Free: Healthy 5-Ingredient Meals Ebook
Get It NowIf you’ve never made spatchcock chicken before, you might never want to cook a whole chicken another way again once you try it! Not only does it get super crispy and stay juicy, it’s also done so much faster than a whole bird. It was love at first roast when I made it years ago — and it’s been my favorite way to cook a whole chicken ever since. It’s the shortcut I turn to again and again for weeknights, holidays, and every occasion in between. Let me show you!
Why You’ll Love My Spatchcock Chicken Recipe
- Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside – The high oven temperature allows the inside to stay so juicy. But that crispy skin… oh, how I love that ultra crispy skin. And everyone comments on it!
- Cooks evenly – I always enjoy a good oven roasted chicken, but sometimes it can be a little tricky to avoid drying out some parts while others cook through. Spatchocking totally eliminates this issue, as flattening the chicken encourages all the areas to cook at the same rate.
- Irresistibly flavorful – The fresh herbs, butter, and garlic really take this chicken over the top. It’s the same method I use for juicy spatchcock turkey!
- Fast, fast, fast – Compared to a whole bird roasted the “regular” way, my spatchcock chicken recipe cooks in about half the time! The method I use here allows me to turn up the heat, so it cooks faster.
- Looks impressive, but surprisingly easy – It’s the best of both worlds, and one of my favorite options when I’m hosting a dinner. It feeds a good number of people, always gets people talking, gives my guests a choice between white meat and dark meat, and just takes away the stress all around.
Ingredients & Substitutions
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for my spatchcock chicken recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
Chicken:
You’ll need a whole chicken. Mine was 5 pounds, but this recipe will work fine with any size. The cook time will vary depending on the weight, though.
Compound Butter:
Butter normally can’t handle the high heat of roasting, but when you place it underneath the skin of spatchcocked chicken, it works perfectly to keep the meat juicy and flavorful. You’ll need:
- Butter – Make sure it’s unsalted (because we’re salting the chicken separately), and softened at room temperature (so that you can mash it easily).
- Herbs – I used fresh parsley and my 5-minute Italian seasoning blend, but store-bought works, too. Feel free to use any fresh or dried herbs you like here. Rosemary and thyme work well.
- Garlic – Get fresh garlic cloves, so that you can crush them. Alternatively, you can also use minced garlic (either fresh or from a jar), but I find the flavor disperses better with crushed.
Compound butter variations:
Try different kinds of compound butter here — any of them would be delicious for making spatchcock chicken! A teaspoon of lemon zest added to the compound butter also works well.
Seasoning Over The Skin:
While I use butter underneath the skin, a heat-safe oil works best on top, since butter has a lower smoke point and is prone to burning. It’s the best of both worlds.
- Oil – I use olive oil over the skin, because it can handle the direct heat in the oven. Avocado oil is also fine to use.
- Paprika – I used regular paprika, but smoked paprika would be delicious.
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper – Feel free to use kosher salt instead of sea salt if that’s what you have. Sea salt is just what I usually keep at my house.
Seasoning variations:
You can add other spices over the skin if you like, such as garlic powder, onion powder, or even cayenne pepper for a kick of heat.
How To Spatchcock Chicken
Spatchcock chicken literally just means butterflied chicken. You cut the chicken in two along the spine, leaving the breasts connected, then flip it over and lay it flat before roasting to perfection. Here’s how I do it:
- Cut away the backbone. Place the chicken breast-side down on a cutting board (mine was white for these photos, so you can’t see it!). Use sharp kitchen shears or a sharp knife to cut away the spine. To do so, just cut along each side of the spine. This is the hardest part, but you got this!
- Flatten. Use your hands to open chicken like a book, then flip it over, open side down. Use the palm of your hand to push down on the breastbone, which will allow the chicken to lay flat.
Roasting Instructions
This section shows step-by-step photos together with the instructions, to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Make the compound butter. In a small bowl, mash together the softened butter, parsley, Italian seasoning, and minced garlic.
- Season underneath the skin. Separate the chicken skin from meat by running your hand underneath the skin. Spread dollops of the compound butter mixture under the skin and press down on top of skin to spread the butter throughout the chicken meat.
- Season on the outside. Drizzle the top of the chicken with olive oil, then season all over with paprika, salt, and pepper. Rub to distribute evenly if needed.
- Roast. Transfer the chicken to a wire rack fitted over a rimmed baking sheet, breast side facing up. Roast spatchcock chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees F in the breast, or 165 degrees F in the thigh. (The temperature will continue to rise about 5 degrees after you take it out of the oven.)
