How To Cook A Spatchcock Chicken In The Oven Recipes

SPATCHCOCK ROASTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Lay the chicken on a cutting board breast-side down, with the legs closest to you. Use kitchen shears to cut out the backbone. Open the chicken like a book to reveal the ribs and sternum. Use a chef's knife to score the sternum vertically down the center, then use your hands and body weight to crack the sternum and flatten the breasts and rib cage. Season the chicken all over with 2 teaspoons salt and a generous amount of pepper.
• Lay the thyme sprigs in the center of a rimmed baking sheet and place the chicken on top, skin-side up. Roast the chicken until the skin is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees F, about 40 minutes.
• Let the chicken rest 5 minutes before serving.

SPATCHCOCK CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil.
• Place chicken, breast side down, on a work surface. Starting at the tail end, cut along both sides of backbone with kitchen shears. Remove backbone. Grabbing hold of both sides of the chicken, open it like a book. Turn breast side up. Push down on each side of breast with your hands until you hear it crack. Flatten chicken and transfer to one short end of the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the second chicken.
• Combine salt, tarragon, paprika, and pepper in a small bowl. Stir in oil. Run your fingers under chicken skin and rub tarragon paste under skin. Slide lemon slices under skin, in a single layer.
• Roast until skin is crisp and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast reads 165 degrees F, about 35 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting each chicken into 8 pieces.

SPATCHCOCK CHICKEN RECIPE IN THE OVEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (232 degrees C). Place an oven safe rack over a baking sheet.
• If possible, let the chicken rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before roasting. (This will ensure more even cooking.)
• Place the chicken onto a cutting board, breast side down. Use kitchen shears to cut away the spine. (You can discard it or use it to make gravy.)
• Use your hands to open up the chicken like a book, then flip it over, open side down. Use the heel of your hand to push down on the chicken breast, which will crush the breast bone and allow the chicken to lay flat.
• Transfer the butterflied chicken to the rack over the baking sheet, breast side up.
• To make compound butter, mash together butter, parsley, Italian seasoning, and crushed garlic.
• Run your hands under the chicken skin on the breast and legs to separate it from the chicken underneath. Place dollops of compound butter all over underneath the skin and then press down over the skin to spread around underneath.
• Drizzle olive oil over the chicken, over the skin. Sprinkle with sea salt, paprika, and black pepper.
• Roast in the oven for 40-50 minutes, until a thermometer in the thickest part of the breast reaches 160 degrees F (71 degrees C). (Temperature will rise about 5 degrees while resting.)
• Remove chicken from the oven and let it rest for 10-15 minutes before cutting into it.

ROASTED SPATCHCOCK CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Rinse the chicken, pat dry and rub all over with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Generously season on both sides with salt and pepper.
• Heat a large cast-iron or other ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. When the oil is hot, place the chicken, skin side down, in the pan. Cook until the skin starts to crisp on the edges and the color is golden brown. Flip the chicken over with tongs, taking care not to splatter oil toward yourself, and add the garlic, rosemary and thyme around the chicken in the pan. Squeeze a lemon half over the top and place both lemon halves in the pan, cut sides down.
• Transfer the pan to the oven and roast the chicken (skin side up) for 30 to 35 minutes, until a meat thermometer registers 155˚ F when inserted in the thickest part of a breast. Let rest for about 10 minutes, then carve and serve with pan juices.

SPICE-RUBBED SPATCHCOCKED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Spatchcock the chicken by using poultry shears or kitchen scissors (or a sharp knife) to cut along one side of the backbone until the chicken opens. If you like you can cut along the other side of the backbone and remove it, or leave it attached to roast with the rest of the bird. Open up the bird and place it so it lies flat, breast side up. Press hard onto the center of the breast until you feel a pop, and the breast lies more or less flat.
• In a small bowl, mix together sugar, salt, chile powder, paprika, mustard powder, oregano, pepper, allspice and bay leaves. Smear the mixture all over the chicken. Lay chicken, skin side up, on a rimmed baking sheet (or plate) and refrigerate uncovered for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
• Heat oven to 425 degrees. If the chicken isn't on a rimmed baking sheet, transfer it to one. Roast chicken until the juices run clear when the thickest part of the thigh is pricked with a fork (an instant-read thermometer plunged into the thickest part of the breast will read 150), 40 to 50 minutes.
• Remove from oven, cover bird with foil and let rest for 10 minutes before carving. Serve with lime or lemon wedges on the side.

