← All recipes
GRILL

Picanha + Spatchcock Chicken

Six steps, one fire. Flat at 350F for the whole cook, then one hard climb at the end that finishes both proteins.

OriginBrazilian-American, Kamado
Active35 min
Total125 min
EquipmentKamado Joe, 4x MEATER Probe Plus
Startup
20 min
Chicken pull
157°F
Grilling → Searing
Picanha pull
118°F → 128°F
Grilling → Searing
Rest
10 min
1 · Chicken on
Grilling · 350°F · tier 2
2 · Picanha on
Grilling · 350°F · tier 2
3 · Open up, ramp to sear temp
Searing · 600°F · tier 1
4 · Skin flash
Searing · 600°F · tier 1
5 · Sear
Searing · 600°F · tier 1
6 · Rest & serve
~5 lb ≈ 2.3 kg spatchcock chicken, pre-brined, patted bone dry Seasoned, indirect (deflector in), skin up, legs toward the hotter side.1 Skin down, straight over the coals, 60-90 sec2 Carve immediately -- legs and thighs first, then breasts off the bone3
1 1/2 tsp ≈ 7.5 mL coarse black pepper, chicken Seasoned onto the chicken before it goes on.
1 tsp ≈ 5 mL garlic powder Seasoned onto the chicken before it goes on.
1, fist-size oak or pecan chunk One chunk on the coals during fire build, before the chicken goes on.
2 lb ≈ 907 g picanha, fat cap scored 1/4-in crosshatch Peppered, fat cap up so it renders down through the roast.4 Fat cap down first, 2-3 min, then 45-60 sec per remaining face5 Rests 10 min untented (carries to 132-134°F), then sliced across the grain.
2 tsp ≈ 10 mL coarse black pepper, picanha, every face Seasoned onto every face before it goes on.
to taste chimichurri, spooned over at serving Spooned over at serving.
to taste flaky salt, at the table At the table.
  1. spatchcock chicken, pre-brined, patted bone dry · Chicken on 55-70 min until breast hits 157°F.
  2. spatchcock chicken, pre-brined, patted bone dry · Skin flash For the crisp that 350°F doesn't give you.
  3. spatchcock chicken, pre-brined, patted bone dry · Rest & serve Sliced crosswise.
  4. picanha, fat cap scored 1/4-in crosshatch · Picanha on 35-45 min until center hits 118°F.
  5. picanha, fat cap scored 1/4-in crosshatch · Sear To 128°F by instant-read.
Protein
Produce
Dairy & Egg
Pantry & Grain
Spice & Seasoning
Liquid & Fat

Notes

Probes out before the 600°F sear. Original MEATER Plus is rated to 527°F ambient -- pull all four before the ramp to sear and finish on time plus an instant-read; MEATER 2 Plus (1076°F) can ride through it.
Why the 25-min stagger between chicken and picanha. At the same dome temp the beef cooks in 35-45 min against the bird's 55-70 -- starting together would leave the picanha sitting at temp for half an hour.
Variation: flip the finish order. Searing beef first, flashing skin last puts the chicken on the table at peak crisp, at the cost of the skin landing on a grate that just had a fat cap flaring on it -- either works.
Bigger bird? Scale by the probes, not the clock. Add ~10 min per pound over 5 lb and push picanha-on later to match -- the pull temps don't move.
Original Developed from a personal Kamado cook card (six-step picanha + spatchcock chicken format).