How to Splay a Chicken for Even Cooking and Crispier Skin

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How to spatchcock (or butterfly) a whole chicken. This is the easiest, fastest, and most consistent way to roast a chicken! No trussing required.

Spatchcocking is my favorite way to roast a chicken. Officially (if we’re getting technical), spatchcocking means to split open poultry or game birds for grilling. But we’re not grilling today, we’re roasting.

If you’re already familiar with the spatchcocking method, try this spatchcock chicken recipe or Middle Eastern roast chicken recipe.

We prepare spatchcocked chicken at least once a week. We’ll enjoy roasted chicken for dinner and save leftovers for other reiterations throughout the week – including this incredible guacamole greens salad. It is also a great choice for a small gathering on Thanksgiving Day as well.

If you roast a chicken this way, you will almost certainly never roast a chicken the old-fashioned way, with the strings around it again.

Splaying a chicken is a simple technique that can take your roasted or grilled chicken to the next level. By removing the backbone and flattening the bird, you allow it to cook more evenly, resulting in moist, tender meat and deliciously crispy skin. This method has become popular among home cooks and chefs alike for achieving chicken perfection. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about splaying chicken, from the benefits to a step-by-step process.

What is Splaying a Chicken?

Splaying a chicken, also known as butterflying or spatchcocking, involves cutting out the backbone and flattening the bird for roasting or grilling. This allows the chicken to lie flat so it can cook evenly on both sides. The breast and thigh meat get direct exposure to the heat source, cooking them through without drying out.

Splaying gives you the best of both worlds – juicy, tender meat with crispy seasoned skin. It’s an easy process that makes a dramatic difference in the finished chicken.

Benefits of Splaying a Chicken

There are several advantages to splaying chicken before cooking

  • Even cooking – With the chicken flattened, the breasts and thighs cook at the same rate No more overdone breasts or undercooked legs.

  • Crispier skin – More skin surface touches the hot pan or grill, allowing it to crisp up beautifully.

  • Faster cooking – A spatchcocked chicken cooks faster than an intact one, shaving off at least 15 minutes.

  • Better seasoning – Seasonings and marinades penetrate the meat easier when splayed open.

  • Easier to serve – Carving a flattened chicken is much simpler. Slicing neat portions is effortless.

  • Compact shape – It takes up less space in the oven or on the grill, fitting into pans easily.

  • Presentation – A splayed chicken makes for an attractive presentation at the table.

Splaying chicken truly optimizes the cooking process. Just a small bit of initial effort yields big rewards in both flavor and texture.

Step-by-Step Guide to Splaying a Chicken

Splaying a whole chicken is simple to do at home with just a few handy tools:

What You Need

  • Sharp kitchen shears or heavy-duty scissors
  • Cutting board
  • Whole chicken (3-4 lbs)
  • Cooking oil or fat for seasoning

The Process

  1. Prepare the chicken – Rinse the chicken under cold water and pat dry completely with paper towels. Trim off any excess fat.

  2. Position chicken breast down – Place the chicken on the cutting board, breast facing down and neck facing you.

  3. Cut along both sides of the backbone – Using kitchen shears, cut down one side of the backbone from tail to neck. Repeat on the other side to remove it.

  4. Open the chicken like a book – Flip the chicken over and open it up wide, exposing the interior.

  5. Level the breastbone: Press down hard in the middle of the chicken with the heel of your hand. Crack the breastbone so it flattens.

  6. Tuck the wingtips – For even cooking, tuck the wingtips under the breast.

  7. Cover in fat or oil—Apply cooking oil or melted butter all over the skin. Season the chicken as desired.

And you’re done! It’s ready for roasting or grilling. Enjoy your beautifully cooked splayed chicken.

Grilling Tips for Splayed Chicken

Splaying chicken works great for grilling too. Follow these tips:

  • Use a medium-hot grill, about 400°F.

  • Grill skin-side down first to get a good sear.

  • Move to indirect heat to finish cooking through, about 30 minutes total.

  • Rotate the chicken halfway for even cooking.

  • Brush with oil to prevent sticking.

  • Grill until breasts reach 160°F and thighs 175°F internally.

Roasting Tips for Splayed Chicken

To roast a splayed chicken in the oven:

  • Heat oven to 450°F.

  • Place chicken skin-side up on a rack in a roasting pan.

  • Roast for 40-50 minutes until fully cooked through.

  • Baste with pan juices occasionally for extra crispiness.

  • Cook until breast meat reaches 150°F and thighs 175°F.

  • Let rest 5 minutes before carving.

Marinating Ideas for Extra Flavor

A splayed chicken absorbs flavors beautifully when marinated. Try one of these easy marinades:

  • Mediterranean – Olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, garlic

  • Asian – Soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic

  • Jamaican Jerk – Jerk seasoning, lime juice, brown sugar, allspice

  • Tandoori – Yogurt, curry powder, cumin, lemon juice

  • BBQ – BBQ sauce, brown sugar, chili powder, Worcestershire

The chicken should be marinated for at least two hours or up to overnight in the fridge. Pat dry before cooking.

