Valentina Ablaev
This spatchcock chicken recipe is a star dish you need at your next dinner party! A whole chicken doused in homemade compound butter and oven-baked to a crisp perfection. The chicken drippings add so much flavor to the potatoes and carrots.
If you have ever felt intimidated by cooking a whole chicken, you are not alone. However, we’ve got you covered with our detailed step-by-step instructions. You’ll get all the flavors of a rotisserie chicken without any of the excessive work. This recipe also includes potatoes and vegetables, making this a well-rounded meal! Yes, it is okay to get super excited.
Chicken is a classic protein and can be prepared in so many ways! From juicy pan-seared chicken breast, to our favorite oven-baked chicken thigh recipe. You can never go wrong with chicken for dinner!
What is Spatchcocking Chicken?
“Spatchcocking” refers to a cooking technique where you remove the backbone of a bird to lay the bird flat. There are many perks to this method of cooking:
- Faster cooking: Roasting a whole chicken can take up to 3 hours, while this method allows the entire chicken to bake in 45 minutes.
- Even cooking: A common issue with roasting a whole bird is that when the entire chicken is cooked, certain parts, like the breast, overcook and become dry. With this method, everything is laid flat, allowing for even cooking, and you’ll never have a
- Easier serving: This spatchcock method is so easy to carve and serve!
Ingredients for Spatchcocking Chicken
- Whole chicken – a whole chicken is all you need for this recipe.
- Compound butter – our compound butter is a mixture of softened butter with fresh garlic, fresh herbs, and seasoning. A compound butter infuses the chicken with so much flavor under the skin and out. The butter gives the skin a crispy and delicious taste.
- Vegetables – we use a combination of baby potatoes, carrots, and onions. Not only do these vegetables roast along with the chicken, but they are also infused with chicken juices, just like in our baked chicken drumsticks with veggies!
See the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients and quantities.
Picking the Right Chicken:
This recipe starts with grocery shopping and picking the proper whole chicken! Chickens come in many sizes, affecting the cooking time and ingredient quantities.
Our recipe uses a medium-sized chicken, about 4-5 lbs. If your chicken is more significant, adjust the rest of the ingredients to ensure you have enough butter and seasoning!
What Tools Are Needed for Spatchcocking a Chicken?
This dish is not quite as complicated as it may seem! All you need are a few kitchen tools for this roasted chicken recipe:
- Sharp kitchen shears – Sharp kitchen shears or poultry shears are key for cutting out the chicken’s backbone.
- A baking pan – A large sheet pan big enough to fit the whole chicken.
- Instant-read meat thermometer – A thermometer is so important when cooking a chicken! With just a few seconds, you can tell if the chicken is cooked and ready to pull out of the oven.
How to Spatchcock Chicken with Vegetables
- Make the butter mixture. Mix the compound butter ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Prepare the chicken. Place the chicken breast-side down onto a large cutting board and pat dry using a paper towel. Using kitchen shears, cut through the ribs along the side of the backbone.
3. Flatten. Remove the backbone and flip the chicken over. Apply pressure to the center along the breast bone and pop the chicken flat using the palm of your hand.
4. Butter the chicken. Spread the majority of the butter under the chicken skin gently while massaging to spread. Use the remainder of the butter on the outside of the chicken.
5. Prep the veggies. Add the baby potatoes, chopped carrots, and onion wedges to a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and season. Add the veggies to the baking sheet.
6. Bake. Place the chicken on top of the vegetables and roast at 425°F for 40-45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked. Let the cooked chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving.
Spatchcock Chicken on the Grill
A spatchcocked chicken can be cooked on a grill! This is an excellent option for summer and makes for an incredible meal!
- Place the buttered-up chicken, skin side down, on a grill preheated to 400°F.
- Cover and cook until the skin develops a light charr (you don’t want it to burn).
- Flip the whole chicken over, cover, and cook until the thickest part reaches 165°F.
Expert Tips:
- Spread the butter. To get the best flavor, carefully lift the skin off the bird and spread the compound butter. Cover every square inch of the chicken to infuse it with the best taste.
- Get the juiciest chicken. Use your meat thermometer to check the chicken periodically. Once the thickest part of the thighs and breast reach an internal temperature of 165°F, the chicken is ready to be removed from the oven.
How to Serve Spatchcocked Chicken?
