Spatchcock Roast Chicken — Crispy Skin, Juicy Meat, Simple Method
A whole roast chicken is one of my favorite meals to make. It gives us a delicious dinner, leftovers for lunch the next day, and bones for homemade stock. One chicken, multiple meals, and nothing goes to waste.
And while there are hundreds of roast chicken techniques out there, this one is my tried-and-true method. Spatchcocking helps the chicken cook evenly, the skin get beautifully crisp, and the breast meat stay juicy — every single time.
If you keep my Dry Rub for Roasted Chicken in the pantry, you’re already halfway there.
Why Spatchcock?
By removing the backbone and pressing the chicken flat, the breast and thighs roast at the same level. That means:
Even cooking
Crispier skin
Juicier meat
Faster cook time
It also lays perfectly in a cast iron skillet.
Roasted Chicken
This roasted chicken is moist, tender, tasty and easy to do
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 4 pound chicken I average a 4 pound chicken
- 1/2 recipe roasted chicken rub
- 1/2 cup butter
Instructions
- Let your chicken sit out for 30 to 45 minutes to come up to room temperature
- turn on the oven to 425 degrees
- cut the spine out of your chicken, then press down on the breast bone to flatten it
- mix up a batch of dry rub for roasted chicken
- I leave the salt out so I can add it to the chicken separately
- liberally season the inside of the bird with spice blend and salt
- place the chicken in the pan and season the outside of the chicken with the rub and salt
- I use the entire batch of the spice blend for one chicken
- roast for 30 minutes
- pour 1 stick of melted butter all over the chicken
- place back in the oven for another 30 minutes
- let your chicken rest for at least 10 minutes
- there will be lovely juices in the bottom of your skillet, but do not baste your chicken with it or you will lose your crispy skin
Nutrition
Calories: 487kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 41gFat: 34gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 167mgSodium: 184mgPotassium: 452mgSugar: 1gVitamin A: 354IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 58mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!