Sure, turkey is great, but have you ever had spatchock chicken? Tender, juicy and can be cooked in an hour. But what is a spatchcock chicken and how do you do it? It’s pretty easy. Remove the backbone, flip it over and put some pressure on the breast bone so the chicken lays flat. I’m sure there are butchers or specialty markets that sell them but a sharp pair of poultry shears from amazon do the trick too.
Want to take it to the next level? Salt the skin and let it marinate overnight. The salt pulls out moisture, giving you extra crispy chicken skin. I use a cookie sheet lined with paper towels and cooling rack. Lay your chicken on top, pat it dry with some paper towels and liberally season with salt. Put the whole chicken in the fridge overnight. Before you cook your chicken, lay it on top of slices of onions and lemon and poke a few holes in the skin to help steam escape. Slather it in lemon herb butter and in it goes. Start your sides or just enjoy a glass of wine while your chicken cooks.
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Lemon Herb Spatchcock Chicken
- Total Time: 25 hours
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 3–5 lb whole chicken, spatchcocked
- 1/2 stick salted butter
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 lemon zested and sliced
- 1/2 an onion sliced
- handful of fresh herbs chopped, such as thyme, sage, rosemary
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Pat your chicken dry with paper towels and generously season with kosher salt. Lay it on a plate/platter/cookie sheet in the fridge, uncovered over night.
- Make your herb butter. Mix 1/2 stick salted butter with 4 cloves of chopped garlic, chopped herbs and lemon zest. I rolled mine and chilled it to make it easier to slide under the chicken skin, but it isn’t necessary
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. If you have a convection or roast option use that
- Use a cast iron pan or dutch oven big enough to fit your chicken. Layer lemon slices and onion slices on the bottom and place your chicken on top.
- Using your hand, separate the skin from the breast and fill that space with herb butter. If your butter is soft rub some on top as well. If your butter is cold, drizzle the top with olive oil and cracked pepper.
- Using a sharp knife, poke a few holes in the skin
- Roast your chicken for 55-65 minutes or until a thermometer reaches 165.
- Remove your chicken from pan and let rest 10-15 minutes before carving.
Notes
Save your bones to make broth! Want to add gravy? While the chicken rests, remove the onions and lemon pieces from the pan. Stir in 1 tbsp flour and add 1 to 2 cups of chicken stock. Stir until desired thickness and enjoy!
- Prep Time: 24 hours
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Roast
