spatchcock chicken recipe

A simple spatchcock chicken recipe, seasoned with fresh thyme and lemon zest, along with helpful tips on how to roast a chicken. Removing the backbone and seasoning the chicken at least 12 hours ahead of cooking, ensures even cooking, moist chicken, and crisp chicken skin. This easy staple dish is a great addition to your weekly meal prep! 

Simple Spatchcock Chicken

black pepper

lemon

thyme

extra virgin olive oil,

Complete the day before roasting: In a small...

Complete the day before roasting: In a small bowl, combine the salt, black pepper, lemon zest, and fresh thyme. Rub the mixture together with your fingertips to infuse the salt completely. Remove the chicken from its packaging (discarding any excess liquid into the sink or trash) and place breast-side down (with the neck facing towards you) on a large cutting board. 

Using good-quality kitchen or poultry shears and holding the...

Using good-quality kitchen or poultry shears and holding the neck in one hand, cut along one side of the chicken spine, separating it from the ribs. Cut closely to the spine so that you do not remove any excess meat. Continue to cut about 3/4 along the spine on one side, repeat on the other side of the spine. Grip the spine for leverage and continue cutting on both sides to remove it completely. If you are having difficulty, rotate the bird so that the tail faces you and cut from the opposite side. 

Reserve the spine for homemade stock or a quick...

Reserve the spine for homemade stock or a quick pan jus. Flip the chicken so that the breasts face upward and the chicken legs face outward on both sides. Using the palm of your hands, press along the breast bone with some force to flatten the chicken completely. You might hear a slight crack. The legs and breasts should lay completely flat. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels on both sides.

Season the chicken evenly and liberally on both...

Season the chicken evenly and liberally on both sides with the salt mixture, both on top of the skin and under the skin on both the legs and breasts by gently lifting the skin (being careful not to tear it). Place the chicken, breast side up, on a wire rack set within a half sheet pan - or other suitable rimmed dish that can fit within your refrigerator. Transfer seasoned chicken to the bottom shelf of your fridge (be sure it is not touching other fridge items) and refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 12 hours or up to a full day.

To roast the chicken: Remove the chicken from...

To roast the chicken: Remove the chicken from the fridge and allow to sit out at room temperature for an hour before roasting. This allows the chicken to come to room temperature, and will ensure it cooks more quickly, evenly, and will promote even browning and crisping of the skin. Preheat the oven, with a rack in the upper-middle position, to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Note: If you have a convection oven setting, I encourage you to use it - convection cooking uses a fan to evenly distribute hot air throughout the oven and promotes more even roasting/browning, particularly for meat. 

Transfer the chicken, breast side up, onto a...

Transfer the chicken, breast side up, onto a wire rack set within a clean, room temperature sheet pan. Tuck the wings under the breasts. Brush the chicken on all sides, with extra virgin olive oil. Roast for about 45 to 50 minutes, or until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh, the bird is evenly golden brown, and the thickest part of the breast reads 157-160 degrees F on an instant thermometer. The temperature of the chicken will increase as it rests as much as 10 degrees, so you do not want to remove the chicken any later, or the chicken breast will begin to dry out. During roasting, I like to rotate the pan once or twice during roasting to ensure even browning. 

Allow the chicken to rest for at least...

Allow the chicken to rest for at least 15 minutes before carving – slice away the legs. Then remove the entire breasts from the breast bone. Store for meal prep or slice against the grain and serve immediately.

Succulent and juicy spatchcock chicken with the crispiest skin ever! All thanks to a few tricks including salting the chicken in advance and air-chilling in the fridge. You&#039;ll love the Eastern Mediterranean flavors here, but you can also change them up! Be sure to watch the video and check out out my step-by-step tutorial in the post

Crispy Spatchcock Chicken Recipe

chicken

Salt

tsp allspice

garlic powder

tsp sweet paprika

tsp black pepper

nutmeg

Extra virgin olive oil

Campari tomatoes

onion

green olives

Spatchcock (butterfly) the chicken. Place the chicken on a cutting board with its backbone facing you. Using a pair of sturdy kitchen shears, cut out the backbone by cutting along both sides of the spine. Remove the backbone. Push down on the breasts to flatten the chicken. Flip the bird over and remove the wing tips. (See the step by step tutorial in the post showing how to spatchock chicken.) You can also ask your butcher to do it.

Salt the chicken. (If you have time, do this the night before). Place the chicken, breast side up, on a large cutting board. Push down on the breastbone. Generously season with kosher salt on both sides. Place the chicken, breast side up, on a shallow roasting dish. Refrigerate uncovered (you can leave it in the fridge to airchill for a couple of hours or overnight).

Bring the chicken to room temperature. One hour before you plan to roast it, pull the chicken out of the fridge and set at room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fand adjust an oven rack right in the middle.

In a small dish, mix the spices. Season the chicken on both sides. Pull the skin up, and apply some of the spice mix underneath as well.

