#Campsgiving: A Thanksgiving-Inspired Grilled Chicken Recipe

As I was looking up recipes to try for our #Campsgiving 2018, I kept coming back to traditional Thanksgiving food. Now a turkey is a big bird… BUT a chicken? A chicken is perfect for our little family. I decided to try and stuff a chicken with traditional stuffing and then throw on the grill, because after all, it is Campsgiving! For sides, I went with chunked potatoes and carrots in foil packets (because ‘tis the season for root vegetables).

Ingredients

1 whole chicken

2 cups of stuffing (this may vary by the size of your bird, ours was 2lbs)

1 small bag of baby carrots

2 small bags of small rainbow potatoes

Butter (to rub on the outside of the chicken)

Salt and pepper

Poultry seasoning

3 cloves of fresh garlic

Olive oil

Dried rosemary

Cook Instructions

Stuff the chicken with the stuffing and tie the legs together with butcher’s twine to hold the stuffing inside. Rub the outside of the chicken with butter and sprinkle salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, and rosemary all over the outside. And by sprinkle, I mean apply liberally. Let the chicken sit at room temperature while building the fire.

Prepare your grill for low two-zone grilling. Pile unlit charcoal on one side of the grill. Use a chimney to light more charcoal. Once the coals are engaged (flames peeking over the top), pour them over the unlit charcoal. Cover the grill and close the vents 75%. If you use a gas grill, light the gas and adjust the temperature on one side of the grill to medium.

When the temperature reaches 325°, clean the grill grate. Place the chicken breast-side up on the cool side of the grill with the legs pointed toward the fire. Cover the grill and cook the chicken for 1 hour, or until the internal temperature deep in the thigh registers 160°F. We had to add charcoal once during the cooking process to keep the temperature high.

Chop the small potatoes in half and mince the fresh garlic. Toss potatoes, carrots, olive oil and garlic together in a bowl. Divvy up mixture into foil packets and place packets on the high rack, over the coals for about 30 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to the rack, and let rest for 15 minutes. Scoop out the stuffing into a bowl and carve the chicken. Enjoy!

If you haven’t celebrated Campsgiving yet, go for it! Even if it is after Thanksgiving, GO FOR IT! Whether it is a weekend camping trip or a backyard adventure, start a new tradition and get outside to celebrate with your family and friends! Don’t forget to use #Campsgiving so we can see your awesome photos.

Recipe inspired by a recipe I found in GRILLED TO PERFECTION: Two Champion Pit Masters’ Recipes and Techniques for Unforgettable Backyard Grilling, by Andy Husbands and Chris Hart, with Andrea Pyenson.