Spatchcock Chicken is also known as butterflying – a technique of removing the backbone for a faster roasting time that results in juicy and flavorful chicken
Spatchcock Chicken is just a fancy term for butterflying chicken. When you roast a whole chicken traditionally, you may need to nurse it to make sure that that all parts of the chicken are cooked evenly and thoroughly. With this Spatchcock Chicken recipe, the chicken is flattened so the breast and legs are on the same level, creating an all-round juicy tender flavorful recipe!
Place chicken breast-side down with the wings/ neck facing towards you. To remove the spine, use kitchen shears to cut through the ribs right next to the spine along both sides. Open rib cage and use a heavy knife to score down the sternum. This will help pop out the breast bone and flatten chicken.
Spread the herbed butter on the spatchcock chicken
5. Flip the chicken over breast side up and set on the prepared rimmed baking half sheet. Use the palm of your hands to push firmly over the breast bone to allow chicken to flatten.
6. Use your thumbs to pull the skin from the meat.
7. Now you’re ready to place the herbed butter mixture under the chicken skin. You can use a spoon or your fingers and make sure to press the skin down to distribute the butter.
You’ll likely have extra herbed butter, and you can use that to dollop on top of the spatchcock chicken. Don’t worry about it being perfect because it’s going to melt and spread all over the chicken.
I highly recommend adding vegetables around the spatchcock chicken although it’s not exactly part of the recipe. The juices from the chicken create buttery crispy edges on the vegetables. And it’s possible you might even enjoy the vegetables more than the chicken! So don’t skip the veggies. You can add more olive oil and season with salt and pepper before baking in the oven.
You’ll know it’s ready when the skin is browned and crispy and the internal temperature of the thickest part of the spatchcock chicken is 160˚F. When you remove it from the oven, let it rest for 10 minutes on the counter uncovered. This will allow all the juices to concentrate in the chicken to make it extra tender and moist.
For more chicken recipes:
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How to Butterfly a Whole Chicken – How to Spatchcock Chicken
FAQ
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