Spatchcock 6 Lb Chicken

[Arlyne Doepner]

Onceyou have your chicken spatchcocked, cooking it on a grill, specifically a charcoal grill, makes for a wonderfully flavorful chicken. I like to cook this chicken using two-zone cooking, by placing my chicken on the indirect heat on the grill for the initial cook, and then moving it to the direct heat for the final 5-7 minutes.

When it comes to chicken, you want to cook to internal temperature as much as time. Make sure you use a reliable food thermometer and just use the times as a guideline as every cut and grill is a little different.

Been checking this recipe out for awhile. Tonight was the night we gave it a try. We all agreed it was outstanding. The rub was super flavor filled, which transferred to the chicken in the same way. Lady, you are killing it with your rubs and recipes. Thanks so much.

Super easy to follow recipe, especially for a newbie! Took a little longer to cook since we had issues with the temp staying at 350 on our gas grill however it turned out to be the best chicken I have ever made. Used your dry rub chicken recipe as well and it was WONDERFUL! Susie, you do a great job at making me feel like a backyard BBQ hero! I appreciate you! ?

Susie Bulloch founded Hey Grill Hey in 2015 with one desire: To help people make better BBQ. To date she has created over 550 recipes that millions of people cook every month, making Hey Grill Hey a name synonymous with amazing BBQ. Susie and her husband Todd run a family business that includes a line of signature BBQ rubs, sauces, and gadgets.

This Spatchcock Chicken recipe is our favorite way to roast a whole chicken. Every part of the roasted chicken turns out juicy and so flavorful with that garlic herb butter (the same one we use on our roasted turkey!). This one pan chicken dinner is easy and so delicious!

A whole roasted chicken can be tricky because the chicken breast can quickly dry out by the time the dark meat is cooked through, but when you butterfly a chicken (spatchcock), the chicken breast sits lower in the pan on the same level as the legs so it bakes more evenly and results in a juicy, moist and flavorful chicken.

For this recipe, you will need a 4 to 4 1/2 lb whole chicken. Allow the raw chicken to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before using for more even baking. The flavored butter is incredible and makes every bite memorable. We it in several of our recipes because it just works. See the full print-friendly list of ingredients in the recipe card below.

1. (Preheat Oven to 425F after step 4) Place chicken breast-side down with the wings/ neck facing towards you. Use kitchen shears to cut through the ribs right next to the spine on both sides to remove spine.** Open the rib cage and use a heavy chefs knife to score down the sternum. This will help to pop out the breast bone and flatten the chicken. Season under the chicken with about 1/2 tsp salt and a pinch of black pepper.

2. Flip the chicken over with the breast side up and place on a parchment-lined, rimmed baking half sheet. Using the palm of your hand, push firmly over the breast bone so the chicken lays completely flat. You want it to lay flat so all parts of the chicken bake evenly. Separate the skin from the meat over breast, thigh and drumstick areas.

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the creator behind Natasha's Kitchen (established in 2009), and I share family-friendly, authentic recipes. I am a New York Times Best-Selling cookbook author and a trusted video personality in the culinary world. My husband, Vadim, and I run this blog together, ensuring every recipe we share is thoroughly tested and approved. Our mission is to provide you with delicious, reliable recipes you can count on. Thanks for stopping by! I am so happy you are here.

When you spatchcock a chicken it makes it lay flat, and therefore all the meat cooks more evenly. Usually the breast cook first, and then become dry while the rest of the chicken is cooking. By spatchcocking the chicken, you eliminate this issue.

When you cook a whole chicken as-is, different parts of the chicken naturally take different amounts of time to cook. The breast, for example, is done faster than the thigh, so the cooking can be uneven and you may end up with dry meat from the chicken breast. When you spatchcock a chicken, the whole thing can cooks so you eliminate this problem! Cooking a spatchcock chicken results in:

Step 1: place your chicken on a large, sturdy cutting board breast-side down, and pat it dry with paper towels. Use sharp poultry kitchen shears to cut closely along both sides of the spine or backbone.

