Roasted Spatchcock Chicken

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This technique delivers crispy, flavorful chicken.

Active Time:
30 mins
Total Time:
1 hrs 10 mins
Yield:
4 serves

A whole roasted chicken can be tricky. The chicken needs to roast long enough to make sure the dark meat is cooked through, but you don't want to dry out the rest of the bird while doing so. Avoid this dry meat dilemma with our Roasted Spatchcock Chicken.

Achieve the ultimate crispiness when roasting a chicken without worrying about dryness by butterflying the bird. Also called spatchcocking, the process removes the backbone (something your butcher can assist you with) to flatten out the chicken. This allows the breast and legs to cook at the same level on your pan, resulting in meat that cooks quicker and more evenly.

Spatchcock Roasted Chicken

Alison Miksch

Plus, the exposed surface on the pan will create a wonderfully crispy chicken skin . Roast your spatchcocked chicken alongside Brussels sprouts , carrots, and garlic for a one-pan supper that's simple enough for weeknights and pretty enough for parties.

Ingredients

  • 1 (5-lb.) whole chicken

  • 4 garlic cloves, chopped

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 6 tablespoons (3 oz.) salted butter, softened

  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

  • 2 tablespoons lemon zest, plus 3 Tbsp. fresh juice (from 2 lemons), divided

  • ¾ teaspoon black pepper

  • 12 ounces small red new potatoes, halved

  • 8 ounces small carrots with tops, trimmed

  • 8 ounces Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Rinse chicken, and pat dry. Place chicken, breast side down, on a cutting board. Using poultry shears, cut along both sides of backbone, and remove backbone. (Discard or reserve for stock.) Turn chicken breast side up, and open the underside of chicken like a book. Using the heel of your hand, press firmly against breastbone until it cracks. Place chicken in a large rimmed baking pan. Tuck wing tips under chicken so they don't burn.

  2. Combine garlic and salt on a cutting board. Using the flat edge of a knife, mash into a paste. Combine garlic paste, butter, thyme, zest, and pepper in a bowl. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the garlic mixture. Rub remaining garlic mixture under skin of chicken breasts and thighs.

  3. Bake chicken in preheated oven 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven. Reduce heat to 400°F. Arrange potatoes and carrots around chicken; return to oven, and bake 20 minutes. Arrange Brussels sprouts around chicken, and spread remaining 2 tablespoons garlic mixture on breasts; return to oven, and bake until a meat thermometer inserted in thickest portion registers 165°F, about 20 minutes. Drizzle with lemon juice, and let stand 10 minutes. Carve chicken, and serve with pan juices.

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