Butterfly Chicken Recipe

4.94 from 73 votes

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A complete step by step method showing how to butterfly and roast a moist flavorsome chicken. Also known as spatchcock roasted chicken, this delicious meal cooks in just one hour.

Prep Time15

Cook Time1

Resting time10

Total Time1 15

Servings: people

Author: Marcellina

Ingredients

4 pound (1.8 kilogram) whole chicken ((fresh, preferably organic))
1 lemon
1 cup chopped fresh herbs (See Note 1)
4 garlic cloves ((maybe more depending on size))
2 teaspoons salt
freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes ((optional))
½ cup extra virgin olive oil ((divided))
1 teaspoon salt ((extra))

Instructions

To butterfly chicken

Remove the whole chicken from the fridge 30 minutes or so before roasted. See Note 2.
Preheat oven 400℉/200℃. Have ready a large roasting pan that will comfortably accommodate the butterflied chicken.
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and turn the chicken breast side down on the board. Using strong kitchen scissors, start at the tail, cut up each side of the backbone and cut the backbone out.
Turn chicken breast side up and press down with the heel of your palm onto the breast bone until you hear a snap.
The chicken should now be flattened and ready for flavor bombing! Place the chicken in a roasting pan breast side down. Set aside while you prepare the herb and oil mixture.

How to flavor and roast the butterflied chicken

Take a long strip of rind off the lemon using a potato peeler (or as much lemon as you want). You don't want any white pith. Reserve the lemon.
Using a mini food processor or similar appliance, process lemon rind, herbs, garlic and red pepper flakes (if using) with half of the extra virgin olive oil until finely chopped and looks a bit like pesto.
Season with 2 teaspoons salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Now take the roasting pan with the butterflied chicken in it. Squeeze the juice half of the lemon over the chicken.
Spoon a ⅓ of the herb/oil mixture over the chicken and spread evenly and into all crevices.
Turn chicken over breast side up. Squeeze over the juice of the remaining lemon half.
Slip your fingers gently between the breast and the skin to make a pocket to fill with goodness.
Spoon some of the herb/oil mixture into the pocket you have just made then spoon and spread the rest over the chicken.
Drizzle over remaining oil and sprinkle with extra salt (or to your taste).
Roast for 1 hour. Check at 50 minutes. See Note 3.
When cooked, remove and cover with loosely with foil to rest for 10 minutes.
Cut the chicken into pieces and arrange on a serving platter. Spoon some of the pan juices over. Serve immediately.

Notes

Any fresh herbs can be used - I like to use a combination of basil, parsley and at least 1 tablespoon of fresh rosemary leaves. If I have fresh tarragon or thyme that's lovely too. But the bulk of the herbs are made up of basil and parsley.
Take the chicken out of the fridge for 20-30 minutes so that it can come to room temperature. Obviously, be sensible about this, if it's a stinking hot summers day the chicken will come to room temperature as you prepare it. The main thing is that a cold chicken will take longer to cook and you will have to adjust times to suit and then you risk drying out the breast meat.
To know if the chicken is done, you can use a thermometer. I have read that you should check in the thickest part of the thigh which should read somewhere between 165°F/75°C - 175°F/80°C. Which is fine but use your commonsense. If the juices run clear, that's done and the meat should be firm not jiggly. I like the blood near the bone to be cooked and that only happens at about 185°F/85°.

Food Safety

Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (75 °C).
Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat.
Wash hands after touching raw meat.
Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.

Nutrition