Chicken is a constant in our recipe rotation: bake it, roast it, fry it—we can’t get enough of it! But if you’ve ever tried cooking a whole chicken, you know it can be tricky. To help ease your anxiety and celebrate the last bits of the grilling season, we’re sharing one of our favorite ways to prepare it: spatchcocking! This simple technique involves removing the backbone from your bird and then pressing down on the breast bone so the chicken lies flat. This will cut your cooking time in half and help your chicken cook more evenly. For an easy how-to, follow these steps from one of our favorite bloggers, Modern Proper, and you’ll be spatchcocking like a pro in no time. (Psst! If you’re in a pinch, you can also ask your butcher to do it for you!) Once your bird is ready to go, season it up with the help of one of these five recipes below.
Grilled Spatchcocked Greek Chicken
This zesty and herby grilled chicken from The Food Network is scented with citrus and fresh herbs, making it a great dish all year long. The simple marinade is made with olive oil, lemon juice and zest, garlic and oregano and helps tenderize the meat so it’s extra-juicy after cooking.
Grilled Spatchcock Chicken with Herby Green Sauce
What makes this chicken standout from the basic grilled meat is the tangy green sauce that’s used to marinate the meat and as a sauce for serving. Food52 shows you how to make this yogurt-herb sauce that also enhances the crisp char on the outside of the chicken.
Spatchcocked Chicken with Sweet & Spicy BBQ Rub
EatingWell shares their hack to help flatten your spatchcock chicken and cook it even quicker with two foil-wrapped bricks! Plus, their homemade barbecue rub makes all the difference and is worth the effort of making your own.
Korean Barbecue Spatchcock Chicken with Shishitos and Scallions
Spice lovers, this recipe is for you! Gochujang, a Korean chili paste, gives this chicken it’s heat along with grilled shishito peppers. Don’t miss MyRecipes’ clever tip to skewer the chicken for easier flipping!
Marinated Flattened Chicken with Mexican-Style Street Corn
The grill is our favorite tool for summer and this recipe from Clean Eating gets it all done! The smoky, spiciness of the citrus marinated chicken pairs perfectly with the sweet Mexican-style street corn.
Bill Armwood says
Thanks for the suggestions on cooking a whole up. Hey Tanji!