A simple brine and fresh vegetable and herb stuffing creates a homemade rotisserie chicken that bests any grocery store version every day of the week!
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“Thank you for the recipe, turned out wonderfully. I think I have made rotisserie chicken using this recipe 5 times in the last month. Thanks again for sharing , turns out perfect every time.” -Scott, FoodieCrush reader
Ditch the Grocery Store Bird and Make It Yourself!
There are two smells I’m immediately drawn to the minute I enter the grocery store.
First, there’s the smell of that dang french bread they just pulled from the oven. All golden on the outside and soft and pillowy on the inside, still warm enough so that when I get home I immediately tear a chunk off with my bare hands.
The other smell is the aroma of rotisserie chicken. As soon as the smell hits the olfactory senses, weary cooks are lured to abandon their dinner cooking plans and buy one to go.
Guilty as charged. 🙋♀️ I can barely get to the car before opening up the plastic container and picking off the crispy skin.
Making a rotisserie chicken at home can seem a little intimidating. But in reality, they’re just about the easiest thing you’ll ever cook. And once you put these steps into place, you’ll be making one every week for a main meal, to snack on and for sandwiches. Before long you’ll be giving the store-bought version the heave ho.
Heidi’s Tips for Recipe Success
- This is the rotisserie attachment I used. It works on my Saber grill, but if your grill is from a different brand I suggest doing a quick google to see what rotisserie equipment you’ll need. (You can use your fancy new gadget to make a rotisserie turkey for Thanksgiving, too!)
- Center the chicken on the rotisserie rod so it sits in the center of the grill when cooking. When sticking the prongs into the ends of the chicken, be sure they’re super tight and in as far as they can go so the chicken stays stable and doesn’t flop around when it spins. When tightening the prongs, you may want to use pliers to make sure they’re tight so they don’t slide out as it cooks.
- Have multiple burners on your grill? I suggest turning off the middle burner and leaving the sides on so the chicken cooks over indirect heat. Check the temperatures often and if it seems to be cooking too fast or too slow on either side, adjust accordingly.
What You’ll Need for the Brine and Seasoning
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Whole chicken — The instructions are for a 3.5 to 4-pound whole chicken.
- Granulated sugar + kosher salt — I dissolve equal amounts in boiling water to create a simple but effective chicken brine. Make sure you’re using kosher salt and not table salt, which has much finer grains and tastes much saltier per teaspoon.
- Herbs and spices — The chicken is brined with a couple bay leaves and whole peppercorns, then stuffed with a handful of fresh herbs (we love rosemary, sage, or parsley). Don’t add any herbs to the outside of the bird or else they’ll burn as the chicken rotates on the rotisserie.
- Aromatics — Lemon quarters, chopped red onion, and whole garlic cloves round out the stuffing to provide moisture and flavor.
How to Make a Rotisserie Chicken
- Make the brine. Steeping the chicken in a salt and sugar brine is the key to cooking a juicy rotisserie chicken. To make the brine, I add ½ cup kosher salt and ½ cup sugar (either granulated or brown sugar, your choice) to a dutch oven or really deep bowl or container. I then pour about 1 cup of boiling water over the mix then vigorously stir until the mixture dissolves. Next I add enough cold water to cover the bird and add peppercorns and bay leaves.
Heidi’s Tip: Before adding the chicken to the brine, be sure to rinse it well with cold water and remove the giblets and the neck from the interior cavity.
- Brine for 4 to 12 hours. Once you’re done brining, discard the brine and drain the chicken well.
- Stuff it. I created an aromatic stuffing using onion, lemons, garlic, and herbs. I drizzle with a little olive oil and more kosher salt and pepper. Before loading the stuffing into the bird, I generously salt the cavity of the bird. This infuses flavor from the inside out.
- Truss it. Drizzle the skin with olive oil and add more kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Tuck the wings under the breast and tie the legs together with twine.
- Cook over the grill using a rotisserie attachment. Once the chicken is done, remove it from the rotisserie and prongs, transfer to a serving platter and cover with aluminum foil to rest for 10-15 minutes so the juices set into the meat.
Know Your Cook Times!
A 3.5- to 4-pound chicken will take between 1 ½ – 2 hours to cook, depending on how hot your grill is. With chicken, it’s always best to go with telling it’s done by the temperature, not by the time. Chickens are cooked when the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees F.
I use this digital thermometer and it is the best! It’s super accurate and reads in an instant. An important feature to have with chicken.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.
How to Make a Rotisserie Chicken
Ingredients
Brine
- 3.5 to 4 pound whole chicken
- ½ cup kosher salt plus more for seasoning
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
Stuffing and Seasoning
- ½ red onion , quartered
- 2 lemons , quartered
- 4-6 garlic cloves
- 1 handful fresh herbs (such as rosemary, sage, and parsley)
- olive oil
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Remove the neck and giblets from the cavity of the chicken and rinse the chicken with cold water. Trim any excess skin from the neck area. Set aside.
- In a large stock pot or bowl, add the ½ cup of kosher salt and ½ cup of granulated sugar to the pot. Bring 1 cup of water to a boil and pour over the salt and sugar and stir vigorously until it dissolves. Add enough cold water to the pot to cover the chicken and add the bay leaves and peppercorns. Place the chicken in the pot and refrigerate for 4 hours up to 12 hours or overnight.
- Prepare the grill on high. Remove the chicken from the brine and rinse the chicken with cold water, then pat dry. Season the inside of the cavity generously with kosher salt.
- Toss the red onion, lemons, garlic cloves and fresh herbs with a drizzle of olive oil and kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Stuff the mixture into the cavity of the chicken. Rub olive oil over the skin and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Insert the rod through the chicken and attach the prongs, being sure to affix them tightly. Tie the chicken legs together with twine and fold the wings under the chicken breasts.
- Put the chicken on the grill/rotisserie attachment and start the rotisserie. If you have multiple burners, turn off the middle burner and leave the sides on so the chicken cooks over indirect heat. Check the temperature of the chicken often and if it seems to be cooking too fast or too slow on either side, adjust accordingly. Cook for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees F.
What to Make with Your Rotisserie Chicken
Have leftovers? Shred or cube the chicken and add it to your favorite soups, salads, and wraps.
Side Dishes to Serve
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Steven M. B.
We’ve now done this twice in our new MooSoo 10-in-one countertop convection oven. It takes 45 to 50 minutes on the rotisserie setting and the chicken (circa 5 pounds) was PERFECT each time. With a slightly smaller chicken you can add diced potatoes and small pieces of carrot to the tray underneath and watch them get cooked by the drippings … wow!
Scott
Thank you for the recipe, turned out wonderfully. I think I have made rotisserie chicken using this recipe 5 times in the last month. Thanks again for sharing , turns out perfect every time.
jon rawlins
Way too salty…..looked good but didn’t taste great…too salty
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
Sorry about that Jon!