Spatchcock Chicken Recipe
An incredible way to cook chicken which saves time, looks spectacular, and keeps the chicken juicy and tender.
If you want to show off and entertain friends or family, give this chicken recipe a go. A new way of cooking chicken which is revolutionary, straight forward, and best yet tastes amazing.
I flavoured the chicken in a tangy lemon and paprika spice marinade beforehand to give the chicken a kick, while protecting it from the char of the griddle pan, before finishing it off in the oven. I served the chicken alongside a simple green salad.
What is a spatchcock chicken
A spatchcock chicken is simply a fully-grown adult chicken that’s been ‘butterflied’ – this is where it’s backbone is removed, giving it a flat appearance. For this reason, spatchcock chicken is also called butterflied chicken. As the chicken is flattened and spread out, there is more surface area, allowing for a quicker cooking time and less likelihood of overcooking or drying out the breasts.
Spatchcocking a chicken is an alternative method of cooking a chicken, opposed to the more traditional roast chicken in an oven. Spatchcock chicken allows for a friendlier barbecue or grilling cooking method.
The finished dish, 1/4 spatchcock served with asparagus, salad leaves and sweet potato halves.
How to cook spatchcock chicken?
Spatchcock chicken is simple to cook. It can either be cooked on a barbeque outdoors, giving it that smokey flavour or for a similar effect indoors, like I did, using an oven proof griddle pan on the stove top, and then finishing through in a fan assisted oven to ensure that the chicken is cooked through completely.
Removing the backbone is done prior to cooking, and is typically done by the butcher and bought pre-spatchcocked. Alternatively, if you are a more adventurous home cook, then spatchcocking your chicken is not difficult.
Check here for a simple step by step guide video on Youtube.
As the chicken is whole and all the parts and bones are still attached, it retains all the juices inside the meat more than cooking each part separately.
I used a simple finger-licking marinade to give it some kick, fresh cumin seeds and smoky paprika with lemon juice. There are endless marinades out there which you can copy, or you might have your own special sauce.
I like to keep my marinades fairly simple, straightforward not overpowering. I truly believe that the higher the quality of produce we invest in the less we need to mask and hide the true unique flavors. Marinades and sauces often destroy the unique flavours which softer flavour produce have, such as fish and poultry like chicken and turkey.
Chicken is the most common culprit, which gets covered with spices and marinades. This is unfortunate as most chicken purchased is poorly produced causing it to be weak (due to living conditions and environment) and thus affects its end product, i.e. taste. Chicken should be kissed by the sun, rain, cold and wind. They should consume a varied diet of grasses, seeds, herbs, worms and bugs. When on a restrictive a: diet of corn or b: movement and space, there is no wonder why chicken is cheap, tasteless and subjective to added flavour components to try to enhance its innate flavours. When naturally reared and living in sync with a regenerative farming ecology, chicken tastes incredible.
How long to cook spatchcock chicken
The cooking recommendation will greatly depend on the size of your chicken, how long you allowed the chicken to come to room temperature prior to cooking, and the accuracy of your cooking thermometer.
A medium chicken with the cooking instructions below in my recipe should take 45 minutes. Investing in a meat thermometer is a wise move, allowing you to check the internal temperature, ideally in the thickest part, which would be the insertion of the leg to thigh. Ensure the chicken reaches 165F / 73.8C. Bearing in mind, that while resting the internal chicken temperature will increase by 5C on average. Removing the chicken when it reaches 68c would be the best method. Rest for 5 minutes in a warm place, then check the temperature again. While carving or separating the parts, you will notice if the juices run clear which is a sign that the chicken is fully cooked and ready.
Sautéd seasonal asparagus on a bed of arugula (wild rocket) dressed in extra virgin olive oil and apple cider vinegar.
Where to buy a spatchcock chicken?
If you buy your produce from the supermarket, then you will not typically find spatchcock chicken on the shelves. You will more likely be able to find it at a butchers or farmers market. If not, then ask your butcher to do it for you. I am sure they would happily oblige, keeping them busy and would welcome the job.
If you are feeling confident within your cooking skills, then do it yourself at home.
