Spatchcocking—also called butterflying—involves removing the backbone of a chicken in order to flatten it, allowing it to cook more quickly and more evenly. The result is a roast chicken that cooks in 30 minutes.
In a whole roasted bird, the breasts cook faster than the thighs and legs, running the risk of drying out. Splitting and flattening literally levels the playing field, so the meat cooks at the same time. Plus, because this method exposes more surface area, there will be more crispy skin to go around.
You can spatchcock chicken, but you can also spatchcock turkey (a great timesaver for Thanksgiving), and the technique also works well on the grill (see our Piri Piri Chicken ).
How to Spatchcock
See below for two great spatchcock chicken recipes, and for more, check out these 17 chicken recipes that take less than an hour to make.
Get Ready to Cook
4
Servings
2 1/2 hours
30 minutes active
Get Ready to Cook
4
Servings
2 hours
50 minutes active