There are an endless number of ways to serve this chicken. We recommend carving the chicken into the central parts:
- Cut out the breasts and tenderloin and slice against the grain.
- Remove the legs at the thigh bone to create two drum and thigh pieces.
- Remove the wings. Leave them as two wings or cut into four wingettes.
Serve Spatchcock Chicken with:
Allow everyone to pick their favorite pieces and serve with the baby potatoes! Here are a few of our favorite sides to serve with this main course:
- Gravy: A classic mushroom chicken gravy adds flavor to the chicken and potatoes. Bonus points if you use the chicken drippings in your sauce!
- Salad: Add a refreshing greek side salad to your chicken. The flavors complement each other so well and make for a healthy meal!
- Bread: Complete this meal with a freshly baked loaf of focaccia bread!
Spatchcock Chicken FAQ’s
You can add a variety of fresh herbs to the compound butter. Fresh rosemary, thyme, parsley, and cilantro are all great options.
The inside of a whole chicken from the grocery store usually contains giblets. This could be the neck, heart, liver, and gizzard.
These pieces can be discarded or used to create a hearty chicken stock.
Washing chicken is a heavily debated subject and mainly dates back to tradition. The FDA advises against washing chicken as it could spread bacteria throughout your kitchen.
Spatchcocking chicken is a way to cook chicken quickly while getting a crispy skin.
A spatchcocked chicken cooks in less than an hour!
This recipe doesn’t require any flipping when cooking.
This recipe doesn’t need any marinating.
Store & Reheat
- Storage. Keep leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for 3-4 days.
- Reheat. Warm up the leftovers in the oven or in a pan until warm.
- Freeze. After carving off the chicken pieces, you can freeze them to store for longer! Arrange the chicken into a freezer-safe bag or container, and keep it frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat: Add the frozen chicken to the fridge and thaw overnight. Reheat in the oven or on a pan.
More Chicken Recipes
If you enjoyed this butterflied chicken recipe, be sure to try our other easy chicken recipes; here are some of our favorites:
If you tried this spatchcock chicken recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below – we appreciate it!
Spatchcock Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken about 4 to 5 pounds
butter mixture:
- 8 Tbsp unsalted butter room temp
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh herbs*
- 1 tsp dijon
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp paprika
vegetables:
- 2 lbs baby potatoes halved or whole
- 2 carrots peeled and cut diagonal into 1-inch chunks
- ½ small onion cut into small wedges
- 3 Tbsp oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 4 Tbsp garlic halved
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a large-rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper for easier cleanup.
Prepare the butter mixture –
- Combine the butter, garlic, herbs, dijon, mayo, 1 ½ tsp salt,¼ tsp pepper, ¼ tsp paprika in a small bowl. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper, and ¼ tsp pepper and set aside).
Spatchcock chicken –
- Place the chicken breast side down with the wings/neck facing you.
- Using sharp kitchen shears, cut through the ribs next to the spine along both sides of the backbone.
- Gently apply pressure to the chicken’s breastbone to flatten it.
- Spread 2/3 of the butter mixture under the chicken skin, taking time to massage it everywhere.
- Add the remaining butter mixture over the top of the chicken.
- Sprinkle the set-aside remaining seasoning over the top of the chicken.
Add vegetables –
- Add the potatoes, vegetables, and garlic to a large bowl. Drizzle with the olive oil. Combine the salt, pepper, paprika, and season. Season the vegetable with half of the seasoning and toss to combine. Add the remaining seasoning and toss to combine again.
- Place prepared vegetables onto the baking tray.
Bake chicken –
- Place the chicken on top of the vegetables.
- Roast uncovered until the chicken is cooked through and registers 165ºF in the thickest part of the thigh, 40 to 45 minutes. Let rest for 8-10 minutes before carving.
- Serve and enjoy, friends.
Notes
- Spread the butter liberally all over the chicken and under the skin. The butter penetrates the chicken with so much flavor that you don’t want to skip this step!
- A meat thermometer is key to pulling out the chicken at the right time. Use an instant-read meat thermometer to pull the chicken out at 165°F to prevent an overcooked, dry chicken.
- Carve the chicken into 2 breasts, 2 legs, and 2 whole wings. Slice the chicken breasts into slices for serving. The legs can also be separated into thighs and legs or kept whole for a beautiful presentation.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in a pan or in the oven for a crispy skin.
