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Whole pollo alla diavola with crisp charred skin, chili flakes, and lemon on a rustic ceramic platter

Pollo alla Diavola (Italian Spicy Grilled Chicken)

Butterflied chicken grilled under a weight with a chili, garlic, and lemon rub. A Roman classic ready in under an hour once the chicken has marinated.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 420
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 1.5 kg whole chicken, backbone removed (spatchcocked) ask your butcher to spatchcock it, or use kitchen shears at home
Diavola rub
  • 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, grated on a microplane
  • 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes use up to 2 tsp for real heat, or substitute 1-2 fresh red chilies, minced
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 lemon, zest only reserve the lemon to cut into wedges for serving
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary, finely chopped optional but traditional in some Roman versions
  • 1.5 tsp fine sea salt

Method
 

Prepare and marinate the chicken
  1. Place the chicken breast-side down on a cutting board. Using kitchen shears, cut along both sides of the backbone and remove it completely. Flip the chicken breast-side up and press firmly on the breastbone with both hands until you hear it crack and the bird lies flat.
  2. Mix the olive oil, grated garlic, red pepper flakes, black pepper, lemon zest, rosemary if using, and salt in a small bowl until combined.
  3. Rub the mixture all over the chicken, getting under the skin of the breast and thighs as much as possible. Place the chicken on a wire rack set over a tray and refrigerate uncovered for at least 4 hours, or overnight. The exposed skin will dry out slightly, which helps it crisp.
Grill the chicken
  1. Remove the chicken from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. Pat the skin side dry with paper towels.
  2. Heat your grill or grill pan to high, around 220-230 C / 425-450 F. Brush the grates lightly with oil.
  3. Place the chicken skin-side down on the grill. Set a heavy cast-iron skillet or a foil-wrapped brick on top to press it flat. Cook undisturbed for 12-15 minutes until the skin is deep golden and releases cleanly from the grate.
  4. Remove the weight, flip the chicken, and cook for another 12-15 minutes until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 74 C / 165 F.
  5. Transfer to a cutting board and rest for 5-8 minutes before cutting into pieces. Serve with lemon wedges.

Notes

For grill pan cooking indoors, run your range hood on high and open a window - the chili in the rub will smoke at high heat. A splatter screen over the pan helps.