Low Sodium Grilled Brick Chicken Recipe
This low sodium brick chicken is one of our favorite low sodium grilling recipes! Start by cutting and seasoning a whole chicken in delicious salt-free spices, then placing it on the grill with a brick weighing the chicken down for quick cooking!
Juicy, flavorful, and the perfect summer grilling recipe. Low sodium brick chicken is easy to make, and great to serve to anyone at your summer barbecue – everyone will love this easy chicken recipe! The perfect recipe for summertime entertaining.
Want more great low sodium grilling recipes? Try our low sodium grilled chicken breasts, low sodium grilled pork chops, and low sodium steak with chimichurri sauce.
We recently stayed with some wonderful family in Calgary Canada, and they made us the best brick chicken! I had to make a low sodium version that we could enjoy at home this summer. I had never had chicken cooked this way, and absolutely loved it! The brick (or other weight) adds weight on top of the chicken making it cook up quicker on the grill, but still keeping it super juicy.
Start by cutting up a whole chicken, and seasoning it on both side with our no-salt spice mix. I like adding a little bit of fresh lime juice over the chicken just before serving for a tasty citrus kick. Believe me when I say everyone will love this chicken, even if they are used to a ‘standard’ salty diet.
Notes From Our Low Sodium Grill
- This chicken is juicy, tender, and SO delicious.
- A great low sodium grilling recipe that is full of flavor.
- Made with simple, whole ingredients and no-salt-added spices.
- Perfect for entertaining, everyone will love this quick-cooking grilled chicken.
- Anyone can make this dish following our simple step-by-step photos and instructions below!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Be sure to visit the recipe card below to see the full ingredient amounts and directions!
A whole rotisserie chicken is best for this recipe. Be sure to get an all-natural or organic chicken… one that has a nutrition label on it! Some chicken can be injected with a sodium ‘flavoring’, so be sure to buy your chicken without any additives.
I made the best no-salt spice rub for the chicken using garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and paprika. It’s deliciously savory and works so well with grilled meats. I added some other great suggestions below if you want to try different flavors.
If you don’t have fresh lime juice, you can top the chicken with fresh lemon juice or use a low sodium sauce like our favorite low sodium BBQ sauce.
Additions and Substitutions
Marinate the chicken for more flavor! Try our low sodium Jamaican jerk marinade, low sodium chicken marinade, or experiment with salt-free marinades on your own.
Mix up the spice blend. I also like using our low sodium chicken seasoning recipe, or add some brown sugar for sweetness, smoked paprika for a deeper grilled flavor, or dried oregano or thyme for an herbier flavor.
For a spicier chicken, you can add ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper in the spice rub.
Step-By-Step Photos & Instructions
Prepping Your Chicken
Prep the chicken. I spatchcocked the chicken – meaning I cut it so it can lay relatively flat on the grill. Here is how I did this:
Step 1: Using a sharp meat cleaver, remove the wing tips from the chicken.
Step 2: Place the chicken breast-side-down on a cutting board. Using sharp kitchen scissors (like poultry shears), cut along either side of the backbone, from the back of the chicken and cut towards the front. Remove the backbone.
Step 3: Open the chicken up like a book, and using a sharp meat cleaver, cut a small incision halfway through the breastbone in the center of the chicken.
Step 4: Flip the chicken over and spread it out so it lays flat on a pan to season.
Cooking the Chicken
Step 1: Get your grill hot, and heat it to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. In a small bowl, mix together the garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and paprika. Stir well to combine.
Step 2: Sprinkle half of the seasoning on one side of the chicken. Flip the chicken over, and use the rest of the seasoning on the other side. You want both sides of the chicken evenly coated with the spice mixture.
Step 3: Once the grill is ready, place the chicken skin-side-down on indirect heat (like on a grill pan or in a cast-iron skillet). Place another grill-safe pan over the chicken, and then top the second pan with a brick/weight wrapped in tin foil. Grill for 35 minutes, the chicken should be golden brown on the edges.
