Ask any Austinite: Fresa’s is the place where you go to get the best chicken in town the world. You can order a half or a whole chargrilled bird at the cutest drive-thru window you’ve ever seen, and it comes wrapped in butcher paper with grilled onions and peppers, beans, rice, and warm corn tortillas so you can fold all that goodness up into a taco.
I invited the man behind the magic chicken, Chef René Ortiz (who also owns one of my other favorite restaurants in town, Launderette) to join me in my kitchen to show us how it’s done. Think you know the secrets? Hint: if you think that spatchcock means something dirty, you’re in for a whole new chicken education.
Watch the video above to see René and I prep the chicken for the grill then garnish it with all these delicious toppings for serving. I learned a thing or two about the proper way to carve that bird like a champ, and trust me: y’all can do this too. I tried out the technique the following weekend on my own, and it tasted every bit as good as when I had chef supervision.
Enjoy the video, and let me know if you give this chicken grilling technique a try! And big thanks to René Ortiz and his incredible Fresa’s team for spilling their secrets. 
And if you’re looking for more healthy recipe vids, don’t miss my superfood salmon salad, perfect roasted veggies, or the one when Chanel and I challenged each other to a breakfast smoothie face-off!
**Video by Eve Tarlo & crew, music by Walter Nichols, photos by Kristen Kilpatrick**
what is the marinade?
It’s Fresa’s secret signature marinade, but here’s another very similar one that I love! http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/achiote-chicken-with-tangerine-sauce
Cannot wait to try this with your great video as my guide! If it tastes anything like Fresa’s, I’ll be scheduling a Cinco de Mayo party with this chicken as the main attraction.
The whole point to this is the marinade but you did not supply that recipie . I would love to try it. Can you provide that please
This video’s focus is actually the spatchcocking technique that gets that delicious crispy skin and juicy flavor on the grill. I’ve always been intimidated to do it myself, so I’m really happy that Rene showed me the easy way to do it! Here’s another very similar marinade that I love… enjoy! http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/achiote-chicken-with-tangerine-sauce
Hi Camille,
While I love your site, and this video today, I could not help notice that the cutting board the chef used to cut the chicken down the center, is the same one you put the cooked chicken on. We all know the dangers of cross contamination, and the reasons why the same utensils and cutting boards cannot be used for both uncooked and cooked meats.
Hi Stephaine! Good eye, and thanks for the keen reminder — we washed the board VERY well between takes, but you’re exactly right: for everyday use, it’s best to use separate boards for cooked and uncooked. 🙂
This chicken really is the best in the whole world. If I could pull this technique off I would be a very happy woman. Thanks for posting!