Roast chicken is the perfect meal to serve to guests. Or bring to a potluck. Or cook on Sunday to enjoy leftover for lunches all week. What is my favorite part of a perfectly roast Freedom Ranger chicken? The crispy skin, the dark red thigh meat, the plump breasts and the flavorful drippings….. ok, i guess i like everything about them, which is why we fill our freezers with them each summer. 😉
But as many home cooks know: getting a perfect roast can take time for each part to come to temp. The heat of your oven has a hard time getting through all the meat evenly when the chicken is left whole. Time to learn my favorite trick for a quickly cooked, perfectly crispy and fully done bird: spatchcock!
Spatchcock is just a fun to say term for ‘removing the spine and pressing the bird flat.’Â The essential tool for this trick are really sturdy shears. You can do it with a sharp knife, but the risk of slipping and slicing your arm open are slightly greater. In this video you’ll see me making the second cut: you are aiming just to the side of the spine, avoiding the thigh bone. Don’t throw that spine away: add it to your roast and use it in your next batch of soup (after you gnaw off the crispy skin and decadent dark meat).
I cooked this 6+ pound fryer in about an hour after prep time, which took about the same time as the oven to preheat. A smaller bird can be cooked in as little as 40 minutes. I always use my meat thermometer to gauge doneness (you’re looking for 165) and a bit of resting time will make serving easier and your chicken juicier. The secret to my roast chickens: i season UNDER the skin as well as on. I often tuck in lemon rinds, chopped fresh garlic or fresh herbs. This go round i made a simple mix of salt and dried herbs. If for some crazy reason you DON’T want to eat the crispy skin, the meat will still have close contact with the seasonings.
Read on for the recipe for a perfectly roast chicken and learn how to spatchcock like a pro!
| Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Cook Time | 1 hour |
| Servings |
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- 1 whole chicken 4-7 pounds
- 1 T Seasoning Fresh or dried herbs, fresh or dried garlic, lemon, salt, pepper - you name it!
- Veg for roasting Whole garlic cloves, 1 leek, 2 carrots, 1 cup small potatoes (too many dense vegetables will increase cooking time)
Ingredients
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- First, spatchcock your whole chicken using sturdy shears. Begin by turning chicken upside down with back up.
- Cut along one side of the spine, dodging the thigh bones
- Repeat along the otherside and remove spine. Do not discard spine: save for stock or add to your roast.
- Use a paring knife to score the breastbone, turn over and press like you're giving the bird the Heimlick. Press down until you hear the breastbone pop and the bird flattens.
- Assemble your seasonings in a small bowl first (Your hands will be messy with raw chicken so you don't want to be opening spice bottles as you go). Loosten the skin around the breasts and thighs being careful not to tear.
- Tuck seasoning under skin at breast and thighs, rub around.
- Rub remaining seasoning over skin and place bird in pan. I like to tuck the wings behind themselves so that they do not burn.
- Choose a large roasting pan. Arrange chicken on pan over and surrounded by some vegetables you'd like to cook with the bird. Don't overdo it! Too many dense vegetables will increase cooking times.
- Cook at 450 degrees until meat thermometer inserted in both breasts and thighs reads 165 degrees. I set my timer for 45 minutes and cook in 10 minute additional increments until temperature is achieved. (This 6+ pound chicken took just about an hour). Allow to rest 10 minutes before serving.
One note: i did not cut the breastbone in this bird before i pressed it.... this resulted in my bird contracting back together as it cooked. So, be sure you get a really good, flattened bird before cooking to ensure a speedy cook time!
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