Spatchcock Chicken

5 from 7 votes

Spatchcock chicken gives you the most flavorful, juicy chicken and crispy skin, but for a fraction of the normal cooking time. We're giving you step by step instructions so you can spatchcock your chicken like a pro!

Prep Time10

Cook Time1 10

Total Time1 20

Course: Grilled Chicken, Main Dish

Cuisine: American, Dinner

Keyword: Spatchcock Chicken, Whole Chicken

Servings: servings

Author: Caytlin McCleery

Ingredients

1 whole chicken (3-4 pounds)

Buttermilk Brine

4 cups buttermilk
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon granulated garlic or garlic powder

Roasted Vegetables

2 pounds red potatoes cut into 1-inch chunks
2 pounds carrots cut into 1-inch chunks
1 yellow onion cut into 1-inch chunks
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
drizzle olive oil

Instructions

How to Spatchcock Chicken

Using a clean surface, lay bird breast side down and identify the spine.
Using kitchen shears, cut down both sides of the spine until it is completely removed. Discard spine.
Flip the bird back over and rotate out the leg quarters. Give it a firm press right on the center of the breast bone. This will help the bird lay more flat.
Add the spatchcock bird to the buttermilk brine, cover, and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours, or overnight.
Pre heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove bird from brine and discard the brine.
Place the bird on a parchment lined baking sheet breast side up. Tuck the wings to ensure they don't stick up and burn.
Add vegetables around the chicken and drizzle with a bit of olive oil and season veggies with salt and pepper.
Roast in the 400 degree oven until the internal temperature of the bird reaches 165 degrees, about one hour. Actual cooking time will depend on the size of your chicken. Use a meat thermometer to ensure accuracy.
Let chicken rest for 10 to 20 minutes before carving.

Buttermilk Brine

Use a large container that can fit the entire chicken submerged in liquid. In the container, stir together buttermilk, kosher salt, pepper, and granulated garlic. Stir to combine.

Video

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Notes

Grilling: Preheat your gas or charcoal grill to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the grill reaches temperature, adjust the heat source to create an indirect heat source for cooking. Place the chicken breast side up onto the indirect heat side of the grill. Close the lid and cook until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, about 1 hour. For a crispier skin, finish the chicken by flipping and cooking breast side down over direct heat for 3 to 5 minutes to crisp.

Smoking: Preheat your smoker to 225 degrees Fahrenheit. Place spatchcocked chicken breast side up in the smoker. Close the lid and smoke until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours depending on the size of your chicken.

Nutrition