I recently attended a virtual event with a chef that walked us through making spatchcock chicken. It was my first time ever attempting it and, honestly, I wasn’t that excited about it. It sounded kinda bland and I already had my way of cooking a whole chicken so I wasn’t that enthusiastic about it.

I can whole heartedly say I was eating my words and a new, deliciously crispy piece of chicken by the end of the event.

Since then, I’ve made spatchcock chicken about five times and it never disappoints.

If you are new to spatchcock chicken like I was, it’s a method of flattening out an entire chicken, browning it on the stovetop first and then roasting it in the oven until it’s done. The idea behind it is that it will cook faster and leave you with crispier chicken than if you roast it normally.

I’m all in and think you will be too!

One of the reasons I have cooked it so much since learning how to do it is, aside from it just tasting delicious, it’s an amazing thing to batch cook. You can have cooked and crispy chicken to throw on salads, pastas, add to soups, add to a grain bowl, or even throw in enchiladas! It’s so nice to have a delicious protein on hand throughout the week and, as a whole chicken is pretty big, it leaves you with a lot to enjoy.

A couple of things to have on hand/prepare for to make this recipe easier~

1. An oven-safe pan that can fit an entire chicken in it (it will go from stovetop to oven with the chicken).
2. A thermometer.
3. Kitchen scissors- These are great to have for all kinds of things but particularly helpful for cutting the carcass.
4. Watch this tutorial on how to cut the chicken/spatchcock it so it’s ready!

Now that you are prepared, let’s get on to the recipe!

Easy Crispy Spatchcock Chicken Recipe

Makes 6 servings, takes about 60-75 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 large spatchcocked chicken
• Sea salt
• Avocado oil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees convect. Place a large oven-safe pan over medium-high heat on the stove.
2. Spatchcock your chicken. Follow the tutorial linked above, using kitchen scissors to cut out the backbone of the chicken and then breaking the middle chest bone so that the chicken can lay mostly flat. Sprinkle salt all over the chicken.
3. Add enough avocado oil to your pan so that it covers the bottom of the pan.
4. Place the chicken breast-side down in the pan, cooking the chicken until the skin starts to brown, about 5-7 minutes. (You aren’t trying to cook it all the way through, just getting it a little crispy.)
5. Using tongs, flip the chicken over so it’s breast-side up and cook for a couple of more minutes.
6. Carefully place the entire pan and chicken in the oven. Roast until it is browned and cooked to 165 degrees (according to a thermometer), about 50-75 minutes.
7. Remove from the oven and let rest for a few minutes. Slice and serve!

Is amazing paired with my ,Caramelized Carrots and Creamy Citrus Yogurt Sauce or pretty much anything else you enjoy chicken with.

Naturally gluten-free.

Meal Prepping Tip- Just follow this recipe and keep it in a large glass or stainless steel container with a lid all week. Pull from it as you want it, adding a healthy protein to any dish!

Let me know what you think of your spatchcock chicken by leaving a message below or sharing on Instagram, tagging @northwesthealthcoaching!

What is your favorite side dish to enjoy it with?

Cheers!

Kelsey