Cedar Planked Grilled Whole chicken – succulent, mildly smokey, crispy skin and really flavorful. Delicious summer fare with only 20 minutes hands-on time.

Don’t let the plank method intimidate you. It’s much easier than you might think. I tried it last year and have used it dozens of times since then for chicken and fish. I love the mild smokey flavour infused by the cedar wood.

The simple marinade adds another layer of flavor. You can skip the marinating if you want and just use a rub or some simple salt and pepper, but I find that it does enhance the taste, especially with cold leftovers the next day (if you have any). If you’re short on time, though, you can marinate on the counter for just an hour or skip it altogether and serve the chicken with a topping like our Charred Onions or Fresh Mango Salad (substitute peaches if you like). In fact, both these sides would pair perfectly with the chicken regardless.

The bottom line is this chicken has a golden crispy skin, it’s moist and flavourful with a light smokiness and it’s a lot less fuss than using the rotisserie.

Tailor To Your Taste

Use any marinade you like for the chicken.
Skip the marinade and sprinkle the chicken on all sides with salt, garlic powder, pepper, onion powder before cooking.
Try a maple plank instead of a cedar plank.
Spatchcock or flatten the chicken as per our similar recipe Cedar Planked Chicken (pictured below the recipe).

Cedar Plank Tips

The thinner planks (1/4 inch) only take 10 minutes to soak (instead of 30 minutes for 1/2 inch planks) and you can toss them out after one use so no clean up. They cost approximately $1.50-$1.80 each and you can get them anywhere that sells BBQs (Home Depot, Canadian Tire, Costco, Walmart, etc) and even some grocery stores during the summer. They also only need a few minutes on the direct heat to begin smoking.
You can add apple juice, white wine or beer to the water for soaking to add a bit more flavour.
There is no need to turn the food over.
Keep the BBQ lid closed as much as possible to keep in the smoke.
Keep a spray bottle or water handy in case the planks catch fire.
The experts say you can wash the thicker 1/2-3/4 inch planks with water (not soap) and reuse them if they are not too charred. After a couple of uses, though, the smokey flavours diminishes. I get the thinner planks and just toss them after use.

Make Ahead Cedar Planked Chicken

You can make the chicken ahead and keep it in a warm oven or covered BBQ for up to an hour. The skin may not be as crispy though. This also makes delicious cold chicken for a picnic the next day.

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