Spatchcocked Chicken | Everyday Dorie

Dorie’s Spatchcocked chicken is one of the recipes in Everyday Dorie I’ve repeated over and over again since the early months of the pandemic. I finally have the chance to write it all up. Certainly, the recipe will live on for a long time in my kitchen. What got me hooked on the technique of butterflying the chicken is how evenly and moist the chicken turns out, together with crispy skin, tender and flavorful meat. This recipe is a gift!

I’m considering cooking the turkey in the same manner next Thanksgiving. Spatchcocking the bird saves time in the oven. You won’t have to be concerned with a dry bird any more.

As a reminder, here are some quick notes to myself for reference on the essential requirements and steps for the spatchcocked chicken. In fact, I almost know the process by heart:

• Get a small chicken between 3 to 4 pounds and no bigger. The smaller bird provides the right amount of skin to meat ratio that keeps the skin crispy and the meat tender and moist.
• Choose a large cast-iron skillet pan or a 9-by-13-inch roasting pan.
• Cut along both sides of the chicken’s backbone with poultry shears and remove it. Save the bone for the chicken stock.
• Press down on the breastbone to flatten the chicken so that it lies flat in the pan.
• Make the spice butter with half a stick of butter (4 tbsp or 2 oz/ 57g), za’atar (or dried oregano), ground cumin, ground sumac (or lemon zest), ground coriander, salt and pepper.
• Loosen the chicken skin and carefully work your fingers to spread the spice butter from the neck down under the skin.
• Pat the chicken dry and rub the remaining butter over the skin.
• Put aromatics (onion, garlic, carrots, herbs) in the center of the pan. Arrange chicken over them.
• Pour broth and white wine (3/4 cup, 1/4 cup, respectively) in the pan.
• Roast for 45 minutes at 425°F until the instant-read thermometer reads 165°F at the thigh. Chicken should be brown all over and the juices run clear.
• Let rest 10 minutes before carving.

When I have extra time, I like the idea of marinating the birds in buttermilk or yogurt to tenderize the meat. A similar butterflied chicken recipe, the first I did, calls for an overnight marinade and I’m very happy with the results. Merry Christmas!