- Rest. Let the chicken rest before carving — this will help it stay juicy. I like to serve with lemon wedges for a fresh squeeze of lemon juice.
My Recipe Tips
- Bring to room temp if you have time. This is optional, but I like to let the chicken sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before roasting, so that it cooks more evenly. It’s okay to skip this step, though, especially since actually spatchcocking and seasoning the chicken takes some time, anyway.
- Tuck the wing tips. While you’re prepping the bird, tuck the wing tips underneath the breast if you leave them on, or cut them off, to prevent burning.
- Roast on a rack. Like many of my roasting recipes where I want a crispy result (see: bacon in the oven or asparagus with bacon!), I highly recommend roasting spatchcock chicken on a baking sheet fitted with an oven-safe rack — I have this one and it’s perfect. Doing this increases the air flow around the bird, making it cook more evenly and helping the skin crisp up on all sides.
- Use a meat thermometer. The key to juicy chicken is to take it out at the right time. I highly recommend a probe thermometer like this, inserted into the thickest part of the breast or thigh. I love this one because it goes off when the right internal temperature is reached, so you don’t have to keep opening the oven to check on the chicken. Alternatively, I also have and like this instant read thermometer that reads really fast.
- Tent with foil if needed. If the skin is dark and crispy but the internal temperature is not high enough yet, tent the top with foil and continue roasting until cooked through.
- Let it rest. Waiting before carving lets the juices settle and ensures your chicken stays nice and moist inside. I always, always do this with meat and poultry. 10-15 minutes is just the right amount of time for this spatchcock chicken recipe.
- Wondering what to do with the spine? You can discard it, or use it to make gravy.
Storage Instructions
- Store: Like most chicken recipes, you can keep leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days. They are also perfect for throwing into soups or casseroles, which I often do to avoid eating the same thing on repeat.
- Meal prep: Spatchcock chicken is best served right after cooking, but you can prep ahead by butterflying the chicken and making compound butter. Sometimes I even season it fully one day in advance.
- Freeze: Carve, place the pieces in zip lock bags, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
- Reheat: Warm up the chicken in a 350 degree F oven for 10-15 minutes if it’s carved, or 20-25 minutes whole. If you want it extra juicy and don’t mind an extra step, use the same method I use for reheating reverse sear steaks: Preheat the oven to 250 or 300 degrees F, place the chicken in a baking dish with a little broth at the bottom, seal with foil, and place in the oven until warm. The catch is that this softens the skin, so I usually switch to broil and remove the foil for the last few minutes to get it crispy.
Serving Suggestions
My spatchcock chicken recipe goes with almost any side dish! Here are some of the ways I like serving it:
- Roasted Vegetables – When I make this for just a casual dinner, I love turning it into a sheet pan meal. Chop your favorite vegetables while the chicken is in the oven and toss them in olive oil, salt and pepper. When there is about 25 minutes left for the chicken (slightly before halfway through), very quickly take it out, arrange the vegetables around the chicken, and place back in the oven to finish roasting. I did this with roasted broccoli and roasted cauliflower in the pictures above, but it also works with roasted brussels sprouts or really almost any roasted vegetables.
- Holiday Veggies – When I need something for a special occasion, I make creamed spinach, honey roasted carrots, fried brussels sprouts, or green beans almondine. They’re surprisingly easy to make, but feel a little more festive than a sheet pan meal.
- Potatoes – You can’t go wrong with roasted potatoes, or even sweet potatoes! Wash, dice, and season them right after you place the spatchcock chicken in the oven, then add them to the same sheet pan in the last 35-40 minutes. Alternatively, make my air fryer baked potatoes or mashed sweet potatoes while the chicken is cooking. If you need a lighter option, mashed cauliflower is my go-to.
- Salads – For a fresh and bright side dish, make my Greek salad, easy wedge salad, or simple arugula salad while the chicken roasts.
More Easy Roasted Chicken Recipes
Roasted chicken is such a staple at my house, I’ve made it every which way. If you have a specific cut rather than a whole bird, here are my favorite ways to make different parts of a chicken:
Spatchcock Chicken (Crispy & Juicy!)
This spatchcock chicken recipe is the best way to cook a whole chicken, and so easy! It makes juicy, flavorful meat with perfect crispy skin.
Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them.
Chicken:
Compound Butter:
Topping:
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
Prep:
-
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (232 degrees C). Place an oven safe rack over a baking sheet.
-
If possible, let the chicken rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before roasting. (This will ensure more even cooking.)
Spatchcock:
-
Place the chicken onto a cutting board, breast side down. Use kitchen shears to cut away the spine. (You can discard it or use it to make gravy.)
