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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!
There is no marinating or lengthy prep required. This is simple enough for a busy weeknight but it’s also a crowd-pleaser and perfect for company!
The potatoes, carrots and Brussels sprouts roast along with the chicken. This blend of vegetables bakes to perfection and every bite is supremely flavorful. The potatoes have a crisp salty skin with a creamy inside and these were some of the best tasting Brussels sprouts I’ve tried.
Watch the video on how to Spatchcock a Chicken and prepare this easy one-pan chicken dinner – one of our favorite whole chicken recipes!
Watch how to Spatchcock Chicken Video:
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.
Ingredients for Spatchcock Chicken Recipe:
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.
Ingredients for 1-Pan Chicken Dinner:
To make this a one-pan meal, we add potatoes, carrots and Brussels sprouts. Everything roasts together and you don’t have to toss or flip anything while it is roasting in that amazing flavored butter.
How to Spatchcock Chicken:
1. Preheat Oven to 425˚F. 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.
**Keep the spine and bones from the roasted chicken after it is carved and use them for the best homemade chicken bone broth!
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.
3. In a small mixing bowl, combine the flavored butter ingredients and mash together with a fork for a couple of minutes until most of the lemon juice is incorporated into the butter.
4. Spread 2/3 of it under the chicken skin and spread and dot remaining butter all over the chicken.
5. Place prepared vegetables all around the chicken then drizzle all over with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and some black pepper to taste.
6. Bake uncovered at 425˚F for 45 minutes or until instant read thermometer registers 160˚F when inserted into the thickest part of the chicken breast. Don’t over-bake or the breast will be dry. Keep in mind the temperature will rise another 5-10 degrees after it comes out of the oven. Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest uncovered for 10 minutes on a cutting board before serving.
More One-Pan, Easy Chicken Dinner Ideas:
Here are some of the reader favorite chicken recipes on our blog.
- One Pan Chicken Breast and Veggies Dinner
- Avocado Chicken Salad (Wildly Popular!)
- 15 One-Pan Dinners for Lazy Nights
⬇Print-friendly Spatchcock Chicken Recipe:
Spatchcock Chicken Recipe Video
Ingredients
Ingredients for Spatchcock Chicken Recipe:
- 4 1/4 lb whole chicken, *
- 1/2 tsp salt, (we used sea salt)
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
Ingredients for Flavored Butter:
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 1 Tbsp olive oil, plus more to drizzle
- 1 Tbsp parsley, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 tsp lemon zest
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp salt, plus more for vegetables
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
Ingredients for 1-Pan Chicken Dinner:
- 2 lbs medium red potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and quartered
- 8 oz Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425˚F. Place chicken breast-side down with the wings/ neck facing towards you. To remove the spine, use kitchen shears to cut through the ribs right next to the spine along both sides. Open rib cage and use a heavy knife to score down the sternum. This will help pop out the breast bone and flatten chicken. Season inside the chicken with 1/2 tsp salt and a pinch of black pepper.
- Flip the chicken over breast side up and set on parchment-lined, rimmed baking half sheet. Using the palm of your hand, push firmly over the breast bone forcing the chicken to lay completely flat. Use your thumbs to separate the skin from the meat over breast, thigh and drumstick areas.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the flavored butter ingredients. Mash with fork for a couple of minutes until lemon juice is mostly incorporated into butter.
- Spread 2/3 of mixture under the chicken skin and and dot/spread remaining butter all over chicken.
- Place prepared vegetables all around the chicken and drizzle everything with olive oil. Sprinkle chicken and vegetables generously with salt and some black pepper to taste.
- Bake uncovered at 425˚F for 45 min or until instant read thermometer reads 160˚F when inserted into thickest part of chicken breast**. Remove from oven and rest uncovered 10 minutes on a cutting board before serving.
Notes
**Don't over-bake or the breast will be dry. Keep in mind internal temp will rise another 5-10 degrees after it comes out of oven.
Nutrition Per Serving
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Have you tried this method for roasting a whole chicken? I hope you’re excited about making it after watching this video!! If you try it, let me know how you liked loved it! 🙂
I had brined a whole chicken and been wanting to try a spatchcocked one for quite some time. Highly recommend this recipe. I put mine on a wire rack on top of the vegetables to get a little extra crisping underneath on the thighs. It worked great. The only qualm were that the carrots were still a bit crunchy but otherwise my goodness was it delish!
I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Florence.
Always a great way to cook the now Larger, Heavier chickens(split)
I place my chicken 2 rows below the top of the electric oven.
OMG. I am 79 years old and consider myself a semi-professional home cook. Last night I tried this recipe (without veggies, I already had those), and it was beyond fantastic! The skin was crispy, the meat so tender and juicy, and the juices combined with the buttery under-the-skin seasoning were beyond delicious. I made my famous mashed potatoes to go with it, and everyone had seconds of everything. I don’t write reviews, but I had to write this one!!
