I asked myself all of these questions too when I first came across the term spatchcock in an old cookbook recipe for grilled chicken. Naturally I had to look up the definition immediately.
Much to my mischievous curiosity’s chagrin, the term is strictly used in the context of cooking.
The Benefits of Spatchcocking Your Chicken
Cooking a whole chicken can be tricky. The breast meat often ends up dry and overcooked while the thighs remain underdone. Spatchcocking, or butterflying, your chicken solves this problem by allowing the bird to cook more evenly. When you remove the backbone and flatten the chicken, it not only cooks faster but also develops incredibly crispy skin. If you’ve never tried spatchcocking your chicken, it’s time to give this technique a shot. Here’s why it’s worth the extra effort.
What Is Spatchcock Chicken? Spatchcock chicken is chicken that has had its backbone cut out and rolled out flat. The meat cooks more evenly because the bird lies flat on one plane. This style of chicken is also known as “butterflied chicken.” When roasting a chicken the old-fashioned way, the breasts are closer to the heat source and the thighs are tucked under to keep them from getting too hot. When you butterfly a chicken, you expose all of its parts evenly, so heat can get in from both sides.
A Brief History of SpatchcockingThe word “spatchcock” may have come from the phrase “dispatch the cock,” but this is not certain. In the late 1700s, Irish and British soldiers in Ireland would cut smaller birds like game hens in half down the back so they could be cooked quickly over an open fire. This technique was later applied to larger chickens. Another idea is that the word “spatchcock” came from the verb “spitchcocked,” which means to tear or bruise flesh. This sounds like a good way to describe cutting the backbone.
Why Bother Spatchcocking a Chicken?While it requires a little extra prep spatchcocking a chicken has several advantages
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Shorter cooking time. With more surface area exposed to the oven’s heat, spatchcock chicken cooks in about half the time of a whole roast chicken.
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Even cooking. Flattening out the bird allows the breast and thigh meat to cook at the same rate. No more dry breast or pink thighs.
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Crispy skin. The skin gets perfectly crispy all over the chicken, not just on top.
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Easy to season. Butterflying makes the cavity bigger so you can season every part of it. Marinades also penetrate deeper.
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Better carving. With the backbone gone and breastbone easily split, carving is much simpler.
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Compact shape. Spatchcock chicken takes up less room in the oven or on the grill.
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Impressive presentation. For a dramatic look, leave the chicken intact with drumsticks pointing up.
Step-By-Step Guide to Spatchcocking
Removing the backbone only takes a few minutes. With a sharp pair of kitchen shears, follow these simple steps:
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Place chicken breast-side down on a cutting board. Using shears, cut along one side of the backbone from the tail to the neck.
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Repeat on the other side of the spine to remove it completely. Save it for stock if desired.
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Flip chicken over. Press firmly on the breastbone to flatten slightly.
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For better flattening, make a small slit in the cartilage near the top of breastbone.
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Optional: Remove the keel bone for easier carving.
Once spatchcocked, rub the chicken all over with olive oil and season generously inside and out. Grill, broil, or roast at a high temperature until juices run clear and it registers 165°F. Let rest before serving for incredibly juicy, flavorful chicken.
Tips for Cooking Perfect Spatchcock Chicken
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Brine the bird for added moisture and flavor. Make a simple brine of salt, sugar, and aromatics.
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Elevate on a roasting rack to allow airflow underneath for ultra crispy skin.
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Start skin-side down on the grill or under the broiler to render fat and crisp the skin.
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Roast at 450°F or grill over medium-high heat for best results. Lower heat risks undercooking.
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Use an instant-read thermometer to check doneness; breasts at 165°F and thighs at 175°F.
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Let rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing to allow juices to redistribute.
Recipe Ideas for Spatchcock Chicken
A butterflied bird lends itself well to all kinds of recipes. Try seasoning it with just about any combination of fresh herbs, spices, chili powders, citrus, garlic, etc. Spatchcock chicken is also perfect for showcasing flavorful sauces and glazes. Here are a few ideas:
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Pesto Chicken – Coat with pesto sauce and roast.
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BBQ Chicken – Smother in your favorite bbq sauce during the last few minutes.
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Jerk Chicken – Rub Jamaican jerk seasoning under and on the skin before grilling.
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Maple Dijon Chicken – Brush on a maple Dijon glaze near the end of cooking.