Sear the chicken. In a 12-inch cast iron skillet, add just enough extra virgin olive oil to coat the bottom. Heat over medium-high. As soon as the oil is shimmering, add the chicken, breast side down. Brown for 6-8 minutes, then flip over and brown on the other side another 5 minutes or so.

Roast the chicken. Transfer the cast iron skillet to the heated oven middle rack. Slide it all way to the back of the oven, with the handle of the pan facing left.

After 20 minutes, using oven mitts, carefully, turn the skillet 180 degrees so that the handle is now pointing right. Push to the back of the oven again. Roast for another 30 to 45 minutes, until the chicken is brown all over and the juices run clear or until the chicken is done and its internal temperature registers 165 degrees F.

Option to Add Vegetables. If you like, about 20 minutes or so before you pull the chicken out of the oven, add the tomato and onion to a small roasting dish. Toss with olive oil and salt. Place on the lower rack of the oven to roast. When done, add a handful of spicy green olives to the roasted veggies and serve with the chicken. (see more ideas for what to serve along)

Let rest before carving. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before carving.

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/mAadJgxb.mp4

Crispiest Spatchcock Chicken

Spatchcock Chicken is so easy to make, and turns out juicy and tender!

Spatchcock Chicken

olive oil

chicken seasoning

salt and pepper

½ pounds chopped red or yellow potatoes (or baby potatoes)

Italian seasoning

salt & pepper (to taste)

Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss potatoes with olive oil and seasonings.

Remove neck and giblets from the cavity if they are included.

Place chicken on a sturdy surface, breast side down so the backbone is facing up. Using poultry shears, cut along each side of the back bone to remove it completely (reserve the bone for broth or gravy if desired).

Flip the chicken over so the breast side is up. Using your palms, press on the breast bone to flatten it. You should hear it crack as it flattens. Fold the wing tips under the chicken.

Arrange on a large rimmed baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with seasoning. Arrange vegetables around the pan if using.

Roast the chicken for 45-50 minutes or until it reaches 165°F.

Remove from the oven and loosely tent with foil. Rest at least 15 minutes before carving.

Maple Orange Roasted spatchcock chicken with juicy breasts and crisp skin is the best roasted chicken recipe for holiday entertaining. Marinate the chicken overnight for best flavor!

Maple Orange Roasted Spatchcock Chicken

4-5 lb whole chicken (or buy pre-spatchcocked chicken)

tsp coarse sea salt

½ tsp ground black pepper

onion powder

orange juice

maple syrup

tbsp coconut aminos (or gluten-free tamari)

cinnamon powder

0.8 oz garlic cloves (grated, about 3 large cloves)

0.4 oz ginger root (grated)

orange orange (slice to rings)

red onion (quartered, about 1 large)

chicken dripping (from the pan juice)

tbsp cassava flour (or regular flour)

maple orange sauce

chicken stock

Coarse sea salt and pepper (to taste)

Prep

Spatchcock the chicken and season it all over - front, back, and underneath the skin - with salt, pepper, garlic, and onion powder.

Make a jar of the maple orange sauce. Mix well.

Marinate

Place the chicken breast side in a casserole or baking dish that has just enough room to fit one bird snuggly. Pour-in half a cup (½ cup) of the sauce and cover and marinate the chicken overnight in the fridge. Store the rest of the fresh sauce for gravy use.

A day before:

Rest

Remove the chicken from the fridge 30 minutes before roasting. Preheat the oven to 400°F (204-205°C) convection oven or 425°F (218°C) regular oven (without the fan).

Line a sheet pan with parchment and add the sliced orange and lemon, and quartered red onion.

Place a wire rack over the sheet pan and place the chicken breast side up on top of the sheet. Brush the chicken with the marinade we used to marinate the chicken a night before and save the rest of the marinade for the next step.

Roast

Roast for 30 minutes. Remove the sheet pan,  pour over the remainder of the marinade,  and cover up the parts that brown too fast with foil paper. Rotate the sheet and send the chicken back to roast for 20 more minutes.

Check

The chicken is cooked through when a meat thermometer registers 165°F (74°C) for the breast meat and 175°F (79-80°C) for the thighs. (Note: the chicken continues to cook up a few degrees right after you remove it from the oven. In general, it should come up another 2-3 degrees).

On the day

Rest the chicken for 15 minutes before carving. Use this time to make the gravy.

Sauce

In a saucepan over medium-low heat, add 2 tbsp dripping from the sheet pan. Whisk in flour until fragrant (1 to 2 minutes). Slowly whisk in the remainder of the maple orange sauce (i.e. the fresh and unused sauce) and chicken stock. Bring it to a simmer, stir-often and cook until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 4-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a gravy boat.

To make the gravy:

Serve

Remove the legs then remove the entire chicken breasts. Carve the breast at a 45 degree angle against the grain so the meat remains tender. Decorate the chicken with roasted citrus fruits and red onions from the sheet pan and serve the gravy boat on the side.

To serve:

So easy and yummy! Will definitely make again. I doubled the sauce to have extra and I’m glad I did!

i used this as a marinade for boneless skinless thighs! soooo pleasantly surprised!!! delicious! i have enjoyed every recipe from your website

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