Cheap Chicken 101

I honestly don’t see how people feed a large family these days—or a small one for that matter. Food prices keep climbing higher and higher, making cheaper alternatives all the more important. I like to save a little money in the poultry department. I go straight for the least expensive option—a whole chicken—and butterfly it. It cooks in half the time and will even work for busy weeknights. Cook it on the grill for a delicious, no-fuss dinner.

Try this technique with your Thanksgiving turkey, roasting it in the oven. You'll never have a more tender, quick-cooked holiday bird.

I’m no expert by any means, but here’s how I do it. (Thank you, Gary, for being my handsome hand model).

Remove giblet packet from 3.5 - 4 pound chicken. Rinse chicken under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.

                           Line poultry shears along one side of backbone, and cut through.
                                  It may seem as though you won’t make it, but you will.

                                               Repeat along other side of backbone.

Turn the chicken over, and press hard on the upper part of the breasts. You'll hear the sternum pop. You can also cut around the sternum to help flatten the chicken (it's the small, flat, sort of diamond-shaped bone on the underside of the chicken, at the head end).

                                                                   TADA!!
                                        (Don't think too much about all this. Just do it.)

After chicken is butterflied, drizzle with olive oil and season well with kosher salt and black pepper. I use about 2 teaspoons salt per side. This may seem like a lot, but it's not. Rub seasonings into chicken well. At this point, you can go straight to the grill; however, if you have the time, place the chicken in the refrigerator for 1 - 3 hours--even overnight.

Heat grill to about 400 degrees. Place chicken, skin side down, over indirect heat. Grill, covered, for 30-35 minutes. Flip chicken and cook, still over indirect heat, for about 15 minutes or until chicken is done.

Let the chicken rest for about 20 minutes before carving.

Tip: When salting and peppering the chicken, add garlic powder or chili powder for some additional flavor.