secured in my walls. Good news, though—you don't actually need a brick to make Chicken Under a Brick! You just need something super heavy and heat-resistant, like a cast iron pan or a pizza stone.

Once you have that in place, this dish is exactly what it sounds like: You butterfly or spatchcock your chicken; then you cook it with something heavy on top! You could also cut the chicken into two halves (my preferred method), which makes it more manageable on the grill.

Why Cook a Chicken This Way?

There are two main reasons to cook chicken this way:

  1. It cooks faster: The chicken cooks very fast under the added pressure. You can trim 10 to 15 minutes off your normal chicken grilling time this way!
  2. The crispy skin! You've never had chicken skin as beautifully crisp as it will be with this recipe. It's seriously grilled chicken perfection.
Grilled chicken under a brick on a white platter
Nick Evans

An Important Safety Tip for Cooking Chicken Under a Brick

One thing to remember about grilling with a brick is to make sure to do a few flips without the brick at the end of cooking. The brick touches raw chicken, and while it is hot, it's possible to get some cross-contamination of raw and cooked chicken. I always do a few flips without the brick to ensure the chicken is cooked thoroughly.

When Is the Chicken Done?

If you're grilling your chicken in two halves, like I usually do, you'll probably need 20 to 25 minutes to grill it. BUT: I never trust times on recipes for grilled chicken, since there are just too many variables. The only way to know for sure is to use a meat thermometer. When the chicken is 165°F in the thickest part, it’s done!

Crispy chicken dinner with side salad
Nick Evans

What To Serve With Chicken Under a Brick

A fresh salad is always a winner. I also like to eat this chicken with with classic BBQ sides like potato salad, macaroni salad, or even macaroni and cheese.

Oven-Baked Chicken Under a Brick

Don't have a grill? No worries! You can make this chicken in the oven as well.

Place a baking sheet and your "brick" in a cold oven. Preheat to 450°F. Once the oven has preheated, put the chicken on your baking sheet. (Careful! It's hot!) Then, place the brick on top. Slide the whole thing in the oven, and follow the timing of the recipe. Should be almost identical to grilling times.

More Great Grilled Chicken Recipes:

Grilled Chicken Under a Brick

Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Marinade 30 mins
Total Time 70 mins
Servings 4 servings

Any time you see "brick" in this recipe, know that you can substitute whatever heavy item it is you've decided to use. Cast iron skillet, pizza stone, etc. We're sticking with calling this thing a "brick" just to make it easy.

Ingredients

  • 1 (3 pound) whole chicken

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary

  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme

  • 1 lemon, zest only

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Method

  1. Prepare the chicken:
    • Use kitchen shears to remove the backbone. After you've removed it, cut through the breast middle to split the chicken into two halves. Press down flat on a baking sheet. Alternatively, butterfly the chicken.
    Raw butterflied chicken on baking sheet for chicken under a brick
    Nick Evans
  2. Make the marinade:

    Mix together the garlic, rosemary, thyme, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Slather the chicken with the mixture on both sides, and work some of the marinade under the skin of the chicken as well. (Alternatively, just drizzle the chicken with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.) Cover chicken loosely and let rest for 30 minutes.

    Mix the spices and olive oil for chicken under a brick recipe
    Nick Evans
    Butterfly chicken with herbs on baking sheet
    Nick Evans
  3. Preheat the brick:

    Preheat your grill to medium-high heat. Cover the bottom of your heavy thing (which we will call a "brick" here) with foil and brush the outer part of the foil with oil to prevent any sticking. Preheat the brick in the grill for 5 minutes before cooking the chicken.

    Cast iron pan used for chicken under a brick
    Nick Evans
  4. Grill the chicken:

    When everything is nicely preheated, add the chicken to the grill, skin-side down. Add the brick to the top of the chicken to press down. Let chicken grill for 8 minutes, skin-side down.

    After 8 minutes, remove the brick and flip the chicken. Return the brick to the top of the chicken and grill for another 8 minutes.

    After another 8 minutes have passed, remove the brick and flip the chicken back so it is skin side down. Do not replace the brick this time. Grill the chicken for 3 to 4 minutes, and then flip again so it is skin-side up. Grill for another 3 to 4 minutes or until the chicken reaches 165°F in the thickest part.

    Spatchcocked chicken on the grill with herbs
    Nick Evans
    Butterflied chicken on the grill under a heavy cast iron pan
    Nick Evans
    Grilled butterflied chicken
    Nick Evans
  5. Rest and serve:

    When the chicken comes off the grill, let it rest for a few minutes, and then slice it into serving pieces. I like to keep the leg and thigh connected, but you could break it down any way you want.

    The chicken keeps well in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat the chicken in a 350°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes. The skin won’t be as crispy as straight off the grill, but it will still have great flavor.

    Browned grilled whole chicken on a white platter
    Nick Evans
    Crispy chicken dinner with side salad
    Nick Evans
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
938 Calories
60g Fat
1g Carbs
93g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 938
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 60g 77%
Saturated Fat 15g 74%
Cholesterol 299mg 100%
Sodium 594mg 26%
Total Carbohydrate 1g 0%
Dietary Fiber 0g 2%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 93g
Vitamin C 3mg 17%
Calcium 62mg 5%
Iron 5mg 25%
Potassium 781mg 17%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.