Spatchcock Chicken Recipe

overhead shot of whole chicken on sheet pan with veggies

Course: Main Course, Main Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken sheet pan meal, how to spatchcock a chicken, sheet pan dinners

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 50

Total Time: 1 10

Servings:

Calories: 596kcal

Author: Jessica Formicola

Spatchcocking a chicken is an easy and ingenious way to break down a bird that guarantees gorgeous results every time.

Print Recipe

Equipment

Ingredients

3-4 pound whole chicken
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 springs fresh thyme leaves , leaves only
3 springs fresh rosemary leaves , leaves only chopped
1 head fresh garlic , cloves peeled and divided
Kosher salt and black pepper , to taste
½ small bunch of carrots , tops trimmed
¼ pound purple potatoes , scrubbed and quartered*
¼ pound fingerling potatoes , halved crosswise
¼ pound Brussels sprouts , trimmed and halved

Instructions

Spatchcock The Chicken:

Remove giblets and trim. Take the 3-4 pound whole chicken out of the packaging and remove any giblets that might be inside. Trim any fat or skin that might be around the neck and loose and hanging.
Pat dry. Pat the chicken down with a paper towel. Lay the bird breast side down on a cutting board with the legs facing you.
Find spine. Take your finger and run it along the backbone. This is just to get a good reference point as each bird is different. Feel for the spine itself and then the softer rib cage bones to either side of it.
Spin spine. If you are using chicken shears, start from the tail end of the bird and carefully snip in long strokes up slightly right of the spine. They are small and thin, but you are cutting through bone so this might take a little effort. Repeat on the other side of the spine.
Cut ribcage. Insert the knife just to the left of the spine vertically. Bring the rest of the knife down alongside the spine in one strong forceful motion. Use the heel of your hand on the top of the knife to cut through the ribcage. Repeat this to the right of the backbone.
Remove backbone. Pull the backbone out. Flip the bird so it is breast side up, cavity side down.
Flatten chicken. Using the heel of your hand, press firmly on the breastbone to flatten the chicken out.

Roast the Chicken:

Preheat the oven 475°F.
In a small bowl, combine 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, the 4 springs fresh thyme leaves, the 3 springs fresh rosemary leaves, and 5-6 cloves of garlic finely minced or run through a garlic press. Stir to create a nice, even mixture.
Drizzle the chicken with about two tablespoons of the flavored oil on both sides to be sure it is evenly coated. (Reserve the remaining mix fo the vegetables.) With a clean hand, sprinkle the chicken with a healthy dose of Kosher salt and black pepper.
Cut the carrots in half lengthwise. Then cut each length in half crosswise essentially giving you quarters. Put those in a bowl with the cut ¼ pound purple potatoes, ¼ pound fingerling potatoes and ¼ pound Brussels sprouts. Drizzle the remaining mixture over the veggies and stir gently with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula. The goal is to get all of them nicely coated with oil.
Arrange the veggies around the chicken on the baking sheet. Scatter the remaining garlic cloves around the tray. Season the veggies with salt and pepper. Optionally, you can place whole herb sprigs over the veggies for better aromatics.
Cook for 15 minute then lower the temperature to 400°F and continue to roast for another 30 minutes or until the juices from the chicken run clear and an instant thermometer reaches 160°F. I like to check every ten minutes or so to see if the vegetables need turning. Do this carefully with a set of tongs or a spatula.
When the chicken is done, allow it to rest for 10 minutes so it doesn’t lose all those delicious juices.
If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.

Notes

*Butterball potatoes, Yukon gold potatoes, or even a sweet potato will substitute well for these. Just be sure to cut them in roughly the same size as the other veg so they cook at the same rate.

Nutrition