Spatchcock Chicken
Spatchcocking is the single biggest upgrade you can make to roasting a whole chicken. You cut out the backbone, press the bird flat, and suddenly the whole thing cooks evenly in about 45 minutes instead of 90. Every piece of skin faces up and gets direct heat, so you get crispy skin across the entire bird — no more flabby thigh skin while the breast dries out. Cutting the backbone sounds intimidating but it's not. Kitchen shears along both sides of the spine, press the bird flat with your palm until you hear the breastbone crack, and you're done. Save that backbone in a freezer bag — once you've collected three or four, you've got free chicken stock. Season the night before if you can. Dry brining with salt overnight pulls moisture to the surface, and that's what gives you shatteringly crispy skin. Roast on a sheet pan with a wire rack so air circulates underneath. No rack? A bed of thick-cut onion rounds works as a natural rack and gives you a built-in side dish. Pull at 165°F in the thickest part of the thigh, rest 10 minutes, then carve. This method converts people who think they can't cook a whole chicken.
Equipment
- Kitchen Shears
- Sheet Pan
- Wire Rack
- Cutting Board
- Probe thermometer
- Paper Towels
- Small bowl
Ingredients
Dry Brine
- 1 tablespoon Kosher Salt Morton brand
- 1 ½ teaspoon Brown Sugar dark
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper coarse ground
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Onion Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Smoked Paprika
Chicken
- 1 whole Chicken 5 lb fryer
Instructions
Spatchcock the Chicken
- Place the chicken breast-side down on a cutting board.
- Using sharp kitchen shears, cut along both sides of the backbone from tail to neck.
- Remove the backbone.
- Flip the chicken breast-side up.
- Press down firmly on the breastbone with both hands until you hear it crack and the chicken lays flat.
- Tuck the wing tips behind the shoulders.
Dry Brine
- Pat the chicken completely dry with paper towels.
- Combine kosher salt, brown sugar, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika in a small bowl.
- Carefully lift the skin over the breasts and thighs.
- Apply about 60% of the dry brine directly on the meat under the skin.
- Apply the remaining 40% over the skin.
- Place the spatchcocked chicken skin-side up on a wire rack over a sheet pan.
- Refrigerate uncovered for 24-48 hours.
Roast
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- Place the chicken skin-side up on a wire rack over a sheet pan.
- Roast for 40-50 minutes until the breast reaches 160°F and the thighs reach 175°F.
- Remove from oven and let rest for 15 minutes.
Notes
A whole chicken flattened and roasted in half the time of traditional roasting. Crispy skin everywhere, juicy meat throughout, and zero babysitting required.
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