Easy, fast, and flavorful, blackened spatchcock chicken delivers a mouthwatering main dish infused with blackened-style seasoning. Simply add a salad and garlic bread for a perfect weeknight or fancy holiday meal!
Spatch-what?? Don’t be fooled by this tongue-twister. I remember the first time someone asked me to spatchcock a chicken, and it was impressive how much faster that bird cooked.
I’ve got the process down to 5 minutes, and it reduces the oven time by a good 15-30 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken. No fancy equipment necessary, just a sharp knife or kitchen shears.
Why Spatchcocking Works
Butterflying is a centuries-old technique for turning a thick piece of boneless meat into a thinner, larger one so it cooks faster. Spatchcocking has been used for almost 200 years for roasting poultry on an open fire. Just remove the backbone so it can be flattened and grilled or roasted more quickly and evenly.
This method can reduce the cooking time by half. It works great for turkey and chicken because you can cook it at a higher temperature without drying out the breast before the thighs are done. Another plus is that all the skin is crispy and golden.
How to Blacken Spatchcocked Chicken
Blackening here refers to the spice blend. If you want crispier results typical of the blackened cooking process, slap it on a grill and flip it halfway through.
- Chop the vegetables and set aside. Make the blackened seasoned butter. Spatchcock the chicken and pat it dry so the spices stick.
- Generously rub the chicken inside out with the spiced butter. Toss the celery, onion, potatoes, and carrots with melted spiced butter in the bottom of a Dutch oven. Roast the chicken at 400℉ (205℃), basting occasionally with more blackened spiced butter. Enjoy!
Make-Ahead and Leftover Makeovers
Cooking up a whole chicken takes care of a lot of weekly meal prep. It will stay fresh in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for 3-4 months. There are so many recipes that use precooked chicken: chicken salad sandwiches, soup, chili, and tacos.
Use the bones for a delicious stock, then add leftover vegetables, rice, and chicken for an amazing, easy soup.
All the classic chicken sides will work fine for this recipe. Southern cornbread or garlic bread, a refreshing salad, and roasted carrots and broccoli make my family very happy. For special occasions, I add a pound cake with homemade whipped cream.
More Easy Spatchcocking Recipes to Enjoy
Watch How to Make It
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This post was first published in October 2017 and has been updated with more tips, tempting photos, and a video.
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Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Marinating Time: 30 minutes
Total: 1 hour 20 minutes
American
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Chop the celery, onion, and carrots, and slice the new potatoes in half. Set aside.
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In a small bowl, combine the softened butter with the thyme, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, ground black or white pepper, and cayenne pepper. Add enough butter so you have enough for basting. Set aside.
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Rinse chicken inside and out, then pat dry with paper towels. (See notes)
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Place the chicken breast side down on a board or flat work surface. Cut along both sides of the backbone with a sharp knife or kitchen shears, starting at the thigh end and ending at the neck. Remove the backbone and save it for homemade chicken stock.
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Grab hold of both sides of the chicken, and open it like you would a book. Turn it over with the breast side up. Push down on both sides of the breast with your hands until you hear it crack, and flatten the chicken.
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Remove the wishbone if desired for easier carving. Rub it inside and out with salt, and let it sit for about 5 minutes to develop the flavors.
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Generously rub the chicken inside out with the spiced butter, then optionally marinate in the refrigerator until ready to cook. Thirty minutes is enough, but you could also do this the day before and let it marinate overnight.
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When ready to roast, preheat the oven to 400℉ (205℃) and melt the leftover spiced butter.
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Place the celery, onions, potatoes, and carrots in the bottom of a Dutch oven, stir in the butter mixture, and put the chicken on top. The juices from the chicken will make the veggies incredibly tasty.
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Roast until the skin is crisp and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reads 165℉ (74℃). Start checking around 35 minutes, but it may take longer for larger birds.
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Let it stand 5-10 minutes before carving the chicken. Enjoy it with the roasted vegetables and your favorite sides.
- A sharp knife or kitchen shears are essential for spatchcocking.
- Yes, washing chicken is controversial. But I would rather disinfect my kitchen and work surfaces afterward than wonder where the chicken has been. But you do you.
- Recently, I added celery, onion, and carrots to the recipe. Feel free to leave them out, but they do add more flavor. I also used a Dutch oven instead of a roasting pan. If you prefer the roasting pan, place the potatoes in the bottom, set a rack over them, and place the chicken on top (skin-side up).
- An instant-read thermometer will register 165℉ (74℃) in the thickest part of the breast. The thighs can do 170℉ (78℃). If you don’t have a thermometer, poke the thickest part of the thigh, and if the juices run clear with no pink, it should be done.
- To cook this in a slow cooker, place a small metal rack or trivet to elevate the chicken in the bottom of the slow cooker. Then place chicken and potatoes on top and cook for 3-4 hours on high or around 8 hours on low. Transfer the chicken to a broiler pan and broil for a few minutes to crisp up the skin.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.
Serving: 150g| Calories: 548kcal (27%)| Carbohydrates: 22g (7%)| Protein: 40g (80%)| Fat: 33g (51%)| Saturated Fat: 11g (69%)| Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g| Monounsaturated Fat: 13g| Trans Fat: 0.3g| Cholesterol: 157mg (52%)| Sodium: 362mg (16%)| Potassium: 926mg (26%)| Fiber: 5g (21%)| Sugar: 4g (4%)| Vitamin A: 10218IU (204%)| Vitamin C: 22mg (27%)| Calcium: 84mg (8%)| Iron: 3mg (17%)
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free