In this spatchcock chicken recipe, I like to season it simply with butter, garlic, paprika, lemon zest, and lots of freshly ground salt and black pepper. You could also use any of the following delicious seasonings and marinades (just note that you may need to double or triple the ingredients):

Cant wait to make this soon for me can i use mushrooms and vegan butter and cant wait to try this in my air fryer at home i never had spatchcock chicken before perfect for my after office meals love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work

When making barbecue, I really love a brown sugar based rub. Not only does it add sweetness that balances the other spices, but it also caramelizes beautifully on the smoker or grill. You can use this same rub on pork or veggies (like the sweet potatoes I served with this spatchcock chicken) and it would be delicious.

Just combine brown sugar with garlic powder, cumin, cinnamon, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, onion powder, cayenne pepper, paprika, and onion salt in a medium bowl. Stir until everything is evenly distributed, then sprinkle it generously over the meat you want to cook and rub it in.

But for ultimate smoke penetration, I recommend smoking the chicken at a lower temperature between 225 and 275 degrees F. A three- to four-pound chicken smoked at this temperature will likely take around 3-4 hours to reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.

If you want to sauce the chicken, watch for the internal temperature to reach around 150 degrees F on a digital meat thermometer (affiliate link) in both the breast and thigh meat. Brush the chicken liberally with your favorite bbq sauce (I HIGHLY recommend my Alabama white BBQ sauce), then continue to cook until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F, usually another 15-20 minutes after adding the bbq sauce.

Smoked or grilled chicken goes well with any classic BBQ side dishes like macaroni salad, potato salad, or baked beans. This time around I tossed some sliced sweet potato discs in olive oil, then rubbed them with a BBQ seasoning and smoked them with the chicken, then served it all with grilled zucchini.

When storing this chicken, you want to maximize the shelf life to enjoy it longer! Place chicken in an airtight container or tightly wrap in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Make sure to refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking/grilling/smoking. You can also freeze leftovers that will last three to six months.

Amy!! That chicken is positively GORGEOUS! This is a technique that I have always wanted to try, and now I know that I HAVE to!! We love our Traeger, and this pretty little bird is happening this weekend! Thanks for all of the great tips on spatchcocking and for the great new chicken recipe!

OMG I had no idea that this would make my chicken even better than it normally is! What a neat trick to get all that smoky flavor into every nook and cranny of the chicken! Definitely on my grill every week now!

Tried a 4.8 lbs chicken in a Traeger at 250. Took about 2 hours. Very juicy and good smoked flavor, but the skin never got crispy. I did dry the chicken before applying the rub. What was your experience?

I would have an instant read thermometer or a constant thermometer in the chicken. The 3 to 4 hour time is incredibly too long. I would check the temp have an hour and a half and depending on what the reading was about every 15 minutes after that.

Ready to change the roast chicken game? This spatchcock chicken recipe is all you need! A few tips make all the difference in this succulent, juicy chicken with extra crispy skin. Be sure to read on and watch the video below.

To spatchcock or butterfly chicken means to split a whole chicken by removing its backbone so that it is flattened. You can ask your butcher to do this for you, but it really is easy enough to butterfly a chicken yourself.

Suzy, hope you and the family had a great Easter. For the first time, I tried your crispy spatchcock chicken along with the italian roasted vegetables and wow, it was absolutely wonderful and a big hit at dinner.

If you like hash browns but want something healthier, the sweet potato hash that follows is a dish I make a lot for my sons when I want to work some extra nutrients into their supper (which is always).

Using both hands with the open cavity facing up, press down on each side firmly opening the cavity up. Turn the bird over. The chicken should lie flat with both breasts facing up and the legs lying flat beside them.

Using a mortar and pestle or a blender, grind or pulse together the spices, garlic, ginger, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, spring onions, and salt to taste until a paste-like consistency is achieved. Spread the paste over both sides of the chicken rubbing in to coat both sides, especially the skin side. Transfer the chicken to a wire rack set inside a sheet pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, and up to 6 hours.

In a nonstick skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium- high heat. Add the leek and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft- ened and turning translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape the leeks into the bowl with the shredded potatoes. Using both hands, mix and combine the leeks and potatoes. Squeeze to wring out as much of the excess liquid as possible.

In the same skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add all of the potato and leek mixture, pressing down to flatten it evenly. Press with your spatula so that the mixture is packed evenly and is clean around the edge of the pan. Cook over medium heat turning the pan a quarter-turn every 2 to 3 minutes, until an even golden brown. Using the spatula, lift the bottom of the hash to see that it is browning nicely.

3a8082e126