Roasted Spatchcock Chicken
Crispy skinned, evenly roasted, and easy to carve, spatchcock chicken is a great way to roast a whole chicken. Flattening the chicken by removing the backbone makes it all happen.
Servings: 4
Calories: 333kcal
Equipment
- Poultry shears also called heavy kitchen shears
Ingredients
Chicken
- 4 ½-5 pound whole chicken
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Seasoning blend
- 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon granulated garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
Set up
- Preheat the oven to 400°F on convection mode. Cover a rimmed half sheet baking tray with parchment.
Dry the chicken
- Remove the innards bag if there is one. Pat the chicken very dry, inside and out, with paper towels.
Spatchcock the chicken
- Place the chicken breast side down on a large cutting board. To give yourself a guideline, score a shallow line down the center of the backbone.With poultry shears, cut along both sides of the backbone from top to bottom and remove it. Save and freeze the backbone for making chicken broth.Turn the chicken over, breast side up, and press down firmly in the center of the breastbone to flatten it. You may hear it crack; that is normal. Tuck the wing tips under the bird if desired.
Prepare for roasting
- Mix the salt, pepper, baking soda, granulated garlic, and onion powder together in a small bowl. Rub the chicken with olive oil on both sides. Season the underside with salt only, then turn the chicken skin side up and sprinkle the skin evenly with the seasoning blend.
Roast the chicken
- Place the chicken on the prepared baking sheet and roast for about 45 minutes, or until the breast reaches 160°F–165°F and the thighs reach 175°F–180°F.Remove the chicken from the oven and rest for 10 minutes, loosely covered with foil, before carving.Optional: While the chicken rests, make the lemon herb drizzle for serving.
Carve the chicken
- Place the chicken on a cutting board. Slice between the body and the leg/thigh section to remove each whole leg. Then slice down the center of the chicken and remove the breast meat.
Notes
Seasoning blend note
I often make a triple batch of the seasoning blend and store it in an empty spice shaker bottle so it’s ready for weekly roast spatchcock chicken. It is easier to season the chicken from a shaker bottle than sprinkling. Storage and leftovers note
Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Use leftovers for salads, soups, bowls, tacos, or chicken salad. Frozen cooked shredded chicken lasts for 3-4 months for optimal quality, taste, and texture. Be sure to label and date.
I often make a triple batch of the seasoning blend and store it in an empty spice shaker bottle so it’s ready for weekly roast spatchcock chicken. It is easier to season the chicken from a shaker bottle than sprinkling. Storage and leftovers note
Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Use leftovers for salads, soups, bowls, tacos, or chicken salad. Frozen cooked shredded chicken lasts for 3-4 months for optimal quality, taste, and texture. Be sure to label and date.
Nutrition
Calories: 333kcal | Carbohydrates: 0.1g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 102mg | Potassium: 275mg | Fiber: 0.01g | Sugar: 0.01g | Vitamin A: 203IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg