How to: spatchcock a chicken
A whole chicken from the oven: few things make a bigger impression on the table than a golden-brown, crispy bird. And the best part? You barely have to do anything. Except for one thing: spatchcocking the chicken. Because anyone who’s ever pulled a dry chicken breast out of the oven knows – it can be juicier, faster and better.
Why should you spatchcock your chicken?
Cooking a whole chicken in the oven sounds easy, but there’s a catch: the breast is often dry before the legs are cooked through. Frustrating, because nobody wants to struggle through tough chicken breast while the legs are juicy.
The solution? Spatchcock the chicken. By removing the backbone, you essentially open the chicken up (as if opening a book). This means all the skin ends up on top – in other words: every piece of chicken becomes crispy. Plus, the legs now sit slightly higher and cook more quickly along with the breast. Win-win.
Oh, and one more bonus: spatchcocking your chicken cuts the cooking time by at least 20%. And who doesn’t want to sit down to dinner faster?
Spatchcocking a chicken may sound like a complicated cooking technique, but believe me: it literally just involves cutting. And the result? Crispy skin all over the chicken, juicy meat and a much shorter cooking time.
How do you spatchcock a chicken?
Sounds fancy, but it’s super simple. To spatchcock a chicken, all you need is poultry shears or a sharp knife. No knife block full of fancy tools, just something you can cut with.
Here’s how to do it:
Place the chicken breast-side down on a cutting board.
Cut along both sides of the backbone (from the tail to the neck) and remove the bone.
Don’t throw away the backbone! You can make a killer chicken gravy with it later.
Turn the chicken over and press firmly on the breastbone until it lies flat.
Done. Your chicken is now “spatchcocked” (also known as butterflied) and ready to go into the oven or onto the barbecue.
Why spatchcocking is perfect for the barbecue
Here’s another reason why spatchcocking a chicken is a game changer: the barbecue. Because the chicken lies flat, it cooks more evenly on the grill. No more burnt legs and raw breasts, but an evenly cooked chicken with crispy skin all over the top.
Tip: use indirect heat (so not directly above the coals) and place a small tray under the chicken to catch the fat. This prevents flames and smoke, and you’ll immediately have flavorful fat to use for your sauce.
What do you do with the backbone? Make sauce!
Don’t throw away that backbone. It’s full of flavor! Roast it along with the chicken in the oven or fry it in a pan with some vegetables, herbs and a splash of white wine. Add stock and let it simmer gently. Strain the sauce and that’s it: you have a killer gravy that makes your chicken even better.
Spatchcocking a chicken looks harder than it is
I admit it: the first time I saw someone spatchcock a chicken, I thought, “No way, that’s for professional chefs.” But seriously: it takes less than a minute. A little cutting, possibly a bit of help from a knife, and you’re done.
And as you can see in this video: he uses special poultry shears, but I just used a regular pair of kitchen scissors. Works perfectly. Just wash them thoroughly afterward, because, well, raw chicken and hygiene.
From now on, you’ll never want to do it any other way
Ever since I started spatchcocking my chicken, I genuinely never want to go back. Everything gets better: it cooks faster, is juicier, crispier and looks better. Plus, you’re guaranteed to score points with your guests, because a whole spatchcocked chicken from the oven looks as though you spent hours slaving over it – while it’s actually just easy-peasy spatchcocking.
So: grab those shears, put your chicken on the cutting board and give it wings. Well, remove its back, but you know what I mean.
Also read:
- Recipe for the best chicken sandwich
- Recipe: chicken floss
- Why you really feel better after a bowl of chicken soup
