Spatchcocking Your Chicken Is Worth the Effort

Roast chicken is an everyday pleasure—a good fit for both special occasions and midnight snacks. While you might be familiar with the classic roasting style, with trussed legs and tucked wings, this method can lead to overcooked breasts and soggy thighs—two phrases I want nowhere near my chicken.

There’s a better way to roast your chicken for more even cooking: spatchcocking. It's not overly difficult, and it's absolutely worth the extra effort involved.

Why you should spatchcock your roast chicken

You can spatchcock any bird. You might also hear it called butterflying, but the method is the same. (Not to be confused with butterflying chicken breast.) Essentially, the goal of this method is to lay the chicken out flat so all its muscular parts are on the same level. Imagine the paper core of a roll of toilet paper. If you make one cut down the length of it, you can unfurl it to turn it into a flat piece of paper. Spatchcocking is like that, but the steps involved are a bit more macabre.

Traditional roasting puts the driest cut of meat (the breast of the chicken) at the top, often closest to the heating element—before you've even turned up the heat, it’s a recipe for overcooking. The parts that are juiciest (i.e. the thighs) are lower, if not completely under the rest of the body, and shielded from direct heat. This means by the time the thighs reach 165°F (the goal temperature for cooked poultry) the breast will have long surpassed that. 

Spatchcocked chicken is my favorite way to roast because all that uneven cooking is taken out of the equation. The chicken’s spine is removed during preparation, allowing the carcass to be flattened. This means the thighs, legs, and breasts are arranged evenly so they can all cook at the same time. Additionally, the increased surface area means the heat can access more of the chicken at once, cooking it faster.

But the most important reason spatchcocking is my favorite roasting method is the crispy skin. I dislike the soggy skin that results from the thighs cooking while tucked under the body. The skin on a spatchcocked chicken is crispy throughout, and that's reason enough for me.

How to spatchcock a chicken

1. Prepare the chicken

Place the chicken on a large cutting board or sheet tray, breast-side facing down. The wee little tail flap should be closest to you. Place a wire rack over a baking sheet and set nearby. 

2. Cut out the spine

Sharp poultry shears are the absolute best thing for this job, though I’ve removed a few spines with regular kitchen shears; they just require a bit more force. Using the shears, cut along one side of the spine, from the tail end to the neck end. Repeat on the other side of the backbone until it has been completely freed from the body of the bird. You can discard it or, better yet, freeze it to use in stock later.

You can also use a sharp knife to remove a spine; just insert the tip of the knife on one side of the spine (to secure it) and press downward. You’ll be able to feel the blade go through the bones. Stop the pressure before cutting through to the breast. Repeat on the other side of the backbone. 

3. Flatten the bird

Flip the chicken over so the opening is facing down and the breasts are facing up. Press down firmly on the breastplate. (You’ll likely hear it crack.) Next, flatten out the breast, wings, thighs, and legs so they’re all facing upward—the chicken's legs will point inward like it's doing a pee-pee dance. The bird should stay flat when you release it, so if it rounds up again, you need to press harder.

4. Season and roast

Rub oil or softened butter all over the chicken, tuck herbs under the skin if you wish, and season your all over with salt. I like to tuck some lemon slices and rosemary under the chicken too, but you can put other hearty veggies or aromatics under the wire rack. Place the chicken on the wire rack over the baking sheet.

Roast your chicken at 425°F for 35 to 45 minutes, depending on its size. If you aren't sure if it has cooked through, check the temperature; you want the breast to reach 160°F, and the thighs should measure around 165°F at the same time. The carry-over temperature will continue cooking the meat for the next few minutes even out of the oven. 

After letting your chicken rest for about 15 minutes, you can carve it into sections. I think you’ll find that it’s even easier than usual: When a roast chicken has been spatchcocked, the joints are already free, and carving something flat is way more stable than doing so with a rounded object. Now, go enjoy your perfectly roasted chicken, and tell all your friends about the joys of spatchcocking.