-
Use your hands to open up the chicken like a book, then flip it over, open side down. Use the heel of your hand to push down on the chicken breast, which will crush the breast bone and allow the chicken to lay flat.
-
Transfer the butterflied chicken to the rack over the baking sheet, breast side up.
Make Compound Butter:
-
To make compound butter, mash together butter, parsley, Italian seasoning, and crushed garlic.
Season:
-
Run your hands under the chicken skin on the breast and legs to separate it from the chicken underneath. Place dollops of compound butter all over underneath the skin and then press down over the skin to spread around underneath.
-
Drizzle olive oil over the chicken, over the skin. Sprinkle with sea salt, paprika, and black pepper.
Roast:
-
Roast spatchcock chicken in the oven for 40-50 minutes, until a thermometer in the thickest part of the breast reaches 160 degrees F (71 degrees C). (Temperature will rise about 5 degrees while resting.)
-
Remove chicken from the oven and let it rest for 10-15 minutes before cutting into it.
Did You Like It?
Leave a rating to help other readers, or get the recipe sent to your inbox.
Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1/6 entire chicken
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead. 🙂
48 Comments
Judy C
1THIS SPATCHCOCK CHICKEN RECIPE IS THE BEST BAKED CHICKEN I HAVE EVER FIXED; SO JUICY AND GREAT FLAVOR. I KNOW THE SKIN IS NOT GOOD FOR YOU, BUT I COULDN’T RESIST. The only thing different FLAVOR I added was squeeze fresh lemon over chicken before baking. THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR RECIPE!
Darlene
1It was the BEST chicken ever! Usually I am a slow eater, but my husband couldn’t believe how fast I was eating it. That’s cause I couldn’t keep it out of my mouth!! LOL! The inside was so juicy while the outside was nice and crispy. Perfect!
Kristyn
0Mmmmm!!! This chicken is seriously so good!! I love the compound butter too! This is the perfect chicken for so many occasions & goes so well with so many sides!
Sha
0This was a hit! So delicious, flavorful and extra juicy!
Michaela
0I made this last night and it was a very easy recipe. At first, I thought the temperature was going be too high and it was going to burn or dry out my chicken, but I was pleasantly surprised. I had it in the oven for 45 minutes and the chicken was surprisingly juicy. I did put some extra chicken seasoning salt on the skin and next time, I’ll use stronger herbs like rosemary to get more flavor embedded in it.
Susan Tysma
0Made this with the smoked paprika, came out perfect – best chicken ever! Will be roasting my chicken this way from now on. 🙂
Karen
0Maybe I did something incorrect, but the butter spattered so bad my house filled with smoke. Was 450° the intended temperature for cooking until completely done? I had to turn off my oven and finish cooking in my electric frying pan. 🙁 Looking at some of the comments, if I ever try it again, I’ll add water to the pan. Unsure if that will help though.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Karen, Yes, 450 degrees is correct. Make sure the chicken is far enough from the heating element, and that the butter is underneath the skin, not on top of it.
Debra
0I’m trying a spatchcock chicken for the first time, and this was a very easy recipe!
Linda
0OHMYGOSH!!! This was SO delicious, SO easy, and SO simple!!!! THIS is definitely a keeper and a repeater!!!
Renee in SC
0I am sure lots of this was my fault. I had a 6lb roaster and followed the recipe. I have a gas/ confection oven. Still set timer for 50 minutes. It was not done. Ended up having to cook for two hours to get thigh and leg done. Skin was tough and so was chicken. I’m trying again with hen that weighs less. HELP. What did I do wrong 😑
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Renee, The chicken probably tough because it was over cooked. Did you use a thermometer to check the chicken?
PH
0Very good recipe. I follow the recipe exactly. I generally make two for leftovers. Moist and flavorful. A keeper.
Sarah
0This was an easy and delicious way to prepare a whole chicken. I loved that it took less time (perfect for these days when I’m constantly rushed at dinnertime) and the skin was super crispy, while the actual chicken remained juicy and flavorful. A great method!
Julianne
0This chicken turned out great, the flavors were spot on! It was my first time making chicken this way and it was easier than I thought it would be.
Michelle
0This ended up perfectly juicy and the skin was nice and crispy! Everyone loved it. Next time, I’m going to try it on the grill.
Rebecca
0After making this last night I can’t understand what took me so long to spatchcock a chicken! I thought it would be kind of difficult, but was happily proven wrong. It was super easy and the chicken cooked so perfectly. This is my new favorite way to cook a whole chicken!
