Mastering Rotisserie Cooking on a Gas BBQ with Rear Burner 🍖🔥
There's something special about rotisserie cooking: the slow turn, the even browning and the aroma as the roast bastes itself in its own juices. If your gas BBQ has a rear burner and a rotisserie kit, you have everything you need to cook impressive roasts with very little effort.
What you'll need
- A gas BBQ with a rear burner, available on selected Grandfire models
- A rotisserie kit with motor, spit rod and forks
- A drip tray
- Butcher's twine for chicken or uneven cuts
- A meat thermometer
- Your choice of meat and seasoning
Step by step
1. Prepare the meat. Season or marinate the meat a few hours ahead, or overnight in the fridge for deeper flavour. Truss chicken with butcher's twine, tucking the wings and tying the legs together, so nothing flaps or catches as it turns.
2. Load the spit. Push the spit rod through the centre of the meat and secure it firmly with the forks at each end. Check the balance by rolling the rod in your hands: if one side keeps dropping, adjust the position. A balanced roast cooks evenly and puts less strain on the motor.
Make sure the roast fits within the width of the rear burner, and check the weight limit for your rotisserie kit before cooking larger cuts.
3. Set up the BBQ. Remove the warming rack, and the cooking grates if needed, so the roast can turn freely. Place a drip tray directly underneath and fill it about halfway with water, stock, wine or beer. The liquid stops fat from burning and flaring up, and gives you a head start on gravy. Route the motor's power cable away from hot surfaces and walkways.
4. Light the rear burner and preheat. Follow your BBQ's instructions for lighting the rear burner, and give it time to preheat, especially on cooler days. The rear burner provides radiant heat from behind the meat, browning the surface as it turns.
5. Cook with the lid down. Start the motor and close the lid. Keeping it closed as much as possible holds an even temperature and shortens cooking time, so resist the urge to keep checking. As a rough guide, a whole chicken takes around 1 to 1½ hours, and a pork or lamb roast 1½ to 2½ hours, but size, shape and weather all make a difference.
6. Check the temperature. Turn the motor off before inserting your thermometer into the thickest part of the meat. Remove the roast when it reaches:
- Chicken: 75°C, with juices running clear
- Pork: 70°C, cooked right through
- Beef, medium rare: around 52°C, rising to about 55–57°C as it rests
- Lamb, medium: around 58°C, rising to about 60–63°C as it rests
7. Rest and carve. Using heat-resistant gloves, carefully lift out the spit and rest the meat for 10 to 15 minutes before carving. Resting lets the juices settle, so more stay in the meat when you slice it.
Tips for the best result
Balance is everything. A lopsided roast cooks unevenly and wears the motor. Take an extra minute to get it right.
Watch the colour. Rear burners run hot. If the surface is browning too quickly before the inside is done, turn the burner down.
Save sauces for the end. Glazes and BBQ sauces containing sugar burn easily, so brush them on in the last 20 to 30 minutes.
Roast your sides. Instead of liquid, you can fill the drip tray with potatoes, onions or kumara to cook in the flavourful drippings. Keep an eye on them so the tray doesn't run dry.
Try different cuts. Rotisserie isn't just for chicken. A rolled lamb leg, pork loin or beef sirloin roast all work beautifully.
Why a rear burner makes the difference
A rotisserie on its own just turns the meat. The rear burner provides steady, radiant heat from behind, so the roast browns evenly as it rotates rather than cooking over direct flame. Fat drips into the tray instead of onto the burners, reducing flare-ups and giving you a golden, crisp surface with a juicy inside.
Want to try rotisserie cooking? Several Grandfire BBQs come with a rear burner and are compatible with rotisserie kits. Talk to the Hauland Lifestyle team to find the right model for you.
