This juicy, golden-brown spatchcock chicken recipe cooks faster and more evenly than a whole bird, making it the ultimate weeknight dinner! By flattening the chicken, you get extra-crispy skin, juicy meat, and bold flavor in every bite. This easy spatchcocked roast chicken recipe delivers mouthwatering results with easy prep and minimal ingredients; it's a win-win-win!
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Spatchcock Chicken Recipe
- What Is A Spatchcock Chicken?
- Spatchcock Chicken Ingredients
- Spices & Marinades
- Recipes To Make Using Spatchcock Chicken
- How To Spatchcock A Chicken
- How To Cook Spatchcock Chicken
- Expert Tips
- Storage Tips
- Frequently Asked Questions
- What to Serve with Spatchcock Chicken
- 📖 Recipe
- ⭐️ Leave a Review
Are you wondering what kind of meals to use this roast chicken in? We've got lots of great options! These copycat Chipotle burrito bowls are so yummy on a busy weeknight, along with this pesto chicken pasta that takes very minimal effort to whip up and throw in the oven. These white chicken enchiladas have been a long-loved favourite, or make these super yummy apricot and brie chicken sandwiches for a light, refreshing meal. Or use this chicken in place of the beef to make chicken crunchwrap supremes!
Why You'll Love This Spatchcock Chicken Recipe
- Roasted chicken is good for meal prep, a family dinner, or can be used in a multitude of other dishes.
- Save the chicken bones to make homemade bone broth, aka liquid gold!
- Spatchcock chicken can be marinated, cooked plain with minimal spices or cooked in a spice rub.
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What Is A Spatchcock Chicken?
A spatchcock chicken is a way of cooking chicken where the whole chicken is slightly broken down and flattened, allowing it to cook much faster than if it were whole.
They cook in a fraction of the time, can be marinated however you wish, and you'll be left with crispy, juicy, delicious chicken.
Spatchcocking a chicken means removing the backbone from the whole chicken, breaking the breast bone and flattening the chicken out.
Spatchcock Chicken Ingredients
- Whole Chicken - You can use an entire whole turkey for this recipe (you will have to adjust the baking time).
- Spices - Switch up the seasonings by using taco seasoning or Cajun seasoning.
- Bones - The most important part is saving the bones to make liquid gold after you have enjoyed the chicken. Read all about how to make your own bone broth with those leftover bones, making this recipe zero waste too!
A full list of ingredients with exact quantities can be found on the recipe card below.
Spices & Marinades
- Spices - Keep the melted butter and olive oil measurements the same, but switch up the spices. Try using homemade taco seasoning, Cajun seasoning, or Italian seasoning.
- Marinade - Marinade the chicken in an easy teriyaki marinade or this super tasty marinade I use in these burrito bowls.
- Toss - Shred and toss this roasted chicken with creamy buffalo wing sauce and use it as a filling for wraps or quesadillas!
Recipes To Make Using Spatchcock Chicken
You can use this roasted spatchcock chicken recipe to make a ton of different recipes! Here are some of my favourites.
- It is perfect for salads like this high protein creamy chicken salad, summer strawberry and goat cheese salad or my incredibly popular honey hot chicken salad.
- This is also good roast chicken to use in soups like my creamy chicken and dumplings, or add some protein to this easy vegetable soup. But most importantly, save the bones to make homemade bone broth!
- Some other meals that this roast chicken can be used in are these spicy peanut chicken satay bowls, or on this chicken and brie pizza. We also love chipotle chicken tacos in the summertime, or use this chicken in this extremely flavorful turmeric coconut curry!
- Serve roast chicken with simple sides for an easy meal, like this easy roasted broccoli, yam fries, or bacon baked beans!
How To Spatchcock A Chicken
Follow these step-by-step instructions, and you will be spatchcocking chickens like a pro in no time!
Three easy steps to removing the backbone and spatchcocking the chicken:
- Flip the chicken over so it is lying on the breast side (front or top side down). Locate the backbone by feeling in the middle of the back of the chicken. The backbone will be around 1" wide and will run vertically up the entire chicken.
- Using a pair of sharp kitchen shears, cut vertically up the back of the chicken along one side of the backbone. Repeat on the other side of the backbone, and ta-da, the backbone is removed! Set the backbone aside and turn the chicken onto its front. Using your hands, guide the back of the chicken so it is lying open (butterflied) on a flat surface.
- Using your palms, press down as hard as you can in the middle of the chicken's breastbone. You should hear a popping sound, and the chicken will lie flat. When the chicken lies flat, that is when the spatchcocking is complete!
Check out this video showing how to spatchcock chicken if you are still unsure.
How To Cook Spatchcock Chicken
Spatchcocked chicken is so easy to prepare, and once you learn how, it will soon be the only way that you will cook whole chickens! (Don't forget, this recipe will work for whole turkeys too!)
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Step 1
Line a large baking sheet with racks and preheat the oven to 425°F.