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Greek Chicken – Marinate in a garlic, lemon, oregano dressing.
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Chili Lime Chicken – Season with chili powder, cumin, lime zest and juice.
Take your chicken dinner from dull to fabulous by spatchcocking your bird. This simple technique helps the chicken cook faster, promotes even doneness, and delivers the crispiest skin imaginable. With so many ways to flavor and sauce it, you may never go back to roasting a whole chicken again!
Break the breastbone and flatten the chicken.
Time to give your chicken CPR. Flip the chicken over so the cut side is facing down and the breasts are up. Place two hands on the center of the chicken and press down firmly. Once the breast bone breaks the chicken will lay flat.
That’s it! You’re now ready to grill your chicken. Technically speaking the chicken will only be “spatchcocked” once you grill it. Raw or cooked any other way and your chicken is technically “butterflied. ” Referring back to our trusty Merriam Webster dictionary, to butterfly something means to “split almost entirely and spread apart. ”.
So all spatchcocked chickens are butterflied but not all butterflied chickens are spatchocked. Good to know.
How to Spatchcock a Chicken
Thanks to Merriam Webster we know spatchocking a chicken means to split it in half and grill it. Now let’s talk about how to actually do that.
Step 1 – find a mean rooster.
But seriously, spatchocking a chicken is a simple, three step process.
How to spatchcock a chicken
FAQ
What is the advantage of spatchcocking a chicken?
Spatchcocking is a straightforward culinary technique that transforms a whole chicken into a more manageable and faster-cooking bird. By cutting the chicken in half and pressing it flat, you give more of its surface area to the heat, which ensures even cooking and a beautifully crisp skin.
What are the downsides of spatchcocking?
The primary downside of spatchcocking is the altered presentation. Spatchcocking involves removing the backbone of a poultry bird, typically a turkey, to allow it to cook flatter and faster. This flattened form doesn’t offer the traditional, upright presentation of a whole roasted bird that some people prefer for holidays like Thanksgiving.
What is the purpose of flattened chicken?
Unlike a whole chicken, the flattened chicken, due to its lower thickness, cooks faster and equally. The flattened chicken is good when you’re in a rush and have less time to cook. It might save you an easy 15 minutes of cooking.
Does spatchcock chicken taste better?
Oven Roasted Spatchcock ChickenThe bird cooks faster. Because it’s flat and “thin”, it gets direct heat from both sides, while also cooking more evenly. It usually tastes better. It’s often a bit easier to get a crispy skin. It’s a little easier, in my opinion, to handle a spatchcocked chicken.
What is a Spatchcock chicken?
When the backbone is cut out of a chicken so that it can lay flat, the chicken is called spatchcocked. This allows the chicken to be spread out or opened up like a book, which makes it cook more quickly and evenly. Spatchcock chickens are perfect for grilling but they can also be broiled or baked quite successfully.
Can Spatchcock chicken be cooked?
This makes it possible to open the chicken up like a book and spread it out. This helps it cook faster and more evenly. Spatchcock chickens are perfect for grilling but they can also be broiled or baked quite successfully. You’ll have perfectly cooked chicken in much less time.
When should you Spatchcock a chicken?
You should spatchcock a chicken when… You’re in a hurry – A spatchcocked chicken cooks up to 25% faster than an intact whole chicken. Less time cooking means more time for everything else. You don’t like dry meat – With the breasts level with the thighs while cooking, the former are less likely to dry out.
What is Spatchcocking & how does it work?
This method is called spatchcocking, and it will change the way you cook chicken at home. Besides roasting, it also works for grilling and smoking chicken. Here’s how to do it in three easy steps. What is spatchcocking, and why does it work? Typically a whole chicken is cooked breast-side up, meaning the thighs are tucked underneath.
What does Spatchcock mean?
According to Merriam Webster, a spatchcock is “a fowl split and grilled usually immediately after being killed and dressed.” So used as a verb, to spatchcock, means to split a chicken in half and grill it. Straightforward and pertinent enough. No inappropriate anatomical references whatsoever. Darn.
Why do you Spatchcock chicken?
The other reason is when you marinate the chicken, the marinade has more surface area to penetrate, leading to more flavour in the finished product. One other reason for spatchcocking chicken is that once it is cooked, it is much easier to cut it into smaller pieces.