Spatchcock Chicken

This juicy spatchcock chicken is smothered in a lemon pepper, paprika, and garlic salt rub then roasted in the oven to crispy golden perfection.

Why this recipe works

Spatchcock chicken is a method of cooking a whole chicken in a manner that is quicker than traditional roasted chicken. With spatchcocking a chicken, you remove the backbone and flatten the bird, similar to the butterfly technique which will help the meat cook quickly and evenly in the oven.

We’ve all been there. You know, when you roast a whole chicken and the breasts get dry while the dark meat stays tender and succulent. With spatchcocking, you can say goodbye to dry chicken breasts and hello to all-around juicy chicken with the best golden-crisp skin.

Ingredients you will need

Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.

Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions

CHICKEN – You’ll need a 4 1/2 pound whole raw chicken for this recipe. Allow the chicken to sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before beginning for more even roasting. A sharp knife is very helpful in spatchcocking a chicken. There is some bone that needs to be cut through, so make sure you sharpen your knife well first. You can also use a really good pair of kitchen shears if you have them.

How to Make Spatchcock Chicken

These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Place chicken breast side down on cutting board. Using a sharp chef’s knife, place two cuts along each side of the spine. Cut all the way up the spine to remove it.
   
   EXPERT TIP – The closer you can get to the spine, the less meat you will remove. However, you can simply place the spine on the baking pan with the chicken and cook that meat as well. Another option is to use the spine to make chicken stock.
   
   
   
3. After removing the spine, turn the chicken over and use the palm of your hand to apply pressure and flatten the bird.
4. Mix oil, paprika, garlic salt, and lemon pepper together in a small bowl to form a paste.
5. Rub half of the paste onto the bottom (meat side) of the chicken. Turn chicken over and rub the remaining paste on the top (skin side) of the chicken.
6. Rub the well softened butter (should be pudding-like texture) over the top of the spice paste.
7. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips

Serving Suggestions

Carve your chicken as you would normally with a sharp chef’s knife. Serve with a crisp salad, dinner rolls, or roasted vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, asparagus, green beans, and broccoli. Enjoy!

More Chicken Recipes

• Garlic Chicken
• Chicken Marsala
• Chicken Cacciatore
• Oven Fried Chicken
• Crockpot Sticky Chicken
• Baked Chicken Thighs
• Chicken Divan

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Spatchcock Chicken

With spatchcocking a chicken, you remove the backbone and flatten the bird, similar to the butterfly technique which will help the meat cook quickly and evenly in the oven.

5 from 3 votes

IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!

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Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Servings: 3 servings

1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Calories: 820

Author: Amanda Davis

Ingredients

• ▢ 4 ½ pounds whole chicken
• ▢ 1 ½ Tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ ½ Tablespoon smoked paprika
• ▢ ½ Tablespoon garlic salt
• ▢ ½ Tablespoon lemon pepper
• ▢ 1 ½ Tablespoons butter well softened

Things You’ll Need

• ▢
  Chef’s knife or good kitchen shears
• ▢
  Cutting board
• ▢
  Baking sheet

Before You Begin

• A sharp knife is very helpful in spatchcocking a chicken. There is some bone that needs to be cut through, so make sure you sharpen your knife well first. You can also use a really good pair of kitchen shears if you have them.
• You can use an instant read thermometer to gauge when the chicken is done cooking. Insert the thermometer into the thickest portion of the meat, typically the breasts, and when it registers 165F it’s done cooking. 
• Feel free to add vegetables to the pan alongside the chicken like carrots, potatoes, green beans, and asparagus. Toss them in olive oil and season to taste before adding to the pan.

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 F.
• Place chicken breast side down on cutting board. Using a sharp chef’s knife, place two cuts along each side of the spine. Cut all the way up the spine to remove it.

  TIP: The closer you can get to the spine, the less meat you will remove. However, you can simply place the spine on the baking pan with the chicken and cook that meat as well. Another option is to use the spine to make chickens stock.
• After removing the spine, turn the chicken over and use the palm of your hand to apply pressure and flatten the bird.
• Mix oil, paprika, garlic salt, and lemon pepper together in a small bowl to form a paste.
• Rub half of the paste onto the bottom (meat side) of the chicken. Turn chicken over and rub the remaining paste on the top (skin side) of the chicken.
• Rub the well softened butter (should be pudding-like texture) over the top of the spice paste.
• Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving (1/2 pound chicken) | Calories: 820cal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 61g | Fat: 62g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Monounsaturated Fat: 27g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 260mg | Sodium: 1437mg | Potassium: 659mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 1212IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 3mg

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