Step 4: Using oven mitts, carefully remove the brick and the top pan from the chicken. Using a grill-safe spatula, carefully loosen the chicken from the bottom pan, and flip it over so the skin-side is up. Grill for an additional 5 to 10 minutes until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 5: Remove the chicken from the grill and allow it to rest on the counter for 5 minutes. Cut the chicken into quarters, or other serving pieces, and squeeze fresh lime juice over the chicken just before serving. Enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
This low sodium whole grilled chicken recipe has 115 mg sodium for one quater of the whole chicken, as it uses no-salt-added spices in the rub. If you are enjoying brick chicken at a restaurant, it may contain added salt or sodium in the seasonings, so be sure to check before enjoying
If you don’t have a brick, you can look into using another heat-proof weight, or a heavy cast iron pan instead. Just make sure it won’t melt when being heated on the grill, and be sure to wrap it in tin foil.
If you have leftover chicken, store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Serving & Leftover Suggestions
Serve with your favorite low sodium dipping sauce, our low sodium BBQ sauce is a favorite!
If you have leftover chicken, you can use it in low sodium Caesar salad, dice it up for low sodium chicken noodle soup, or turn it into low sodium chicken salad.
Save any chicken bones to make low sodium bone broth for a delicious flavor to your next soup.
Expert Tips
- I have seen pre-cut spatchcock chicken (spatchcocking is when you remove the backbone and lay the chicken flat) at the store, already cut. You can also ask your butcher to do this for you. If you aren’t comfortable with a large kitchen knife or don’t have the strength to de-bone a chicken, I highly recommend asking your butcher – they are usually more than happy to assist!
- The brick helps to flatten the chicken, and allows it to cook quicker than leaving the chicken whole. If you don’t have a brick or a weight, you can follow the steps and make this chicken without the weight… it just may take longer to cook.
- If making this recipe ahead of time, you can spatchcock the chickens and store them in an airtight container up to 2 days before grilling.
- This recipe is also great to double or triple for a crowd, so if you have space on the grill, you can add more birds.
More Easy Low Sodium Grilling Recipes
- Low Sodium Grilled Halibut Recipe
- Low Sodium Grilled Pork Chops Recipe
- The best Low Sodium Grilled Vegetables Recipe
- Low Sodium Grilled Chicken Recipe
- Low Sodium Cedar Plank Salmon
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Low Sodium Grilled Brick Chicken
Equipment
- Grill
- Poultry Scissors or Shears
- Meat Cleaver
- 2 Grill-Safe Pans
- 1 Brick, or other heat-proof weight
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken 4-5 lbs
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 lime
Instructions
- Prep the chicken. I spatchcocked the chicken – meaning I cut it so it can lay relatively flat on the grill. Here is how I did this.
Spatchcocking a Chicken
- Using a sharp meat cleaver, remove the wing tips from the chicken.
- Place the chicken breast-side-down on a cutting board. Using sharp kitchen scissors (like poultry shears), cut along either side of the backbone, from the back of the chicken and cut towards the front. Remove the backbone.
- Open the chicken up like a book, and using a sharp meat cleaver, cut a small incision halfway through the breastbone in the center of the chicken.
- Flip the chicken over and spread it out so it lays flat on a pan to season.
For Grilling the Chicken
- Get your grill hot, and heat it to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a small bowl, mix together the garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and paprika. Stir well to combine.
- Sprinkle half of the seasoning on one side of the chicken. Flip the chicken over, and use the rest of the seasoning on the other side. You want both sides of the chicken evenly coated with the spice mixture.
- Once the grill is ready, place the chicken skin-side-down on indirect heat (like on a grill pan or in a cast-iron skillet). Place another grill-safe pan over the chicken, and then top the second pan with a brick wrapped in tin foil. Grill for 35 minutes, the chicken should be golden brown on the edges.
- Using oven mitts, carefully remove the brick and the top pan from the chicken. Using a grill-safe spatula, carefully loosen the chicken from the bottom pan, and flip it over so the skin-side is up. Grill for an additional 5 to 10 minutes until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Remove the chicken from the grill and allow it to rest on the counter for 5 minutes. Cut the chicken into quarters, or other serving pieces, and squeeze fresh lime juice over the chicken just before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition estimate (for 1 serving)
*Please note, all nutrition content is estimated based on the ingredients we used in our kitchen. It will vary based on your ingredients. Always check your nutrition labels to verify your nutrition content and sodium amounts.
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