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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 after step 4) 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 form oven and rest uncovered 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 after step 4). 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 form 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! 🙂
Made the chicken today . it was the best ever like all your other recipes. thanks natasha
Every
You are very welcome! Thank you for sharing that with us.
This is fantastic! Made it last night and used veggies I had on hand; Potatoes, carrots, zucchini and an Asian eggplant (I did sprinkle extra seasonings on them, as well as s&p).My son said it was the first time he liked the veggies more than the meat, although the meat was delicious. Definitely will be making this regularly. Thank you for a great recipe!
That is the best when kids love what we moms make. That’s so great!
I am so happy that I started following you. My family loved the chicken. Yum yum on the veggies.
I’m so glad you discovered our blog, Deneen! Thank you for that great review!
Hi Natasha,
My wife and I love so many of your recipes.
My friends are coming over for dinner and I want to make the spatchcock chicken but one of them is allergic to garlic. Ugh!! How can one survive without garlic?
Is there a substitute that I can use?
Thanks,
Rob
Oh bummer! I’m sorry to hear that. You might try a little onion powder instead of garlic.
Hi Natasha! I have a 3.6 lb chicken. Can you please tell me approximately for how long I should keep the chicken in the oven? Would 35 min be good? I do not have an instant thermometer! Thank you! I am a big fan of all your recipes!!! Greetings from Moldova!
Hi Cristina, that sounds about right 35-40 minutes, but I would definitely check with some kind of meat thermometer. The kind that is safe to leave in the oven would also work well. You will also have to keep an eye on your vegetables to make sure they cook through properly.
Question. I’ve been wanting to try this but I absolutely LOATHE brussel sprouts. However, my partner loves them. If I were to confine all the sprouts to one area of the baking sheet, would they contaminate (yes, contaminate 🙂 the rest of the ingredients or would the rest of the food remain free of any brussel sprout terribleness?
Hi Jen, The other veggies will not taste like brussels sprouts but you can put them in the corner if you are concerned.
This is our new ‘Go To’ dinner. We love it and might never roast chicken any other way again.
Have passed it on to everyone I love.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
This was so delicious and easy to make. I took out the giblets and cooked them down with the spine and made gravy. The skin was crispy and the meat was juicy. I’ll forever be roasting chicken this way.
Sounds like you found a new favorite Karen! Thank you for that great review!
This chicken recipe it’s simply perfection!!! The chicken turned out so juicy and flavourful!!! Loved it!!! It’s a keeper for our family meals for sure. Thank you Natasha for another amazing recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed that Nico! Thank you for that great review!
I made this using a Cornish game hen for husband and I. It was wonderful! The flavored butter sauce placed under the skin and on the hen made all the difference. It was a perfect meal with potatoes and carrots.
That’s so great! I’m so happy you enjoyed that.
Could this recipe be used with bone in skin on chicken thighs? I love the thighs, but not so much the breast.
Hi Linda, that should work, but I would double-check the internal temperature as it may cook a little faster.
This chicken is amazing! Came out so juicy and flavorful! The whole family loved it!
That’s just awesome Erin! Thank you for sharing that amazing review!
Sounds delicious, gonna try this out tomorrow night! No doubt it will be fabulous as with all the other recipes I’ve tried from you!
Sounds like a great plan. I hope you love it!
Made this last week for a couple of friends. It was so good decided to make again tonight! Never knew cooking a whole chicken was so easy and more important tasted so good. Thanks for the recipe and video. Keep’m coming!!
You’re welcome, Tim! I’m so glad you enjoyed that!
SO GOOD!!! best whole chicken I have made! it does take a little over an hour though…the meat was still raw at 45 minutes.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this Carmen! Thank you for sharing that great review with us!
I made the spatchcock chicken and it was delicious. My family fell in love with it!
So great to hear that you enjoyed this recipe. I hope you and your family will love every recipe that you try!
Excellent recipe!!! I tired this with a 6 lb chicken and without the veggies ( cooked those separately) and it came out perfectly ( time was adjusted to a little longer given the bigger weight size). Highly recommend – so tasty and quick to make!
Thank you so much for your good comments, Alicia. It makes me so happy that you are satisfied!
Chicken was good, but cooking time a little off. Carrots were not cooked and chicken needed at least 20 more minutes. Was a little off for company and w3 ate late. I would have liked a crispy skin, but this doesn’t crisp unless you broil. I’ll make adjustments,but timing off. I love most recipes and always go to yours first, but this not sure
Hi Claudia, if using a smaller chicken or larger carrots, you would need to adjust the bake time, or slice carrots into smaller pieces as in the photos/video above. I hope that helps for next time!
Thank you. Will make again and adjustments. Whole Foods sells an already spatchcocked chicken. I did make your Beef Stroganoff last week and it was perfect. Have a great day.
Thanks for the recipe. It was delicious. As you said, the veggies are just as good.
Love your recipes.
I’m glad you loved it, Alicia. Thanks for your excellent review!
I made this last week, followed all instructions dc m except I made my own garlic herbed butter and poured some white wine over the entire chicken…OMG, this was SO GOOD!! It was much easier to remove the spine than I anticipated. My bird was just over 5lbs and I cooked it for 45 min, removed it from oven and did a temp check, it was perfect! I didn’t have veggies or potatoes to add to the chicken, unfortunately.
I will DEFINITELY make this again!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the wonderful review!
That chicken looks amazing. Gonna have to try that. Must be tertific with pheasant.
I hope you love this recipe Curt!