Spatchcock Chicken With Herbed Butter

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Spatchcock Chicken is the perfect way to roast a whole chicken. This simple and delicious recipe with herbed butter is bound to become a family favorite!

Roasting a whole chicken may sound intimidating, but once you make this recipe a time or two, you’ll see how simple (and delicious) it really can be. We make this recipe quite often at home. In fact, the first time I tried this method, it was on a 20+ pound turkey! If I could do that, I have full confidence you can do it too! In the recipe below, I’m going to walk you through how to prepare, season, and roast your spatchcock chicken.

Tools I used:

• Sharp kitchen shears or very sharp knife
• Roasting pan or large baking pan (We use these multiple times a week)
• Meat thermometer
• Cooling rack (optional)
• Garlic mincer (optional)
• Zester (optional)
• Small bowl for herbed butter

How to prepare a spatchcock chicken

My favorite way of roasting a whole chicken is to use the Spatchcock method. The name is funny, but it makes an excellent dinner! To do this, you cut out the backbone and lay the chicken in an almost “butterfly” position. Don’t worry, I explain in more detail below.

Measure out your salt for Dry Brine

You want to start by measuring out your salt and placing it in a small dish so it’s easily accessible when you need it. 1/2 teaspoon of salt per pound of chicken is the perfect ratio! I learned this the hard way, and let me just say that you CAN use too much salt! I also add a couple twists of pepper from our pepper grinder to my little salt bowl. This is your dry brine.

Remove chicken backbone

Now on to prepping the chicken! The first thing you want to do is remove the backbone with some heavy duty kitchen shears or a sharp knife. Place the chicken breast side down. Find the backbone and, starting at the neck opening, cut along one side. It will be a little tough toward the tail side, but keep cutting until you get through. Do this same process along the other side of the backbone. Once the backbone is completely removed either freeze the backbone for making broth or discard it.

Spatchcock or “butterfly” Chicken

Flip chicken over so the cavity side is down. Apply pressure to the topside of the breast (think CPR), allowing the chicken to lay in a sort of butterfly position (you may hear some cracking from the bones as you do this and the breastbone may split a bit – that’s ok!).

Remove excess moisture and speparate skin

After this, pat down the chicken on both sides with paper towels to remove excess moisture. I also like to take an added step here and separate the skin from the meat on the breasts, thighs, and legs. 

Apply Dry Brine and rest

Here’s where the dry brine comes in! Rub the salt mixture (dry brine) onto the chicken. Do this on the top, bottom, and in the “pocket” you created between the meat and skin. Place in roasting pan and let rest at room temperature for one hour before seasoning. 

Optional 24 hour rest

Place the chicken elevated on a cooling rack in the fridge, uncovered, overnight. Make sure to place it over a roasting pan or cookie sheet with sides to catch the drippings. The next day, pull the chicken out to rest at room temperature for one hour before moving on to the next step (seasoning).

How to season a spatchcock chicken

I like to mix up an herbed butter to slather all over my chicken before roasting it. A great ratio is 1/2 Tablespoon of butter to 1/2 teaspoon of herbs for every pound of chicken. So, if you have a 6 pound chicken, you will use 3 Tablespoons of butter and 3 teaspoons of herbs.

Rosemary, thyme, basil, and sage make a delicious combo for poultry! I also like to add some minced garlic and lemon zest (we love this zester).

Take a chunk of the herbed butter (1/2 – 1 Tablespoon) and place it in the “pocket” between the skin and meat. Pat the rest of the butter on the top of the chicken. It’s very messy and doesn’t stick well, but it will be delicious-I promise! I also like to finish the top off with a sprinkling of salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. 

What temperature do you roast a spatchcock chicken at?

Bake at 400 degrees in a preheated oven.

How to know when a spatchcock chicken is done

Have you ever wondered what temperature to cook a whole, roasted chicken to? Chicken should always be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees. However, you can take your chicken out of the oven at 155 degrees and let it rest on the counter for 10 minutes. The chicken will continue to cook and should reach 165 degrees…make sure to check it to be sure.

How do you check the temperature on a spatchcock chicken?

We use a very simple meat thermometer that we purchased at our local store. To check the temperature of the chicken, I like to insert the thermometer into the breast as that is the thickest part and I want to make sure all of the meat has come to a temperature of 165 degrees (or 155 degrees if I plan to let it continue “cooking” on the counter).

What to eat with spatchcock chicken?

We love to serve roasted chicken on a bed of rice with a side of vegetables. Some of our favorite veggies are roasted broccoli, roasted sweet potatoes, steamed green beans, and pan-fried asparagus. It’s also great to know what veggies are in season in your area becasue you will gain the most nutrition and flavor from in-season produce. Here’s a great resource to see what’s in season in your area.

What to do with leftover spatchcock chicken?

One reason I love to roast a whole chicken is that it usually leaves us with some leftovers! love making a roasted chicken go as far as possible by using the leftover meat for other meals.

Some great options are:

• Shredded chicken in a rice and veggie bowl
• Southwest chicken casserole
• Chicken Pot Pie (recipe coming soon!)

Make sure to save the bones for nourishing bone broth. I usually pop the bones from the roasted chicken (yes, even after I’ve baked them), along with the raw backbone and any organs that came with the chicken in the freezer to make broth with at a later time.