Homemade is Better—Rotisserie Chicken Rub

Swiss Chalet might have some of the best rotisseried chicken.  I’m not sure what they put on it while it’s on the rotisserie, but the skin is crispy and flavourful.  It got me thinking about how I can duplicate that idea—boosting the flavour of the skin on a rotisserie chicken.  I like to use my rotisserie as much as possible, but I only get to pull it out a few times a year, and I typically use it for chicken.  I have used it for a few other types of meat before, but chicken is the go-to.

There are many ways to execute this recipe.  For an excellent rotisserie chicken, you can brine it in a salt and sugar solution for a minimum of two hours to a maximum of 24 hours.  The measurements would be roughly one cup of salt and sugar to four litres of water.  Then store the brine between one and four degrees Celsius for best results, that’s usually your fridge, but a cooler outside in the mid to late fall also works.  Once the brine is done, towel off the bird, rinse it to get all the salt off, towel it off a second time, and add this rub.  Let the rub sit for at least 30 minutes before you start cooking.  I chose not to brine for this recipe; just rub, rest, and cook.

This will be a problematic recipe if you do not have a rotisserie on your grill, but never fear; you can still roast the chicken in the oven to get the great flavour.  If you have a wire rack, you can put the chicken on the rack, and it will not sit in its juices, yielding a crispier skin near the bottom because it is not sitting in liquid and getting soft.  If you have a rotisserie, you’ll want to start it on medium.  Rotisserie is about patience and time; if you try to speed it up, you get ok skin, but not exceptional.  A slower cook will allow the juices from the bird to soak into all the areas and then burn off on the grill, which gives you that slightly smokier flavour.  You’ll notice I went dark with my chicken.  I cranked the heat on all the burners in the last ten minutes to get that flavour and Maillard reaction.  I will add, though, if you have an aluminum pan that will fit under the chicken, you will save yourself from flare-ups in your grill, and you can use the juice to make gravy.

Let’s make the rub and best of luck to you!

Rotisserie Chicken Rub

Ingredients:

1 tbsp garlic powdered
1tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp mustard powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground thyme
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions:
  • Pretty simple. Put everything in a container, shake it up well to mix it all, and use it!
  • Let the chicken rest for a minimum of 30 minutes but up to two hours in the fridge.