Gina
0This method is the best! I can’t believe how quickly a whole chicken can cook when prepped this way. Love the compound butter in this recipe too, makes everything so moist and flavorful!
Paula
0I absolutely LOVE this way of roasting chicken! It’s not only time saving, it’s moist and flavorful, so delicious😋
Callie Smith
0I made this for my family last night!! Everyone loved it! First time ever making a whole chicken like this!! I did have to cook mine a bit longer than the time you mentioned and turned it down to 400 after the 50 minutes because I didn’t want my skin to burn!! But other than that it was really good!!
For those having issues with the drippings smoking when it hits the pan, I highly suggest lining the bottom with some parchment paper and then adding some water at the bottom!! I had zero problems!!
Thanks! ~Callie~
Tenille T
0I was concerned about the high temp and butter burning. Thanks for the tip about adding water!
Christine Mele
0Hello. I do not have kitchen shears, is there another way to remove the backbone? Thank you, Christine.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Christine, You can use a very sharp knife, but you will have to be very careful.
Kristina Campbell
0This recipe created a delicious and juicy bird with perfect crunchy skin….. BUT the fillings burned as the hit the pan and billowed smoke out of the oven. I had to put water into the pan to prevent but sing but it still smoked throughout the process. My oven is not dirty. The water evaporated and the dripping would burn and then smoke again. Turned it down to 425 and cooked longer. Wish I could have stopped the smoking because the results were amazing…. But the smoke was just horrible.
Pam Chausse-Bauch
0After a request from my grandson, I roasted a spatchcocked chicken following this recipe on a bed of carrots, potatoes, shallots and a whole head of garlic halved. It was the most moist and delicious chicken I have ever made and I have made a few in my time!
Ruthann
0Unfortunately the comments about the splatter and smoke are spot on. If you’re going to make this recipe be super careful. I even tried your tip about adding a little water and it just made it worse. Just be careful.
Tim Maresch
0The outside charred and the meat was too tough to cut.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Tim, It sounds like your chicken overcooked. The time needed can vary depending on your oven and the size of your chicken. Did you use a meat thermometer?
Jessica
0This is the first time trying this method. I am impressed and the chicken looks amazing. How do you get the butter mix to not splatter your oven. I had to take the chicken out part way and switch pans because I was scared of staring a fire lol
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m so glad you liked it, Jessica! I didn’t have this issue with splattering, but if you have this issue, you could add a bit of water to the pan (such that it does not reach the rack) which should prevent the drippings from splattering.
Lenny
0Do you cover the chicken while baking then remove foil so it can get roasted?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Lenny, No need to cover the chicken with foil.
Di
0Y’all OFF THE ROOF SCRUMPTIOUS AND MOIST. YOU MUST BAKE THIS CHICKEN RECIPE. IT IS A 💯!!
Tanya
0So juicy! New and only way I will now roast a chicken. The seasoning is spot on delish.
Mary
0SERIOUSLY to die for!!!! First time making Spatchcock chicken and such an easy and great recipe that this will definitely be going into the regular rotation.
Kelly
0Is the temp at 450 correct? This nearly burnt our house down! I wonder why ours did this. What rack did you cook it on? I used the middle rack and had to cut the temp waaay down.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Kelly, Yes, that is the correct temperature and I cooked on the middle rack. I’m not quite sure what issue you had with it.
Kristyn
0Great recipe!! The compound butter makes the chicken taste so good!
Jo
0Can I cook sp. Chicken on 350 degrees and for how long if so thanks.
Wholesome Yum D
0HI Jo, I suggest following the recipe as written.
Natalie
0So glad you shared this! This is the tastiest chicken. It has the perfect golden color & the outside is crisp!
Maureen
0Did you leave the temp at 450 the whole time?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Maureen, Yes, that is correct.
Elizabeth M
0I keep coming back for this recipe! Anytime I want to make a chicken this is the recipe I use! Thank you so much
Rob Schultz
0Very sorry, I appreciate the effort you put into this website but too quick critiques. First of all this article is way too long for cooking a chicken, second of all the most important part is the temperature and you don’t say WHERE to check the chicken for internal temperature of 165 degrees….
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Rob, By cutting out the spine and flattening the chicken out on a pan, you are helping it to cook evenly. Checking the thickest area of the breasts or the thighs will give you an accurate temperature reading.
Nellie Tracy
0Great recipe! Love having it for weeknight dinners. Fairly easy to prepare and delicious!
Jane Saunders
0First time spatchcocker here, but your images help so much. It looks so much easier than expected, so you’ve given me the confidence to try this.