Spatchcock Chicken
Surprisingly easy and elegant, savory Spatchcock Chicken features a juicy, succulent roast chicken surrounded by tender, herbed veggies.
Here’s a recipe for the most crazy-delicious roast chicken – moist, tender, and tasty on the inside with crispy, crackly skin outside! Spatchcock Chicken is a fantastic, one-pan, full family dinner you’ll be proud to fix, even for company! With only 10 minutes of prep and six basic ingredients (plus seasonings) – a whole chicken, red potatoes, yellow onions, carrots (the color of this dish is fabulous in the fall!), butter and lemon juice, plus flavorful herbs and spices – you’re gonna flip!
The Beautiful Benefits of Butterflying!
Just what IS spatchcocking? It’s simply removing the backbone (EASILY done with kitchen shears) and flattening out the whole bird. Spatchcocking is just butterflying.
But why do this? Well, because chicken is tricky!
When you roast a whole bird, the breast sits higher and cooks faster than the legs, resulting in either dry breasts or chewy thighs. Ick. But when you spatchcock, the breast is flattened to the same level as the legs. This means it cooks perfectly in about half the time as a whole bird, and every part comes out tender and moist! You get juicy white meat, tender dark meat, and golden, crispy skin!
Other Recipes to Serve with Spatchcocked Chicken
- Dutch Oven Bread is a simple, soft, super fluffy bread to serve with Spatchcock Chicken.
- Easy Roasted Chicken and Garbanzo Beans is another amazing spatchcocked chicken recipe!
Ingredients
Chicken: You’ll need a 3-4 pound whole spatchcocked chicken. (You can spatchcock it yourself or have your butcher do it!)
Veggies: We surround this beautiful bird with cubed red potatoes, baby or peeled carrots (cut into thirds), and quartered yellow onions. The red-orange-yellow combo surrounding the golden bird is absolutely gorgeous!
Extras: Softened, salted butter, extra virgin olive oil, and the zest and juice of one large lemon will add moisture and OH, so much warm, bright, yummy flavor!
Seasoning: We’ll season this dish with dried and fresh parsley (plus a little for garnishing), minced garlic, sea salt, and ground black pepper.
How to Make Spatchcock Chicken
STEP ONE: Lower the oven rack to 1 notch below center and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Add cubed red potatoes, peeled and cut carrots, and quartered yellow onions in a large bowl. Drizzle the veggies with olive oil, dried parsley, and salt and mix well. Set aside.
STEP TWO: In a small bowl, mix together the softened butter, fresh chopped parsley, garlic, and ground pepper. Lightly grease a large baking pan (or line with parchment) and place the flattened chicken breast-side up. Gently lift the skin and spread half the butter onto the chicken (under the skin). Smear the remaining butter over the chicken.
STEP THREE: Arrange the chicken on top of the vegetables and pour the lemon juice and lemon zest over it.
STEP FOUR: Roast in the oven for 40 minutes or until the meat thermometer reads 165 degrees F at the thickest part of the breast (the leg & thigh will register a higher temperature). Remove from the oven and allow the chicken to rest for 15 minutes before serving.
STEP FIVE: You can plate the chicken onto a lovely platter, surround it with the veggies, and garnish with freshly chopped parsley for a lovely family-style presentation! I cut the chicken into quarters (leg + thigh and wing + breast) and plate the quarters with roasted veggies.
Tips for Success
- Let the raw chicken sit out at room temp for 20-30 min before cooking for more even baking.
- Add a touch of baking powder to the salt used on the chicken for an extra crispy finished skin.
- Brussels sprouts and diced sweet potatoes make wonderful vegetable add-ins.
- Save the pan drippings for an amazing au jus or gravy!
- Make sure the chicken reaches an internal temp of 165 degrees F, and always allow a finished bird to rest for 10-15 minutes before carving.
What IS Spatchcock Chicken?
Spatchcock chicken is a whole bird with the backbone and sternum bone removed, allowing it to lay flat. This method results in a faster cooking time (about 40 minutes compared to an hour and a half for a whole chicken), more even roasting, more surface area for absorbing more of the flavorful seasonings, and more cooking options like baking, roasting, grilling or even pan frying.
Spatchcocking is easy to do yourself, but you can also ask your butcher to do it for you!
How Do You Spatchcock a Chicken?
The spatchcock method is really simple once you know how. The only tool you need is a sturdy pair of kitchen shears (scissors).
Start by patting the raw chicken dry with a paper towel, then lay the chicken on a plastic cutting board breast-side down. With the shears, cut along either side of the backbone and along the base where the back connects to the thighs. Remove the bone (save it for soup stock!) and flip the chicken over. Use a knife to cut through the cartilage just above the breastbone, then flatten the whole thing with your hands. Tuck the wings under the chicken so they aren’t exposed to direct heat while roasting (they could burn). Now, season, cook, and enjoy!
This a great step-by-step video of how to spatchcock a chicken if you are a visual learner like me.
Other Winner, Winner Chicken Dinner Recipes!
Spatchcock Chicken
Equipment
- Parchment Paper (optional)
Ingredients
Vegetables
- 3 large red potatoes washed and cubed
- 3 large carrots peeled and cut into large pieces
- 3 medium yellow onions peeled and quartered
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ tablespoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon salt
Chicken
- 3.5 pound whole chicken thawed (see note)
- 4 tablespoons salted butter softened
- ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped, plus more for garnish
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 large lemon zested and juiced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Set an oven rack to one notch below the center position. Coat a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray or line it with parchment paper. Set aside.
- To a medium mixing bowl, add the potatoes, carrots, and onions. Drizzle with olive oil and add the dried parsley and salt. Gently toss to coat the veggies and then set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix together the softened butter, chopped fresh parsley, garlic, and pepper until evenly combined.
- Place the flattened chicken on the prepared baking sheet with the breasts facing up. Insert your hands between the skin of the chicken and the meat to release the skin. Then rub half of the compound butter under the skin and the other half on top of the skin.
- Arrange the vegetables on the baking sheet around the chicken. Sprinkle the lemon zest and juice all over the baking sheet.
- Roast for 40 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast reads 165 degrees F internal temperature.
- Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Then cut the chicken into quarters (breast + wing and leg + thigh). Serve each chicken quarter with some of the roasted veggies. Sprinkle with chopped parsley, if desired.
Notes
- You can use a 3 to 4-pound chicken for this recipe. Just be sure to double-check the internal temperature of the chicken at the end of the cooking time.
- You can find a pre-spatchcocked chicken at some grocery stores. If needed, you can prep the chicken yourself using this easy to follow prep video.
- If you don’t have salted butter on hand, add 1/8 teaspoon of salt to the compound butter mixture.
