Herb Roasted Spatchcock Chicken

Published 6:00 am Monday, January 31, 2022

What sounds like a fancy-pants chef term, spatchcocking is a simple butchering technique akin to butterflying that almost guarantees your whole chicken will have moist and juicy meat as well as an abundance of crisp and golden skin. Added bonus: less cooking time. Check out Cooks Ventures’ recipe below. 

Herb Roasted Spatchcock Chicken

Yields: 3 to 4 servings 

• 1 pasture-raised spatchcock chicken (about 3 to 4 lbs)
• 2 oranges, thinly sliced into rounds
• 1 yellow onion, halved and sliced 1/4-inch-thick
• 4 to 6 stems fresh thyme
• 2 Tbsp butter, melted
• Olive oil
• Salt amd pepper to taste

Savory Wet Rub

• 1 tsp orange zest
• 3 Tbsp light brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp sherry vinegar
• 1/2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Garnish: Fresh herbs

Chef Tip: Rubbing the sugar and orange zest together releases the essential oils into the sugar for a big flavor boost.

Make the savory wet rub. Preheat the oven to 450°F. In a bowl, combine the sugar and orange zest. Using your fingers, rub the sugar and orange zest together. Add sage, thyme and rosemary leaves, garlic, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, sherry vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and 1⁄4 cup olive oil. Stir to thoroughly combine. The rub should resemble a rough paste.

Prepare the pan. Line a high-sided sheet pan with parchment paper. Scatter the whole thyme stems and sliced onion onto the sheet pan and cover with overlapping orange slices.

Prepare the chicken. Place the chicken, skin-side down, on top of the onion and brush or rub with half of the savory wet rub. Flip the chicken over, skin-side-up, and pat very dry with paper towels. Brush or rub with the remaining wet rub.

Roast and baste the chicken. Roast the seasoned chicken for 25 to 30 minutes. Brush the roasted chicken with the melted butter every 5 minutes, until browned and cooked through with an internal temperature of 160°F. Remove from the oven. Loosely cover with aluminum foil and set aside to rest for 15 minutes. Transfer the roasted chicken, onion, and orange slices to a serving dish. Garnish with fresh herbs, if desired. 

Chef Tip:  It may be tempting, but don’t skip this super easy step: Resting the roasted chicken before carving allows the juices to reabsorb into the meat’s muscle fibers. This ensures moist and juicy meat, instead of a mess of juices flowing out onto your cutting board.