How to Spatchcock a Chicken (Butterflied Chicken)

To spatchcock a chicken, cut out the backbone with poultry shears, flip the bird skin side up, and press hard on the breastbone until it lies flat. A flattened chicken roasts in about 45 minutes at 220 °C / 425 °F, with crisper skin and more even doneness than a whole roasted bird.

Why spatchcocking works

A whole chicken has a shape problem. The breast is lean and dries out above about 65 to 68 °C / 150 to 155 °F, while the thighs and legs are full of connective tissue and taste best at 80 °C / 175 °F or more. On a whole bird, the breast also sits on top, exposed to heat, while the thighs hide underneath.

Flattening changes the geometry:

• Even thickness: the bird becomes roughly 5 to 8 cm thick everywhere, so heat reaches the centre of every part at a similar rate.
• Legs face the heat: thighs spread to the outside of the pan, where they get more direct heat and catch up with the breast.
• More exposed skin: all the skin faces up, so more of it browns and crisps through the Maillard reaction and rendered fat.
• Faster cooking: roughly half the time of a whole roast, which means less time for the breast to dry out.

Steps

1. Pat the chicken dry and place it breast side down. Remove giblets and dry the bird with paper towels. Work on a board you can sanitize afterward.
2. Cut along both sides of the backbone with poultry shears. Start at the tail end and cut through the rib bones just to one side of the spine, all the way to the neck. Repeat on the other side.
3. Remove the backbone and save it for stock. Freeze it with other bones to make stock later.
4. Flip the chicken and press firmly on the breastbone to flatten. Place your palms on the centre of the breast and push down hard until you hear a crack. For a flatter bird, you can nick the cartilage at the top of the breastbone from the inside first.
5. Tuck the wing tips and season all over. Fold the wing tips behind the breast so they do not burn. Season both sides with salt (about 0.75 to 1% of the bird's weight, so 13 to 18 g for a 1.8 kg chicken; weigh it, because kosher salt brands differ a lot by volume), pepper, and any rub.
6. Dry-brine uncovered in the fridge if you have time. Even 1 hour helps; 12 to 24 hours is ideal. Salt draws moisture out, dissolves, and moves back in, seasoning the meat. The open-air chill also dries the skin so it crisps. See how to dry-brine.
7. Roast at 220 °C / 425 °F until the thickest parts reach a safe temperature. Place skin side up on a rack set over a rimmed sheet, or on vegetables. Check after 35 minutes. Probe the thickest part of the breast and the thigh, avoiding bone.
8. Rest for 10 minutes, then carve. Carryover cooking raises the internal temperature a few degrees, and resting lets juices settle.

Timing and temperatures

In a convection oven, lower the temperature by about 15 °C / 25 °F or check 10 minutes sooner.

For safety, USDA recommends 74 °C / 165 °F in the thickest part of the breast and thigh. Health Canada lists 82 °C / 180 °F for whole poultry and 74 °C / 165 °F for pieces. Thighs are better at the higher number anyway; their collagen softens as they cook past 80 °C.

Common mistakes and fixes

• Shears will not cut through: you are cutting through the spine itself. Move a few millimetres outward so you are cutting the thinner rib bones.
• Bird will not flatten: press harder, or cut a small slit in the cartilage at the top of the breastbone.
• Pale, flabby skin: the skin was wet or the oven was too cool. Dry the bird well, dry-brine uncovered, and roast hot.
• Burnt wing tips: tuck them under, or cover with a small piece of foil.
• Smoking oven: fat dripping onto a hot empty pan burns. Add a little water or a layer of sliced onions and potatoes under the rack.
• Raw chicken juices everywhere: do not rinse the chicken, which spreads bacteria by splashing. Wash shears, board and hands with hot soapy water to avoid cross-contamination.