Spatchcock Chicken
Succulent and juicy spatchcock chicken with the crispiest skin ever! You'll love the Middle Eastern flavors here, but you can also change them up with your favorite seasonings.
Servings: 4 to 5
Ingredients
- 1 (4 pound) whole chicken
- Kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 1 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Extra virgin olive oil
To Roast Alongside (Optional)
- 8 Campari tomatoes
- 1 large sweet onion, peeled and quartered
- Handful of pitted green olives
Instructions
- Spatchcock (butterfly) the chicken. Place the chicken on a cutting board with its backbone facing you. Using a pair of sturdy kitchen shears, cut out the backbone by cutting along both sides of the spine. Remove the backbone (save for stock). Flip the chicken over and push down on the breast with your palms to flatten.
- Salt the chicken (if you have time, do this the night before). Generously season the chicken all over with salt and pepper, then place in a shallow roasting dish with the breast side up. If you have the time, refrigerate uncovered overnight to dry out the skin. One hour before you plan to roast the chicken, pull the chicken out of the fridge and set at room temperature.
- Get ready to roast. Set one oven rack near the middle of your oven and one near the bottom. Preheat to 425°F.
- Season the chicken. Mix the spices in a small bowl, then rub all over the chicken. Pull the skin up and apply some of the spice mix underneath as well.
- Sear the chicken. Coat the bottom of a 12-inch cast iron skillet in a thin layer of olive oil and set over medium-high heat. As soon as the oil is shimmering, add the chicken with the breast side down. Allow to brown undisturbed for 6-8 minutes, then flip and brown on the other side, another 5 minutes or so.
- Roast the chicken. Transfer the cast iron skillet to the middle rack of the hot oven. Slide it all way to the back of the oven. Roast for 20 minutes, then use oven mitts to carefully turn the skillet 180 degrees (the handle is now pointing the opposite direction). Push to the back of the oven again. Roast until the chicken is cooked through, another 30 to 45 minutes. The chicken should be brown all over, with the thickest part near the leg bone reading 165°F.
- Meanwhile, roast the vegetables (optional). About 20 minutes or so before you pull the chicken out of the oven, add the tomato and onion to a small roasting dish. Toss with olive oil and salt. Place on the lower rack of the oven to roast. When done, add a handful of green olives to the roasted veggies and return to the oven for a few minutes to warm.
- Rest and serve. Let the chicken rest at room temperature for 10 minutes before carving. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients, including the olive oil and spices used in this recipe.
- When to salt the chicken. If you don't have time to salt the chicken and refrigerate overnight, do this as early as possible the day of (even 2 hours or so before cooking will help).
Nutrition
Calories: 465.9kcal | Carbohydrates: 12.8g | Protein: 37.5g | Fat: 29.2g | Saturated Fat: 8.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11.9g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 142.8mg | Sodium: 147.6mg | Potassium: 783mg | Fiber: 2.7g | Sugar: 7.5g | Vitamin A: 1429IU | Vitamin C: 24.3mg | Calcium: 57.7mg | Iron: 2.5mg
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