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.
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.
Notes
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.