This is your moment to giggle. Read the title. Say it out loud. Now get aaaaallllll the giggles out.
We good? Good! Because this method with a very silly name is AWESOME for getting an evenly cooked chicken out of your oven.
Have you ever roasted a chicken, then cut into it only to find that it’s still raw in the center? Ugh. When you spatchcock chicken, you are much less likely to encounter this disappointing moment.
To spatchcock a chicken, you simply remove the backbone. This allows you to lie it flat, spreading it out and allowing it to cook more evenly. If you watch enough baking competition shows, you know by now that when you overfill a cake pan, that cake will take forever to cook. Same concept here. If it’s not stacked as high, it’s gonna cook faster.
When I roast a chicken, I season it simply. I mix butter with a favorite dried herb blend and salt, then rub it into every nook and cranny. It comes out full of flavor, moist, and oh so delicious.
For a healthy side, try pairing this chicken with my 5 Ingredient Mashed Cauliflower. You’ll think you’re eating mashed potatoes – really.
Video Tutorial
You can also view this recipe as a step-by-step web story here.
Get the Recipe:
Easy Spatchcock Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken
- 1/3 cup butter, softened
- 1 tbsp dried herb blend
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a small bowl, mix together softened butter, herb blend, and salt. Set aside.
- Place chicken on a cutting board, legs down and wings up. Use a sharp pairing knife and kitchen shears to remove the back bone.
- Flip chicken over and press it flat.
- Thoroughly pat it dry with paper towels.
- Using your hands, rub the butter mixture all over the chicken, including under the skin as much as you can.
- Line a baking sheet with foil. Place a cooling rack on the sheet. Place the chicken on the rack. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until internal temperature reads 165 degrees F in thickest part of the thigh and skin is golden brown.
- Carve the chicken and serve.