Spatchcock Roast Chicken

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Roast spatchcock chicken is an easy technique that lets you roast a chicken in a shorter amount of time. A seasoning of butter, garlic, lemon, white wine, and herbs gives your juicy bird a bright finish.

A spatchcocked roast chicken in a metal roasting pan with a half lemon and some fresh parsley.

Adapted from Beth Dooley | The Perennial Kitchen | University of Minnesota Press, 2021

With very little attention, this chicken practically cooks itself. Then, when everyone wanders into the kitchen, wondering what smells so good, it’s time to eat.–Beth Dooley

Why our testers loved this

There’s a whole bunch of reasons our recipe testers gobbled this up. They loved the minimal prep work and the juicy, tenderly cooked chicken. Patty Fabian was very impressed that “this was an incredibly easy recipe to follow, and spatchcocking the chicken really does allow it to roast more quickly and evenly throughout.”

Rosemary Wynn describes it as “the perfect roast chicken recipe.”

Notes on ingredients

Ingredients for spatchcock roast chicken -- chicken, wine, butter, lemon, garlic, parsley, and thyme.

Whole chicken–A 3-to-5-pound bird is perfect for the recipe. You don’t need the giblets or gizzards. Freeze them then pull them out when making chicken stock or chicken gravy.
Unsalted butter–If you use salted butter, use a lighter hand when seasoning the chicken to avoid oversalting.
Dry white wine–Avoid sweet wines as they will make the sauce too sweet. Use a Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio here for best results. The testers found that the leftover wine also paired well with the finished dish.

How to make this recipe

Heat the oven to 450°F. Place the chicken breast side down on a cutting board.

A person cutting the backbone from a chicken and a spatchcocked chicken with the backbone removed.

Using poultry shears, cut along both sides of the backbone and remove it from the chicken.
Flip the chicken over so that the breast is up. Use the heel of your hand to firmly press down on the breastbone of the chicken until you hear it crack. The chicken should lay flat with its legs splayed out on either side.

A person spreading butter under the skin of a spatchcocked chicken and a spatchcocked chicken with butter on it.

Place the chicken in a roasting pan. Use your hands to spread half of the butter and the parsley and thyme underneath the skin of the chicken breasts.
Rub the remaining butter all over the outside of the chicken. Season with salt and pepper.

White wine being poured into a roasting pan with a spatchcocked chicken covered in butter in it.

Tuck the garlic under the chicken, then squeeze over half a lemon. Pour the wine into the roasting pan.
Roast the chicken for 20 minutes, then baste with the pan juices.
Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F and continue to roast, basting occasionally until the chicken is cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F. Squeeze the remaining lemon half over and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes before carving.

Recipe FAQs

What’s the benefit of spatchcocking?

If learning this technique just seems like a gimmick, hear me out—it’s definitely not. It’s incredibly easy and really does make a difference.

Poultry that’s been spatchcocked (or butterflied) cooks 25% faster, which should be the only reason you need. Faster food? Yes, please.

However, you’ll also get a more evenly roasted bird, as the breasts and thighs cook at the same time so nothing dries out. Finally, if you love crispy chicken skin, you’ll get an entire chicken’s worth because nothing is tucked underneath. If that didn’t sell you, nothing will because…crispy skin.

One last suggestion—if you want to try it but aren’t sold on doing the butchery bits yourself, any decent butcher counter will do it for you.

Can I use this method for turkey?

Definitely. A spatchcocked turkey will take longer to cook than a chicken, but it will still be much faster than roasting a turkey.

How long does it take to cook a spatchcock chicken in the oven?

The total cooking time will be dependent on the size of your bird, but you can expect a total cook time of 50 to 75 minutes.

Helpful tips

After spatchcocking the chicken, save the backbone for making slow cooker chicken stock.
If you’re squeamish about handling raw chicken, slip on a pair of disposable gloves for smearing the butter under and over the skin.
If your chicken is browning too quickly while roasting, cover it loosely with aluminum foil.
To make a sauce for your roasted chicken, strain the pan juices into a measuring cup and skim off any fat. Serve the remaining juices on the side or drizzle over the cooked spatchcocked chicken.

A roast chicken leg on a white plate with peas, thyme, and garlic.

More great spatchcocked chicken recipes

A wooden cutting board with a carved grilled Greek chicken and a knife resting beside it. — Grilled Greek Chicken

A spatchcocked mayo roast chicken on a blue and white plate with a salad and a bowl of salt and pepper nearby. — Grilled Greek Chicken

☞ If you make this recipe, or any dish on LC, consider leaving a review, a star rating, and your best photo in the comments below. I love hearing from you.–David

The key to a great roast chicken is of course a good chicken. Look for a larger bird (aka roaster) that has been raised on pasture. The spatchcock method of roasting chicken yields a bird that is evenly cooked, golden, and juicy.

Prep 20 mins

Cook 1 hr

Total 1 hr 20 mins

Preheat the oven to 450ºF (232°C).
Place the chicken breast side down on a cutting board. Using poultry shears, cut along both sides of the backbone and remove the backbone (save it for stock). Turn the chicken breast side up and open the cut underside of the chicken like a book. Press firmly against the breastbone until it cracks.
Place the chicken in a roasting pan, skin side up. Gently lift the skin around the breast and insert half of the softened butter and the chopped parsley and thyme. Rub the remaining butter over the outside of the chicken. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
Tuck the garlic cloves under the chicken, squeeze half of a lemon over the chicken. Add the wine to the roasting pan.
Roast the chicken, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Baste the chicken with the pan juices. Reduce the heat to 325ºF (163°C) and continue roasting, basting every 15 minutes, until the thigh wiggles easily, the juices run clear, and a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest portion registers 165ºF (74°C), 35 to 50 minutes.
Squeeze the remaining lemon half over the chicken and allow to stand 5 to 10 minutes before carving.

Save the backbone–After spatchcocking the chicken, save the backbone for making slow cooker chicken stock.

Use gloves–If you’re squeamish about handling raw chicken, slip on a pair of disposable gloves for smearing the butter under and over the skin.

Cover the chicken–If your chicken is browning too quickly while roasting, cover it loosely with aluminum foil.

Make a sauce–To make a sauce for your roasted chicken, strain the pan juices into a measuring cup and skim off any fat. Serve the remaining juices on the side or drizzle over the cooked chicken.

Serving: 1portionCalories: 338kcal (17%)Carbohydrates: 5g (2%)Protein: 7g (14%)Fat: 28g (43%)Saturated Fat: 16g (100%)Trans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 86mg (29%)Sodium: 33mg (1%)Potassium: 186mg (5%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 1g (1%)Vitamin A: 1189IU (24%)Vitamin C: 19mg (23%)Calcium: 43mg (4%)Iron: 1mg (6%)

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Recipe Testers’ Reviews