Use this Lemon Herb Spatchcock Chicken recipe to learn how to spatchcock a chicken and then make a juicy and delicious roasted chicken.
Quick
Easy cleanup
You’ll Learn: Why roasting a whole chicken flat results in even and quicker cooking
Worth It: Meal prep with less ingredient prep
Bonus: Roast veggies right alongside it
What is spatchcocking? And why should I spatchcock my chicken?
Spatchcocking is a cooking method where you remove the backbone of a chicken or turkey using kitchen shears then you break the chicken breast bone. This allows the chicken to lay completely flat as your roast it.
You should spatchcock your chicken before roasting because when the chicken lays flat the whole thing cooks evenly and everything is juicy. You don’t need to marinate or prepare a spatchcock chicken ahead of time and it roasts faster than a standard whole chicken.
One other benefit of spatchcocking a chicken is that cooking a whole chicken usually saves you money! The price per pound is more affordable than buying chicken parts even when you’re choosing an organic, antibiotic free chicken.
How do i spatchcock a chicken?
I promise you can spatchcock a chicken in your own home even if you aren’t an experienced cook. First, you will need a 3-5lb whole chicken.
Remove the chicken from the packaging. There will likely be a bag of organs inside the chicken you can either just get rid of these or cook them up! There are lots of good nutrients in those organs so we usually give them to our dog.
The legs may be tied together so you can cut those apart too. Place your chicken on a cutting board with the chicken breast side down and wings facing towards you.
Then, grab a pair of sharp kitchen shears. Locate the backbone between the wings. Cut along the the chicken on either side of backbone to remove.
You will be cutting through the ribs. This should take some effort, but won’t be too hard to do.
Then, remove the backbone. Take a sharp knife and make a small cut on the breast bone.
Flip the chicken so the breast side is up again. Next, use the palm of your hand to press down on the center of the breasts until you hear a pop. This is the breast bone breaking.
Then the breasts will fall and the whole chicken will lay flat. In case you’re a visual learner I have included a diagram below
What is the difference between butterfly and spatchcock?
To butterfly a chicken usually means to cut a boneless chicken breast in half horizontally to create two smaller filets. Whereas spatchcocking is done with a whole bone in skin on chicken.
Kitchen Tools
- Kitchen shears or poultry shears
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring cups
- Baking sheet or cast iron skillet
- Meat thermometer
- Sharp knife for slicing breastbone
Serving Suggestions
There are so many ways to serve this tender roasted chicken. I like to slice it off the bone and serve with creamy mashed potatoes and roasted brussels sprouts. It is also delicious with some decadent baked mac and cheese.
I love to roast a whole chicken on a Sunday for meal prep for the week ahead. It is delicious on top of salads like this lemon kale caesar salad.
It makes for a delicious holiday entree. Serve it with cheesy scalloped potatoes and this bunny cake for dessert.
Ingredients
- 3-5lb whole chicken
- Unsalted butter at room temperature
- Salt
- Pepper
- Fresh parsley
- Fresh thyme
- Lemon
- Fresh garlic
Ingredient Substitutions
The fresh herbs add tones of flavor to this chicken, but you can also used dried herbs because that is more convenient. You can also switch out the herbs used. I like to add some sage or rosemary sometimes.
I love the taste of fresh garlic in the herbed butter, but you can also use garlic powder or onion powder instead. To add a little bit of spice to this recipe you can season the skin with some chili powder or paprika.
How to make Lemon Herb Spatchcock Chicken
Step 1: Preheat oven and prepare butter rub
To begin, preheat the oven to 450F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. You can cook it in a cast-iron skillet instead, but you need a very large one.
Then, zest one lemon and mince the garlic. Add butter, lemon zest, garlic, salt, parsley, and thyme to a small mixing bowl. Mix to combine thoroughly and set to the side
Step 2: Spatchcock chicken, apply butter and rub with oil
Next, spatchcock your chicken by removing the backbone, flipping over and pressing down on the breasts to lay flat with the breast side up. For full instructions see the diagram above.
Then, take your butter, lemon, and herb mixture and rub it under the skin of your bird. You can lift the skin on the breasts and the thighs to really pack a lot of the mixture under the skin. This is how the meat gets flavorful and juicy as the chicken cooks.
Next, lay your spatchcocked chicken on the lined baking sheet or in a cast iron skillet. Brush olive oil all over the skin of the chicken and season liberally with salt and fresh cracked black pepper.
Step 3: Roast the chicken
Place in the oven to bake for 45-55 minutes. Check for the thickest section of the thigh meat reads 165F on a meat thermometer.
The timing will depend on the size of the bird. Our 4lb chicken took 45 minutes, a 5lb chicken took 55 minutes and a 5.25lb chicken took nearly an hour. Use that as a guide, but the temperature is the best way to know.
Finally, remove from the oven and allow the chicken to rest for about 15 minutes before cutting into parts to enjoy!
storage and reheating
Once prepared, allow the chicken to cool completely. I like to slice it before transferring to an airtight container.
Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven or toaster oven at 225F for 15 minutes.
I like to enjoy leftovers cold from the fridge on a salad or in a sandwich.
Check out these other delicious chicken dinner recipes!
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
Email Recipe for Later
Recipe
Lemon Herb Spatchcock Chicken
Ingredients
- 3-5 lb whole chicken
- 3 tbsp softened unsalted butter
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
- 1/2 tbsp fresh chopped thyme
- Zest from 1 lemon
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper – you can cook in a cast-iron skillet instead, but you need a very large one
- Zest one lemon and mince the garlic. Add butter, lemon zest, garlic, salt, parsley, and thyme to a small mixing bowl. Mix to combine thoroughly and set to the side
- Spatchcock your chicken by removing the backbone, flipping over and pressing down on the breasts to lay flat with the breast side up – see instructions and video above for how to do this
- Take your butter, lemon, and herb mixture and rub it under the skin of your bird. You can lift the skin on the breasts and the thighs to really pack a lot of the mixture under the skin – this is how the meat gets flavorful and juicy
- Lay your spatchcocked chicken on the lined baking sheet or in a cast iron skillet. Brush olive oil all over the skin of the chicken and season liberally with salt and fresh cracked black pepper.
- Place in the oven to bake for 45-55 minutes – until the thickest section of the thigh meat reads 165F on a meat thermometer. The timing will depend on the size of the bird. Our 4lb chicken took 45 minutes, a 5lb chicken took 55 minutes and a 5.25lb chicken took nearly an hour. Use that as a guide, but the temperature is the best way to know.
- Remove from the oven and allow the chicken to rest for about 15 minutes before cutting into parts to enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
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