After your chicken is sufficiently flattened (spatchcocked) and ready to cook, liberally slather on the seasoning, everywhere, even the underside and backbone.
Transfer the chickens to the baking sheet and lay the backbones next to the chickens on the edge of the wire rack.
Pour the water into the bottom of the baking sheet.
Bake the chicken for 65-75 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches at least 165°F. If the chickens start getting too brown during the baking time, loosely cover them with aluminum foil for the last 10-15 minutes.
After the chicken is done baking, let it cool for 10 minutes before breaking it down and serving.
Step 2
The chicken can be broken down however you want to serve or use the chicken. It can be as simple as shredding it all straight off the bone, or you can butcher it the same way as you would butcher a turkey at Thanksgiving, breaking down the breasts, thighs, leg quarters and wings.
Use this roast chicken in these delicious classic club sandwiches for a delicious meal!
Expert Tips
- Adding water to the pan while the chicken cooks helps keep the chicken moist and prevents the butter from burning.
- A turkey may be cooked using this method as well. Cooking it this way will cook the turkey faster and make it much juicier than cooking it whole. To cook a turkey, follow the same instructions to remove the backbone and spatchcock the bird. The baking time will vary depending on the weight of the turkey. The general rule of thumb to cook a spatchcock turkey at 425°F is 6-10 minutes per pound. A fully cooked turkey's internal temperature needs to be 165°F or more. Measure the internal temperature by inserting a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the turkey meat.
Storage Tips
Leftover spatchcock chicken can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. The chicken meat needs to be removed from the carcass before storing. Leaving it on the carcass is not safe and will cause spoilage. Read more about storing chicken here.
It can be frozen for up to 3 months. Before freezing, remove all of the meat from the bones. Use the bones to make bone broth, or freeze the bones in a separate ziplock to make your broth later.
Frequently Asked Questions
425°F is the best option. The faster the chicken cooks, the juicier it will be.
No, spatchcock chicken does not need to be flipped during cooking. Flipping it could result in less crispy skin.
Yes, feel free to add thinly sliced lemons on top of the chicken before baking. Remove them about halfway through to let the skin crisp up and to prevent the lemons from burning.
If you want to use fresh herbs, I suggest making a garlic butter herb rub to put on the chicken after it has finished cooking. Adding fresh herbs before cooking will likely burn.
To make a garlic butter herb rub, use about half a head of roasted garlic, a couple of tablespoons of softened butter, and any fresh herbs you like. Mix it all into a paste and apply it to the chicken straight out of the oven. Let the chicken sit for 10-15 minutes before serving so it can absorb that delicious butter.
What to Serve with Spatchcock Chicken
These are my favorite dishes to serve with a roast chicken for a wonderful family meal:
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📖 Recipe
Spatchcock Chicken Recipe
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Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
- 2 Whole Chickens
- ¼ cup melted butter
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 teaspoon Poultry Seasoning
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ tablespoon Kosher Salt
- ½ tablespoon Black Pepper
- 1 cup Water
Instructions
How to Spatchcock a Chicken
- Pat the chickens dry and place them on a sturdy flat surface. Starting with one of the chickens, flip the chicken over so it is laying on its front side (breast side). Using a pair of kitchen shears, cut vertically up the back of the chicken along one side of the backbone. Repeat on the other side of the backbone to remove the backbone entirely.Set the backbone aside and turn the chicken onto its front again. Using your hands, guide the back of the chicken so it is lying open on a flat surface. Using your palms, press down as hard as you can in the middle of the chicken's breastbone. You will hear a popping sound, and the chicken will lie flat. Repeat with the second chicken.
Roasting the Chicken
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Transfer the spatchcocked chickens to a large baking sheet that has been fitted with a wire rack and lay the backbones next to the chickens on the wire rack.
- In a small mixing bowl combine the melted butter, olive oil, poultry seasoning, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Stir to combine. Using a brush, brush the chickens all over with the seasoning mixture. Pour the water into the bottom of the baking sheet (this helps keep the chicken moist during cooking).
- Bake the chickens for 65-75 minutes, the chicken is fully cooked when the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Let the chicken cool for 10 minutes before breaking it down and serving.
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Notes
- If the chickens start getting too brown during the baking time, loosely cover them with aluminum foil.
- A turkey may be cooked using this method as well. Cooking it this way will cook the turkey faster and make it much juicier than cooking it whole. To cook a turkey, follow the same instructions to remove the backbone and spatchcock the bird. The baking time will vary depending on the weight of the turkey. The general rule of thumb to cook a spatchcock turkey at 425°F is 6-10 minutes per pound. A fully cooked turkey's internal temperature needs to be 165°F or more. Measure the internal temperature by inserting a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the turkey meat.
- Save the bones of the chicken to make homemade bone broth.
- Leftover chicken needs to be removed from the carcass before storing. Store chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months once fully cooked and removed from the carcass.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator and it will vary based on the ingredients that you use.
Jessica says
This spatchcock chicken recipe comes out perfectly juicy, every time! It is a simple family-favorite recipe.