I was gifted this spatchcock chicken from my friends at Farmison, an online butcher based in the UK. They have a great selection of meat on offer from the British Isles, have high quality standards and great customer service with delivery.
Using an ovenproof griddle pan is my preferred option for cooking spatchcock chicken.
What to serve with a spatchcock chicken
Given that I cooked this recipe in the summer heat wave, I served the spatchcock chicken with a simple sautéd asparagus on top of salad greens, arugula (wild rocket) dressed in apple cider vinegar and extra virgin olive oil and served alongside baked sweet potatoes.
I feel that salads such as a greek or caprese salad or a selection of side dishes such as guacamole, babaganoush, hummus would work magically. Remember, you have no requirement or necessity to serve your foods with carbohydrates in the form of starch like rice, pasta, or potatoes. If you want to please do, I am not saying they are evil or “bad” but we are conditioned and brainwashed by the media and mediocre government recommendations to believe that we have to operate on a carb focused mindset, every meal.
Spatchcock chicken cooking tips
Before you start, you should make sure you have a sufficient sized oven proof pan or tray to either pan grill then oven roast, or oven roast from the start.
As outlined above, I believe using a meat thermometer (which you can pick up from £12 at amazon) is invaluable to keep your food juicy, tender, and full of flavour, especially for unforgiving meats such as poultry or roasting joints. It removes the guesswork.
A simple marinade of oregano and garlic powder (or the one below) if you have the time a few hours or even overnight can dramatically raise the standards of your bird. Again, high quality meat should speak for itself.
An ovenproof griddle pan is the ideal cooking pan for this recipe. If this is not an option, then get colour on your regular pan before transferring to an oven tray to finish through.
Starting the cooking process in a griddle pan first then transferring directly to the oven is the best method in my opinion. You get colour and char from the griddle, while not overdoing it, and allow the whole bird to cook through in a more controlled, equal manner.
Start cooking the chicken skin side down to colour for a few minutes, then turn over to get colour on the bottom for another 5 minutes, before transferring to the oven to cook through.
Ensure the skin is facing up otherwise the skin will be soggy and not crisp.
An amateur mistake is to cook meat directly after coming out of the fridge. This is a bad move. Remove your meat from the fridge and allow it to come up to room temperature. This allows the core internal temperature to reach its desired temperature, whilst not overcooking the more exterior parts.
A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil over the green vegetables, and raw honey over the sweet potatoes makes a huge difference.
How to make a healthy spatchcock chicken
Total Time: 50-55 minutes (5-10 minutes preparation and 45 minutes cooking time)
Servings: 4
Cooking skill: Easy
Cost Per Serving: £3.50
Ingredients:
1 X 1.4Kg (3.1lb) pasture raised chicken - spatchcocked
½ tbsp cumin seeds
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp coconut oil
To serve:
Bunch of salad greens such as watercress and arugula (wild rocket)
Bunch of asparagus
4 medium sweet potatoes (halved lengthways)
Splash of raw apple cider vinegar
Extra virgin olive oil
Fresh lemon
Method:
If using the marinade, mix the ingredients in a bowl, before using your hands to cover the chicken all over. Set aside until you are ready to cook.
Preheat the oven to 220C / 425F.
Use an ovenproof griddle pan and preheat on a medium high heat. Place the spatchcock chicken skin side down. You will hear that lovely crackling sound. Leave to cook for 5 minutes. Make sure the skin is not burning, we just want a tint of char.
After 5 minutes, turn over and repeat for another 5 minutes.
Next transfer the oven proof pan to the preheated oven, skin side up. If you do not have an ovenproof pan then use an oven tray. Reduce the oven temperature down to 190C / 375F immediately.
Cook for 30-40 minutes. Use your handy meat thermometer or insert a skewer to check if juices run clear. If clear or 68C, then remove from the oven and allow to rest in a warm place before carving.
Whilst the chicken is cooking. Place the sweet potatoes on a baking tray with a touch of coconut oil coated over them. Bake for 30 minutes until cooked through.
While the chicken is cooking prepare the asparagus sautéing in a touch of extra virgin olive oil in a pan and then serve with the salad greens or side dish of choice or suggestions above.
Nutritional Value:
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