Quick, easy, and delicious, my Rosemary Lemon Spatchcock Chicken recipe is great for grilling or oven roasting a whole chicken. A quick butter, lemon, and rosemary rub infuse a tremendous amount of flavor to a crisp golden brown skin and juicy meat. A gorgeous roasted chicken with an interesting history behind the term ‘spatchcock chicken’.
There seem to be dozens of stories behind the origins of the term spatchcock chicken, but the story I like the most is from 1700s Ireland. The story goes like this; an unexpected visitor would show up out of nowhere — hungry, of course. The host would kill a bird, pluck it, remove its backbone so it lays flat, put it on the stove, and have it on the table in half the normal roasting time. Regardless of the origins of the word, spatchcock is a great way of roasting a whole bird. The technique dramatically decreases the cooking time.
Whether on the grill over indirect heat or in an oven at a cooking temperature of 425F, from the time you start preheating the oven or grill, you can have my Spatchcock Chicken recipe prepped, roasted, rested, and on the table, in around one hour.
Is it just me or does that Spatchcock Chicken look sassy?!?
My Rosemary Lemon Spatchcock Chicken recipe pairs perfectly with my beautiful and delicious Glazed Carrots and the equally beautiful and delicious Pommes de Terre Boulangères for an elegant dinner. If this doesn’t impress, nothing will!
Here’s my Rosemary Lemon Spatchcock Chicken recipe:
Rosemary Lemon Spatchcock Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 Whole Chicken Backbone removed
- 3 Tablespoons Fresh Rosemary Finely chopped
- 4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter Softened
- 1 Lemon Zest
- 4 Teaspoons Salt 1 teaspoon per pound
- 2 Teaspoons Black Pepper
Instructions
- Light charcoal grill or preheat oven to 425F
- Place chicken breast-side down, with the legs towards you. Using kitchen scissors or shears cut along either side of the backbone to remove it, save the backbone for stock
- Turn the bird breast side up and just press down with the palm of your hand to make it lay flat.
- Make a shallow cut through the skin at the joint between the drumstick and thighs, to allow excess moisture to escape while roasting. And Make a shallow cut at the joint between the wings and breast
- Mix the lemon zest, rosemary and butter together
- Season inside and outside generously with salt, pepper, and brush with butter
- You want a medium-hot grill, Pile the charcoal on one side of the grill, you don’t want the chicken to be directly over the flames.
- Place the chicken on the grill skin side up with the legs closest to the flames, but again, not over the flames
- Cover the grill and roast the chicken for 30-45 minutes, until and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh meat, reads 165F
- Let rest for about 5-10 minutes covered in aluminum foil.
Nutrition
Thank you for visiting my Food Blog. I hope you enjoy my Spatchcock Chicken recipe. Please come back and visit again soon! Bon appetit, Steven
