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    Roast Spatchcock Chicken Recipe

    Published January 4, 2023. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

    This easy-to-make delicious roast spatchcock chicken recipe is perfectly golden brown and served with a tasty herb garlic oil. You will love just how simple this is to prepare.

    Making the same chicken recipes over and over can be really boring for you and your family. Get out of your routine by making my delicious Chicken Francese or Teriyaki Chicken.

    What is Spatchcock Chicken?

    Spatchcock chicken is an abbreviated term in Ireland for “dispatch the cock.” This meant that you needed to make a quick chicken dinner. While the bird does seem to cook quicker after it’s been spatchcocked, like being butterflied, it technically means the backbone of the chicken is removed and it is then flattened. That is the only difference between a spatchcock chicken, and a normal chicken is simply that the backbone has been cut out. That’s it.

    Incorporating this procedure is worth it if you are needing to save on cooking time. When roasting or smoking the chicken, there is no need to flip it during the cooking process. However, if you are pan-frying or grilling it, you will want to flip it so that it cooks evenly. Any of those cooking methods can and will be a delicious-tasting chicken. In addition, you can dry brine or wet brine the chicken for enhanced flavors.

    spatchcock chicken with herbs and lemons


     

    Ingredients and Substitutions

    • Chicken – You will need one whole roasting chicken.
    • Herbs – I use a combination of rosemary, thyme, parsley, chives, and oregano. However, you can use any combination of these if you do not want to use all of them.
    • Garlic – finely minced cloves are added to enhance the flavor of the sauce.
    • Lemon – This is used in the sauce.
    • Oil – You will need some good olive oil. I always purchase whatever is expeller pressed, organic, and on sale.

    How to Make a Roast Spatchcock Chicken

    Remove the backbone from the chicken using sharp kitchen shears or a very sharp chef’s knife. Reserve the backbone in a storage container in the freezer for chicken stock at a later date.

    removing the backbone from a whole chicken

    In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the herbs, garlic, lemon, and olive oil until combined to make a chimichurri-style sauce and set aside.

    mixing together an herb chimichurri

    Place the flattened chicken on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper and cover it on all sides with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt, and pepper.

    seasoning a spatchcock chicken

    Drizzle on half of the lemon herb sauce.

    adding herbs to a flattened chicken

    Place it in the oven and bake it skin side up for 50 minutes.

    roasting a flattened chicken

    After 25 minutes, turn the chicken pan around so that it cooks evenly on all sides.

    rotatings a cooked chicken

    After the 50 minutes is up, turn the heat up to 425° and cook for 15 more minutes or until the skin is golden brown and cooked throughout.

    removing a roast spatchcock chicken from the oven

    Serve the chicken with the remaining lemon herb sauce.

    adding chimichurri to a roast spatchcock chicken

    Make-Ahead and Storage

    Make-Ahead: This recipe is meant to be eaten as soon as it is finished cooking. However, you can keep it warm in the oven at very low temperatures (165° to 200°) for up to 30 minutes before serving it.

    How to Store: Cover it and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. This will freeze covered for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator for one day before reheating.

    How to Reheat: Place the desired amount of chicken on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper. Bake it at 350° for 10 to 15 minutes or until warm.

    Chef Billy Parisi

    Chef Notes + Tips

    • With about 45 minutes left in the total cooking process, you can add vegetables around the chicken on the sheet tray you’d like to serve the chicken with.

    More Chicken Recipes

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    Video

    Roast Spatchcock Chicken Recipe

    5 from 15 votes
    This easy-to-make delicious roast spatchcock chicken recipe is perfectly golden brown and served with a tasty herb garlic oil.
    Servings: 4
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

    Ingredients 

    • 1 whole roasting chicken
    • 2 tablespoons finely minced fresh parsley
    • 2 tablespoons finely minced fresh thyme
    • 2 tablespoons finely minced fresh rosemary
    • 2 tablespoons finely minced fresh chives
    • 2 tablespoons finely minced fresh oregano
    • 4 finely minced garlic cloves
    • Zest and juice of 1 lemon
    • ½ cup olive oil + 2 tablespoons
    • sea salt and pepper to taste

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 375°.
    • Remove the backbone from the chicken using sharp kitchen shears or a sharp chef’s knife. Reserve the backbone in a storage container in the freezer for chicken stock later. Set aside.
    • In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the herbs, garlic, lemon, olive oil, salt, and pepper until combined to make a chimichurri-style sauce and set aside.
    • Place the flattened chicken on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper and cover it on all sides with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt, and pepper.
    • Drizzle on half of the lemon herb sauce.
    • Place it in the oven and bake it skin side up for 50 minutes.
    • After 25 minutes, turn the chicken pan around so that it cooks evenly on all sides.
    • After the 50 minutes is up, turn the heat up to 425° and cook for 15 more minutes or until the skin is golden brown and cooked throughout.
    • Serve the chicken with the remaining lemon herb sauce.

    Notes

    Make-Ahead: This recipe is meant to be eaten as soon as it is finished cooking. However, you can keep it warm in the oven at very low temperatures (165° to 200°) for up to 30 minutes before serving it.
    How to Store: Cover it and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. This will freeze covered for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator for one day before reheating.
    How to Reheat: Place the desired amount of chicken on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper. Bake it at 350° for 10 to 15 minutes or until warm.
    With about 45 minutes left in the total cooking process, you can add vegetables around the chicken on the sheet tray you’d like to serve the chicken with.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 664kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 33gFat: 57gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 9gMonounsaturated Fat: 32gCholesterol: 164mgSodium: 135mgPotassium: 464mgFiber: 2gSugar: 0.2gVitamin A: 2083IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 96mgIron: 5mg
    Course: Main
    Cuisine: American