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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! 🙂
This recipe was just amazing. The vegetables turned out beautifully. I added a little tarragon to the butter mixture and it gave it a nice, sweet taste. Thank you for this recipe. I will use it again and again!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Courtney! I’m glad you found a new favorite on my blog!
Delish! Family approved! Has become a dinner staple!
Perfect! Thanks for your good comments and feedback, Karyl.
Delish! Family approved! Has become a dinner staple!
Love, love, love this recipe!! Outstanding!! Tastes like more!! 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Carol!!
Amazing ! Truly was! Family absolutely loved it! Thank you again for delicious recipe!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Vika! We love making chicken this way, and I’m so glad you enjoyed it also!
We have made many of your recipes and love them. I am making this tonight for the first time, brussel sprouts and all (and I don’t like brussel sprouts – haven’t touched them since I moved out of the house over 3 decades ago!! LOL) But, I am going to try them. Everything is smelling so good.
Sounds good, Michelle. Good to know that you are enjoying my recipes! Please update us on how this one goes too.
My 7 year old grandson absolutely adores you and your recipes. He has made many by himself. For this chicken dish I did the spatchcock and stepped aside. He made an awesome dinner. Thank you for making your instructions simple enough for a child to follow. Brayden and I are huge fans.
Aww, that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’m all smiles! Tell Brayden hello from me and my family!
He also made your chocolate cake recipe and created an ice cream dome cake covered in ganache. He did a little tutorial I posted to Facebook and his only comment after a day or so…” Why didn’t Natasha make a comment” He may be your biggest fan !
Hi Marie, did you post it on my Facebook page or your own? The way facebook tagging is set up, it can get buried. CAn you email me the link to your post? I would love to see it! My email: hello @ natashaskitche .com (but with no spaces)
Sent 2 to your email.
I just have to say that you make the cutest, most fun videos! Oh, and I’ll be making two of these for company tomorrow 😊
Thank you for that wonderful compliment, Shay!
I made the Spatchcock chicken tonight!! It is the first time I made moist, delicious roast chicken! My family loved it!!! So much flavor- veggies and potatoes soak up the chicken flavor too. Not much left for leftovers – eaten all up!
Yay, that is fantastic! I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe, Pamela. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Delicious! Love the butter mixture under and over the skin. Best whole chicken I’ve ever made!
Glad you loved it, Tammy. Thank you for your great review and feedback!
Hello. May i ask , what other vegetables I can use instead of Brussel
Hi Victoria, you could just use more of the carrots and potatoes if you prefer not to use Brussels sprouts.
I love this recipe! Thank you for posting it. Cooks so even then a whole chicken. Second time making this.
You’re welcome, Suzanne! I’m glad it was a hit!
Thank you for this recipe and the video detailing how to spatchcock a chicken. I followed the recipe exactly aside from cooking 9n a grill. I made this on a foil-lined cookie sheet in a 22″ Weber Kettle Charcoal Grill using Weber’s char-baskets to keep the heat zones to 2 sides of the grill. I put 1 inch of water in a 9×13 baking pan in-between the char-baskets to add moisture. I fired up a half-chimney full of briquettes and poured them into the char-baskets over a single layer of unlit charcoal. Cook time was 1 hour and 30 minutes with bottom vent wide open and top vent half closed. Took off the grill at 155 degrees internal temp and let it sit for 10 minutes. Absolute perfection!
Love it! Thanks for sharing your experience making this recipe, William. I’m happy with your comments and feedback, glad you enjoyed it!
Is it possible to substitute the lemon juice in the flavored butter? Would orange or lime juice ruin the flavors? I have made this recipe many times and love it as is, but I planned on making it for dinner for someone else and just discovered they’re allergic to lemons. Yikes…help!
Thank you for sharing your delicious recipes and helpful comments!
Hi Amanda, I haven’t tested this with orange or lime, but I imagine that would work. If you experiment, I would love to know how you like that!
My daughter can be picky about certain foods, and I was concerned while the chicken was baking because the garlic smell was really strong, but this chicken was amazing! She loved it and my husband kept going back to the pan for more. It is definitely becoming a regular in our dinner rotation. We added a French baguette as a side and it sops up the sauce really nicely. Yum! I rarely leave reviews but this one was very deserving so I had to share! Also, I had the butcher spatchcock the chicken for me and it was such a time saver because I always struggle with doing it on my own. Most butchers will do this if you ask and they aren’t too busy.
Wow! I’m so happy you enjoyed both that, Sarah. Thank you for sharing that with me!
This is amazing!! I have never liked Brussel sprouts and I can’t stop eating them!! Chicken is so moist and the house smells wonderful!!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
Could I use your link to this Spatchcock Chicken recipe on my website? I love this recipe and would love to share it. Thank you!
Hi Deedra, thank you for thinking of us. Here is more information on our policy for using our photos and recipes.
wow! I made this last night and have already shared this recipe with two people. Amazing and so darn easy! Excited to look through the rest of your site.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
FYI. A 6 lb. chicken takes about an hour and a half. All Natasha’s recipes are the best. My goal is to make every single one of them!
Aww, Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
This was so easy to make and by far, the juiciest chicken I have ever had. Thank you!