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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! 🙂
veryu tasty! Didn’t have brussel sprouts so used whole shallots. Also a time saver – I happened to have herb butter from Kerry Gold, which worked well.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that! Thank you for sharing this with us Gigi!
I just made this tonight and my family can’t stop saying how delicious it was. I don’t like Brussels but I couldn’t get enough of them. The skin was so crispy and the chicken so juicy! Thank you!.
Thank you for the wonderful review! I’m so happy you enjoyed that.
I’ve been trying to cook a decent chicken with veggies for 30 years…its always been blah. Tonight was the magical night it all changed! Thank you Natasha for an amazing recipe that is beyond delicious! The spuds were super creamy, the carrots flavorful and the chicken was out of this world. The video made it so easy too. 10 stars!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
Have you tried this in an air fryer?
Hi have not. I would love to know how you like it if you experiment!
I’ve made a version of this before. Here are a few thoughts. Dust the skin with a mix of salt, pepper and baking powder before cooking. It makes for shatteringly crisp skin. Cook it at 500 instead of 450. And please, please, please, use a meat thermometer. Cooking to time is an educated guess at best.
Thank you for sharing this with us, Raymond!
I have made this recipe several times already and it is a hit. However I was asked to make this without the butter, can i omit butter and just use olive oil?
Hi Andrea, Hi Katie! I think that would work just fine to use olive oil like we did in our baked salmon recipe.
This was so simple and tasty, a complete dinner that was made without much hassle. I will definitely make again. Loved it!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the wonderful review, Deedee!
The veggies came out too charred for our liking- maybe I cut them too small- but chicken was awesome!!! So flavorful and moist . Absolutely delicious. Will definitely make it again – just without veggies next time 😁.
Thank you Natasha!!
You’re welcome Anna! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Love how easy it was to follow. It turned out amazing.
Thank you for the wonderful review!
Rosa G.
Hello. Just wanted to say “AWESOME RECIPE”!!!!
I used chicken thighs, and they came out very tasty and moist.
Only one issue, though. I served it over linguine, and my family was fighting over the sauce. They all agreed. Next time, make double (or triple sauce).
Recipe will definitely go in my “favorites”. Thank you, and keep those great recipes coming.
Thank you so much for this awesome review, Rosa! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
I am going to try this but with different vegetables. I have to stay away from hi-carb vegetables. I will use the Brussel sprouts and maybe use radishes instead. Roaster radishes are awesome. What other lower carb vegetables would work?
Hi Penny! Those are great ideas! Honestly the sky is the limit here. I would love to hear what you end up going with! Enjoy!
Deeeeeeeeeeliciousssss!!! 😋 My hubby ate 1/2 the chicken (all the dark meat). 🤨😂 The veggies were yummy, too. Oh, and the breast meat was oh sooo moist and succulent. 🤤. I’m gonna do it again and experiment with jerk seasoning. 😃 But, Natasha’s butter herb recipe was 3 thumbs up! 👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾
Wow! Thank you so much, Kim! I’m so happy you loved it!
Hi, I Love your recipes. I got all of the ingredients to make Spatchcock chicken when I realized the chicken is 6.75 lbs. How long should I cooked and how long should I wait to add the potatoes and vegies? Thanks, Sheri
Hi Sheri! I would bake longer but without testing that specific size, it’s difficult to guess the exact timing (it can also vary from oven to oven), so I definitely recommend using an instant read thermometer and following them temperature guidelines in the recipe. I hope you love the recipe!
Your recipes are the best!! One question re the brussels sprouts……should they be par boiled or not necessary? Plan on making this recipe in a few days 🙂 Thanks.
Hi Cheryl. Honestly, I haven’t had to boil them! The roasting makes the outer leaf crispy, but the inside perfectly roasted. (It may look charred on the outside but it’s deceiving because the center of the sprout is roasted perfectly and brings out the natural sweetness). If you do try par boiling it please let me know how you like it?
I tried it today for our lunch…it was reeeeeaaaaallly good!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that, Pinky!
5 stars for the recipe, but I don’t know in what world this chicken would cook in 45 minutes. 2.5 hours later we finally cut it up, and another 15 minutes my very h-angry family was made happy!
Hi Yvonne, a larger chicken would take longer but this size and having it spatchcocked would make it bake adequately for 45 minutes especially given that it is on fairly high heat. If the oven was turned lower or the chicken was roasted whole without cutting it to sit flat in the baking dish, it would take considerably longer.
Tonight is the second time I’m cooking this meal and my 8 yr old came into the kitchen and said “I remember this meal. It was delicious!” That makes it even better when my kid raves about it. Luckily, our local store sells the chicken already cut open without the back so it makes it so much easier to cook this meal. Thanks for the recipe!
I love that Elizabeth! Thank you for sharing that with us! That is the best when kids love what we moms make. That’s so great!
Made this recipe and everything turned great, will definitely make this again. Thank you.
I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed our spatchcock Chicken recipe! 🙂
Love this recipe! It was so easy to make and everyone raved about the chicken. That butter sauce is what makes it.
I agree Melissa! Thank you for the awesome review!
Shocked at the sodium number–OVER 700 mg. I would be in the hospital!
Hi Gwen, it is difficult to give a perfectly accurate sodium number on this since much of the butter mixture remains in the pan and that is where most of the sodium is – in the flavored butter. Unless one was to completely clean the pan, the actual sodium number is lower.