Serving Suggestions

A perfectly cooked splayed chicken makes for amazing meals. Serve it:

  • On its own with sides like roasted veggies or potato salad

  • In sandwiches with coleslaw and pickles

  • Diced in pasta, grain bowls, or salads

  • Shredded for tacos, quesadillas, or nachos

  • In soups or chicken pot pie

No matter how you cook it, splayed chicken is always a hit! This simple method lets you get juicy, flavorful chicken with that addictively crispy skin every time.

how do you splay a chicken

Cooking Benefits of Spatchcocking:

  • There’s no need for trussing or kitchen twine. Does anyone like trussing chicken? The answer is no.
  • The skin of the chicken is all exposed to the heat of the oven because the chicken lies flat. This makes the skin on the whole bird very crispy and caramelized.
  • The trickiest part of roasting a chicken is timing. Dark meat (thighs and legs) takes longer to cook and dry out than white meat (breasts). With a traditional trussed chicken, the breasts can get too done while the legs are still cooking. This way of cooking makes the breasts and legs cook evenly because the birds lie flat after being spatchcocked. This works so well because the heat in your oven isn’t even all the way through—read this guide to learn more. No need to flip or rotate the pan.
  • Spatchcocking significantly reduces roasting time. Almost to the point where you could roast a chicken on a busy weeknight This 5-lb chicken took just over an hour to roast. It would take more than an hour and a half to cook a traditional trussed chicken this big.
  • Because spatchcocked chicken cooks faster (more surface area means more heat exposure), you can roast it at higher temperatures, which also helps make the skin perfectly golden and crispy.
  • You can make homemade gravy or jus with the backbone that has been taken out of the chicken. Or save it for stock!.
  • Spatchcocked poultry is easier to carve. Because of how chicken is shaped, it’s much easier to take the legs off and the breasts off the bone.
  • Easier to season consistently, as the poultry lays completely flat. You don’t have to worry about not being able to get into every crack or get behind every object. It’s all out in the open.

How to Spatchcock a Chicken:

  • Take the chicken out of the box and put it on a large cutting board. Lay the chicken on the board breast-side down with the neck facing you. Use paper towels to dry it off.
  • Holding the chicken’s neck in one hand, cut along one side of its spine with good kitchen or poultry shears to separate it from its ribs. Cut just below the spine so that you don’t lose any meat. On one side of the spine, keep cutting about ¾ of the way along it. Do the same thing on the other side. Hold the spine to help you cut, and keep cutting on both sides until it’s gone. If it’s too hard, turn the bird around so the tail faces you and cut from the other side.

We’re ready to roast. It’s that easy! You use this exact same method for turkey (or any poultry).

How to spatchcock a chicken

FAQ

How to splay a chicken?

Method: Place the chicken breast side down on a work surface. Look at the backbone of the chicken. Using kitchen shears, cut out the backbone: . Use your hands to open up the bird slightly, then flip it breast side up: . Flatten the chicken: . Tuck the wings under (optional): . Roast or grill the chicken:

Is spatchcocking a chicken worth it?

Why Spatchcock a ChickenSince spatchcocking a chicken means that you lay it completely flat, it will cook quicker and more evenly. It’s much easier to season a spatchcocked chicken evenly from both sides as it lays flat. More crispy skin!.

How long do you cook a spatchcock chicken for?

A spatchcocked (or butterflied) chicken typically takes 45-60 minutes to cook in a preheated oven at 400°F (200°C).

What is an alternative to spatchcocking chicken?

Frog-style or “frogging,” involves removing the backbone and breastbone, allowing the chicken to be opened up completely flat, resembling a frog. This method can be especially useful for marinating and grilling.

How do you SPLAY a Spatchcock chicken?

If members of your family or friends are spatchcock chicken-averse, you might want to go with splaying the whole chicken instead, which involves cutting the skin that keeps the chicken’s thighs close to the breast, so that the thighs and legs are able to fall open, and then pressing down slightly until the joints give.

How do you play chicken?

This sport is called ‘Chicken!’. It is played by choosing a long, straight road with a white line down the middle and starting two very fast cars toward each other from opposite ends. Each car is expected to keep the wheels on one side of the white line. As they approach each other, mutual destruction becomes more and more imminent.

What is the quickest way to roast a chicken?

Spatchcocking a chicken before cooking it is the fastest way to roast it. This means cutting the chicken up into butterfly-shaped pieces instead of roasting it whole. To do this, cut alongside the chicken’s breastbone to split it open, and force it down with the palm of your hand so it goes flat.

How do you keep a chick from wriggling?

Can also use elastic hair-band in figure-8 around legs with tape wrapped around section between legs. To keep the chick from wriggling out of Hobbles, use vertical wraps of sports tape (or masking tape or sticky section of band-aids) around the section between the two legs to more firmly tape the center section together.

How do you help a chick with a swollen welt?

KEEP IN MIND: You need to help a chick daily by gently scratching itchy spots that the Leg Hobbles prevent it from reaching with its feet. If you don’t scratch the chick in places it can’t be scratched, like the back of its neck, it will be very unhappy and may get a very itchy, swollen welt from not getting enough normal skin stimulation.

How do you keep chicks from wriggling out of hobbles?

To keep the chick from wriggling out of Hobbles, use vertical wraps of sports tape (or masking tape or sticky section of band-aids) around the section between the two legs to more firmly tape the center section together. If chick is over 4 days old and extra stiffness is needed to help keep legs apart, reinforce center section.

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