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Spatchcock chicken is a simple and easy to do method of not only making better roast chickens but making them cook faster too! By laying the chicken out flat on a sheet, you cut the cooking time in half compared to a normal roast chicken, and you end up with juicier meat at the end.
Here’s our step-by-step guide for how to spatchcock a chicken yourself. You can also use this same method when making a Spatchcocked Baked Honey Mustard Chicken as well!
Spatchcock Chicken
There’s plenty of ways to cook a chicken, but nothing makes a chicken as tender and delicious as when you Spatchcock it.
Alongside the surprisingly easy method of Spatchcocking the chicken, this recipe utilizes some delicious herb butter to keep the breast meat nice and tender while flavoring it, resulting in a really tasty, flavorful roast chicken.
Spatchcock Chicken Ingredients
Make sure to check the recipe card down below for the exact specifics.
- Medium size chicken
- Butter
- Garlic cloves
- Poultry seasoning
- Rosemary
- Parsley
- Salt & pepper
- Potatoes
- Carrots
- White Onions
- White Mushrooms
How to Make Spatchcock Chicken
- Mix together the butter and seasoning in a small bowl to make herb butter
- Spatchcock your chicken using strong poultry shears
- Place the chicken, breast side up, on a rimmed sheet pan
- Put 1/3 of the herb butter underneath the breast skin
- Dot another 1/3 of the herb butter mixture on top of the chicken
- Place the vegetables all around the chicken on the sheet pan
- Melt the last 1/3 of herb butter in a small saucepan, and then drizzle over the vegetables
- Bake uncovered for 45 minutes at 400 Fahrenheit, or until the breast reads 165 Fahrenheit
- Remove from the oven, rest for 5 minutes, cut in pieces and serve
How to Spatchcock a Chicken
Spatchcocking a chicken can be a little off-putting for the home cook, but it is actually incredibly easy.
For a reliably, step by step guide for how to Spatchcock a chicken, take a look at our guide right here.
It basically just needs two things – strong poultry shears or a sharp kitchen knife and a pair of strong hands. Remove the backbone and crack the breastbone, and you are good to go.
What Temperature Should You Cook Your Chicken To?
The FDA, and most other food safety organizations, recommend that all chicken should be cooked to a minimum of 165 Fahrenheit, as this is the temperature that kills pathogens instantaneously. An instant-read thermometer is the best way to ensure you get that temperature every time.
Make sure to keep carryover heat in mind as well! Your chicken’s internal temperature will generally rise by about 5 Fahrenheit while it’s resting, so you can safely take your chicken out of the oven once it hits 160 Fahrenheit and let carry overheat do the rest.
However, those familiar with my chicken recipes will know that for texture you should always cook chicken thighs to 185 °F. The fat renders out of the meat and the texture improves vastly by giving it another 20 °F. Chicken breasts are best at 165, chicken thighs at 185. Spatchcocking the chicken does help with these uneven cooking temps! You can lightly place aluminum foil on top of the breast and let the thighs be more exposed to the heat at the end of the cooking times to help the thighs cook to a higher temperature.
Looking for more delicious chicken recipes? Try these:
Happy cooking!
Love,
Karlynn
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Spatchcock Chicken
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 45 minutes
- Course
- Main Course
- Cuisine
- American
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 417
- Author
- Karlynn Johnston
Ingredients
- one 3-4 pound chicken spatchcocked -back spine removed with kitchen shears and laid flat
- 1 cup butter softened
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons rosemary finely chopped
- 1 tbsp parsley finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 large potatoes washed and diced into cubes
More Vegetable Options
- 3 medium carrots washed and sliced
- 2 medium white onions peeled and quartered
- 1 pound white mushrooms washed and sliced in half
- 6-7 whole garlic cloves peeled
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 °F.
- Combine the butter and all of the herb ingredients in a small bowl until everything is mixed together well.
- Place the chicken breast side UP on a large rimmed sheet pan.
- Spread 1/3 of the butter mixture under the chicken breast skin.
- Dot another 1/3 of the mixture over top of the chicken.
- Place prepared vegetables all around the chicken on the sheet pan. Melt the remaining 1/3 of the butter mixture and then drizzle over the vegetables.
- Bake uncovered at 400˚F for 45 min or until instant read thermometer reads 165˚F when inserted into thickest part of chicken breast OR even better, when it reads 185 °F in the thickest part of the thigh meat.
- Remove the sheet pan from the oven.
- Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes, then remove the vegetables and place in a bowl.
- Remove the meat from the chicken if desired, or cut into quarters and serve.
Recipe Notes
- We had potatoes with our chicken, but you can use any of the vegetable options above in the ingredients list. Just make sure to dice them into a size that will roast in 45 minutes!
Nutrition Information
All calories and info are based on a third party calculator and are only an estimate. Actual nutritional info will vary with brands used, your measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
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Carol says
Outstanding and simple but delicious!