Nutrition: 285 Calories | 2.1g Net Carbs | 25.6g Protein
Enjoy the taste of succulent rotisserie chicken at home (without the rotisserie). This Garlic Lemon Spatchcock Chicken Recipe is easy and impressive.
My family loves roasted chicken. The crispy skin and juicy meat always keep them coming back for more. Sometimes, when I want fast food (but not fast food), we’ll pick up a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. Add a salad on the side, and we have a meal. The first time I made this spatchcock chicken recipe, my husband said, “Wow!! I takes like rotisserie.” Spatchcocking might sound intimidating, but it’s actually very easy. The chicken will cook more evenly (keeping it juicy), and it roasts faster than a whole chicken.
How to Spatchcock a Whole Chicken
Basically there are two steps to spatchcock a chicken. First, cut out the backbone. Find the tail of the chicken, and then use kitchen shears to cut down both sides of the backbone. Second, turn the chicken over, folding it open, and press down in the center to flatten it out. You will hear the breastbone crack as you press down. Having the chicken flat evens out the cooking and shortens cooking time. You can discard the backbone, or use it to make some homemade chicken broth.
This is a great video that also explains how to spatchcock a chicken. Roasting a spatchcocked chicken is easy enough for a family dinner. It’s also a fun way to impress guests at a dinner party. Nobody has to know how simple it is.
Garlic, Lemon & Herb Compound Butter
After the chicken is split open, you can flavor it in lots of different ways. In this case, we’re using a garlic, lemon and herb compound butter. What is compound butter? Basically it’s butter mixed with other flavorful ingredients. You can whip it to make the compound butter creamy, or I like to use a fork and mash everything together. Compound butter can be either sweet or savory. One time I went to a tea party at a fancy tea house, and they served the most amazing strawberry compound butter to go with their scones. I was in heaven. For this recipe, mix together room temperature butter with lemon juice, lemon zest, crushed garlic, tarragon, salt and pepper.
After you’ve made the compound butter, it’s time spread it all over your chicken. You can use a pastry brush and your hands to distribute the butter. Use about half the compound butter on the underside of the chicken and spread it all over. Then, flip your chicken over.
Use the rest of the compound butter on the top of your spatchcock chicken. Get under the skin too, to get those flavors in the meat. Tuck the wing tips underneath the drumettes to prevent them from burning. (Watch the video above to see how it’s done.) Roast the chicken for about 45 minutes (for a 6 pound bird).
The Garlic Lemon Spatchcock chicken is ready when the skin is crispy and golden and an instant-read thermometer says 165º when inserted in the thickest part of the meat. Let the chicken rest for a few minutes so the juices can redistribute. Then, serve your succulent lemon herb roasted chicken and enjoy!!
Garlic Lemon Spatchcock Chicken Recipe: Simple Roast Chicken
Enjoy the taste of succulent rotisserie chicken at home (without the rotisserie). This Garlic Lemon Spatchcock Chicken Recipe is easy and impressive.
Total Time: 1 hour
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 45 min
Ingredients
- Whole Chicken, about 6 lbs
- 4 Tbsp Butter, Room Temp
- 1 Lemon
- 3 Cloves Garlic
- 1 Tbsp Tarragon
- 1 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
Directions
- Pre-heat the oven to 400º. Zest and juice the lemon and add to a bowl. Then add the butter, crushed garlic, tarragon, salt and pepper and mix together with a fork. Set the herb butter mixture aside.
- Place the whole chicken on a cutting board. Used kitchen shears to remove the backbone. Start at the tail and cut along both sides of the backbone. Open up the chicken with the skin side up and press down to flatten the breastbone (you will hear it crack).
- Move the spatchcocked chicken to a baking sheet. Rub the inside and outside of the chicken with the herb butter mixture. Get some under the skin too. Once the whole chicken is covered in the compound butter, arrange it skin side up on the baking sheet. Tuck the wing tips under the drumettes.
- Roast the chicken skin side up at 400º for about 45 minutes until the internal temperature has reached 165º. Check the thickest part of the meat with a meat thermometer. The skin should be crispy and golden. Let the chicken rest for a few minutes. Then serve and enjoy!!
Nutrition:
Yield: 6 servings Serving Size: about 6 oz
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 285, Total Fat: 17.4g, Saturated Fat: 8.7g, Cholesterol: 94.1mg, Sodium: 615.1mg, Carbohydrates: 2.2g, Fiber 0.1g, Sugars: 1.4g, Protein 25.6g
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