Stuffed Half Chicken with roasted cocktail tomatoes

A Half Chicken on the grill stuffed with sausage and broccoli rabe is a juicy recipe for grilling enthusiasts. This recipe is finished off with roasted cocktail tomatoes that go really well with the sausage and broccoli rabe.

If you like grilling, most likely have grilled Chicken. However, how often have you tried grilling half chickens on the grill? Don’t make the mistake of overlooking grilling bone in chicken on the grill. It’s healthy and if grilled properly your chicken will come off the grill moist and delicious.

What do you stuff into a half chicken on the grill?

This recipe for half chicken on the grill adds an extra layer of flavor by stuffing the chicken with sausage and broccoli rabe finished off with nice roasted tomatoes.

Plated Grilled Half Chicken with roasted tomatoes

First part of the process is heat up your grill to 400 degrees F. Once the grill is heated put the sausage and a tablespoon of olive oil in an iron skillet and grill over direct heat. Once the sausage is browned, add the chopped broccoli rabe, another tablespoon of oil, a pinch of salt, and a teaspoon of garlic powder. Cook down for 5 minutes and then take off the heat.

Once the sausage mixture is cool you can begin stuffing the chicken. You also have the option of cooking the sausage and broccoli rabe mixture at an earlier time and place in the refrigerator until you are ready to grill the chicken.

Sausage and Broccoli Rabe cooking in an small iron skillet on the grill

How do you stuff the half chicken?

Slide your hand between the chicken skin and breast. The skin should easily separate from the chicken body. Gentle push the sausage mixture between the skin and breast. Push it all the way back next to the wing and against the leg just letting it sit over the breast. The sausage will continue to cook and drip fat over the chicken breast which will help keep in moist. Don’t overstuff the bird. You should be able to pull the skin back over the sausage mixture to help protect it from burning during the grilling process.

Half Chicken on the grill stuffed with sausage

How do you grill a stuffed half chicken?

Place over direct heat at 350 degrees F. Do not put the chicken on the grill immediately after you take it out the refrigerator. You want the chicken to sit for 20 minutes to bring up the temp to help ensure even cooking. After the chicken is at room temperature put it on the grill and close the lid. You do not want to move the chicken too much while grilling because of the stuffing may fall out of the bird. Just leave it alone on the grill grates. Bring the chicken up to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. It should take about 35 to 40 minutes.

Half Chicken on the grill

Why roast cocktail tomatoes?

Cocktail tomatoes are slightly bigger then cherry tomatoes but smaller than a slicing tomato, so when slow roasted they pack so much juicy flavor and hold up well when slow grilled. Just add a little olive oil, salt, and oregano along with  5 tomatoes in a cast iron skillet.

Place the cocktail tomatoes on the grill on indirect heat and close the grill lid. For this recipe, put them on the grill a 1/2 hour before grilling your chicken and leave the tomatoes on the grill until the skin starts to split.

Roasted Tomatoes in cast iron skillet

Half Chicken plated with slow roasted tomatoes

If you like this recipe for a half chicken on the grill stuffed with sausage and broccoli rabe check out these other chicken recipes from Sear Marks!

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Print Recipe

Half Chicken Stuffed with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

By Drew – Serves: 1

Prep Time: 10 – Cooking Time: 1 hour

Half a chicken stuffed with sweet Italian sausage and broccoli rabe and then grilled. Finished with roasted whole cocktail tomatoes.

Ingredients

• Half a Chicken about 2.5 pounds
• 1/4 pound of ground sweet Italian sausage
• Two cups rough chopped Broccoli Rabe
• Dried Rosemary
• Dried Basil
• Dried Oregano
• Olive Oil
• Salt

Instructions

1

Heat the grill to 400 degrees F

2

Brown sausage and then add chopped broccoli rabe

3

Cook down for an additional 5 minutes and remove from heat

4

Place oil, tomatoes, salt, and oregano off direct heat on 350 degree F grill and close lid

5

Once mixture is cooled stuff chicken

6

Rub olive oil, rosemary, basil, oregano, and salt on chicken

7

Place on direct heat, close grill lid and cook until internal temperature hits 165 degrees F

8

Remove chicken and tomatoes from the grill

9

Plate and serve

Notes

Chicken should be room temperature before you place on the grill. Make sure you have a clean grill and grill grates. Because the chicken is over direct heat you don't want grill flare ups.