Thank you so much, Bonnie! I’m so happy to hear it was a hit.
I have made this several times!! Always a crowd pleaser! I have several friends making it now too!!
We had a spatchcock chicken that we were going to smoke but it’s like 18 degrees out today and we needed a recipe that did not involve us going outside. I’m so happy that I came across this one. We follow the recipe pretty much exactly except we used extra butter (and I’m not sorry) and we didn’t have any lemons that we actually used preserved lemons. That really kicked up the citrusy brightness. Really one of the best chicken dishes we’ve ever made. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Alison. I’m happy you loved it.
This is super easy and excellent! We loved it.
This dish is so delicious! My daughter has never eaten Brussels sprouts and says they are gross. However they are so yummy in this recipe she can’t wait until they are ready to come outta the oven. The chicken and veggies disappear quickly every time I make it.
I have made this twice already. It’s always a hit. Love all your recipes
So shop you love it, Lynn!
I’ve tried a handful of Natasha’s recipes, and have yet to be disappointed. The spatchcock chicken might be the easiest and most tasty yet. Now, I may have pretty much doubled up the butter and spices and then treated the chicken like I was icing a cake inside and out…. but you won’t be sad if you do so. Even the breasts were juicy and flavorful. The potatoes got this fantastic, delectable, buttery crunch. Trust me. You’ll want to add more than a couple to the dish. I’m sitting here writing this while I wait for my girlfriend to get full so I can gobble up whatever the heck is left in the pan. Never even heard of spatchcock chicken before. As always, high five Natasha. Thanks for your efforts. Seth
Hi Seth! I’m so glad you loved it. Thanks for trying the recipe, and thank you for taking the time to leave a review.
Natasha, I’m so excited about this recipe! I’m teaching about 30+ people (kids to elders!!) and can I substitute green beans for brussel sprouts in case someone (there’s always someone!!) who doesn’t like brussel sprouts? Or can you suggest another green vegetable? Thx! I love your videos and the way you almost “swoon” when you taste the results!!
Hi Pamela, You may consider using asparagus, broccoli, green beans, or even zucchini cut into large cubes. These all take between 15-25mins to roast in the oven, so you may want to add them in later.
First time making this. It was very good, tender and tasty. It was not as crisp or brown as pictured. I didn’t let it continue cooking for fear of drying out the chicken. Maybe I will put it under the broiler for a few minutes next time I make it
I’m so glad you loved it! Thank you for sharing that with us, Sandy!
I just made it. The skin didn’t get the golden brown. It was delicious. I would make it again.
The recipe is easy and good. But take off your rings and wear cooking gloves. There are germs on your rings.
If you wash your hands well before and after touching the chicken, you will be fine. I have been cooking for over four decades and have yet to develop food poisoning or get sick because of the effectiveness of washing one’s hands. Also the temperature of the oven will render most germs harmless. It is part of the reason we cook food.
The effort it takes to live an sterile life robs us of
the joy that there is in life and all of its activities.
Because my family wants chicken well done, dinner’s over when any blood is discovered, I put a wide strip of foil over the breast at about 30 minutes then uncover at 45 minutes for 10 minutes
Thank you for sharing, hope it was a huge hit!
Has anyone tried using fresh orange juice instead of lemon juice?
I haven’t tested this with orange, but I imagine that would work. If you experiment, I would love to know how you like that!
I’m sure it Wii taste great, but the cook time was off for me. 40 minutes at 425 and it was at 95degrees? I don’t think my oven is miss-calibrated
Hi Gin! Make sure to fully preheat your oven beforehand. I like to use an Internal oven thermometer (affiliate link) to verify. I have found that my oven is 25 degrees lower when it beeps preheated.
I’m confused by the instructions – don’t preheat until after step 4 but then there’s a comment on Nov 12 that you need to fully preheat. The instructions read as though the chicken goes in and also heats up with the oven b/c no way will my oven preheat to 425 by step 6 if I preheat it at step 4. While it’s too late for me b/c I followed the instructions as written before reading that comment and it’s in the oven now and took 20 min after putting it in to preheat. So can you please clarify do I fully preheat to 425 before putting the chicken in or set preheat to 425 after step 4 putting the chicken in at step 6 regardless of the temp of the oven at the time?
Hi Mimi, you are correct, that is a little confusing on timing the way I wrote it. I removed the detail about after step 4. Thanks for asking and I hope you love my spatchcock chicken recipe!
Thanks so much for the quick reply. Sorry I missed it but I’m back again…to make it again…bc it was a HUGE hit. Happy New Year!
I start the oven before I spatchcock the chicken.