SPATCHCOCK PIRI-PIRI CHICKEN

Steps:

• To spatchcock the chicken, flip it over so the backbone is facing you. Using a sturdy pair of kitchen scissors or poultry scissors, cut down either side of the backbone, then discard. Turn the chicken over and push down firmly on the breastbone to flatten out the bird. Make a few slashes in each leg joint. You can watch a video showing how to spatchcock a chicken in the How To Cook section of the website).
• Put the chillies and garlic in a food processor with a good pinch of salt, or use a pestle and mortar. Blend to a paste, then add the paprika, vinegar, parsley and olive oil. Mix well, then smear over the chicken. Leave to marinate for at least 1 hr or overnight if possible. Can be frozen at this stage.
• Fire up the barbecue. When the flames have died down, place the chicken on the centre of the barbecue, skin-side down, and cook for 15-20 mins until nicely charred. Flip the chicken over and continue cooking for another 5-15 mins until cooked through. Check that the juices run clear, as the heat of every barbecue will vary. To cook in the oven, heat to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and cook for 35-40 mins on a baking tray. To char the skin, grill for a further 5-10 mins. Serve with lemon wedges, and Tabasco if you like it hot.

OVEN-ROASTED SPATCHCOCK CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450ºF.
• Mix dressing, garlic and rosemary until blended. Place potatoes in large bowl. Add 1/4 cup dressing mixture; toss to evenly coat potatoes. Spread into single layer on foil-covered rimmed baking sheet.
• Use kitchen shears or sharp knife to spatchcock chicken. (See tip.) Open chicken butterfly-style; place, skin side up, on separate foil-covered rimmed baking sheet. Brush chicken, on and under the skin, with remaining dressing mixture.
• Bake chicken and potatoes 30 min., placing potatoes on top rack. Reduce oven temperature to 400ºF. Bake an additional 15 min. or until chicken is done (165ºF) and potatoes are tender.

GRILLED SPATCHCOCKED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Place salt in a large bowl or Dutch oven and add a little water. Stir until salt is dissolved. Unwrap the chicken and place in the salt water brine. Add enough water to cover the bird and refrigerate up to 4 hours.
• Remove chicken from the water, drain, and pat dry with paper towels. Place the chicken breast-side down on a clean cutting board.
• Cut along both sides of the backbone of the chicken with kitchen shears. Remove bone and reserve for another use or discard. With the skin-side down, cut down into the breast bone and a bit of the cartilage above the bone about 1/4-inch deep using the tip of a sharp knife. Turn the chicken skin-side up.
• Place the heel of one hand on top of the other wrist, and using the heel of the hand, press down on the center of the breast, above the area of the cut, to flatten the center and achieve a more uniform thickness of the chicken.
• Combine smoked paprika, garlic powder, cumin, and pepper in a small bowl. Rub spice mix onto both sides of the chicken, gently lifting the skin wherever possible to place some of the rub directly onto the meat. Refrigerate seasoned chicken uncovered for at least 2 hours.
• Remove chicken from the refrigerator 10 to 15 minutes before grilling so it can come to room temperature.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat to about 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly oil the grate.
• Place chicken bone-side down onto the preheated grill and cook for 50 to 60 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read 150 degrees F (65 degrees C). Flip the chicken skin-side up and brush with barbecue sauce. Continue grilling until chicken is no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 20 more minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
• Remove to a platter, tent with foil, and allow chicken to rest, about 10 minutes. Cut chicken into 6 servings and serve with additional barbecue sauce, if desired.