How to Spatchcock a Chicken
This is going to forever change the way you roast a chicken. A spatchcock chicken will roast faster and will get crispy chicken skin on the entire bird. Season however you like and prepare to be amazed at how easy this is!
Servings: 4 Servings
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken patted dry
- 3 tablespoons butter or ghee softened
- 1 tablespoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 lemons halved
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Place the chicken on a large cutting board and turn it over so that it is breast-side-down. Slide your scissors along one side of the spine (inserting at either the top or the bottom of the cavity), and cut along the side of the spine. Repeat this cut along the other side of the spine until you can totally remove the backbone from the chicken. Discard the spine (or save it to make broth).
- With the chicken still breast-side-down on the cutting board, use your hands to press the bird as flat as possible, putting your weight over the thighs to press them down. To help the chicken lay more flat, use a sharp knife and slice (from inside the cavity) about ¼ of an inch into the sternum (right between the breasts). Flip the chicken over and prepare to season.
- To season the chicken, pull the skin on the breast and legs away from the meat. Using either a spoon or your hands, push the butter under the skin and spread it out as much as possible. Repeat until you've used all the butter. Then, sprinkle with the salt and pepper.
- Place the chicken on a rimmed baking sheet or in a roasting pan (or large heavy-bottomed pot). Bake at 375°F uncovered for 50 minutes. Be careful to watch that the skin doesn't burn.
- Once the chicken is finished baking, set it aside to rest for 5 minutes. Then serve and enjoy!
Notes
Tips for the Perfect Spatchcock Chicken
- Fold the wing tips back so that they don’t burn.
- Season your chicken really simply with salt and pepper (vs. using other spices), because in order to get the crispy skin, you have to cook it for a long time and that will cause other spices to burn.
- Make sure that you don’t skip the step of flattening the chicken by breaking the breast bone, because if it isn’t flat, it’ll take longer to cook.
- Tent the spatchcock chicken with foil if it is starting to brown too quickly.
- Use ghee, olive oil, or coconut oil instead of butter, if you prefer.
- Any large pan will work. Use whatever you have – a baking dish or a large skillet. You do not have to use a roasting pan. Just make sure that it can fit the chicken while it’s flat!
- Add flavor with roasted citrus. Citrus (especially lemon) won’t burn, so it’s a healthy way to add more flavor at the end. A whole head of garlic would be delicious too!
Nutrition
Calories: 142kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 49.1mg | Sodium: 1771.9mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 0.6g