How to Roast Butterflied Chicken
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Roasting a butterflied chicken is the quickest way to cook a tender, juicy whole chicken for dinner! The spatchcocked chicken is cooked on a sheet pan with veggies, for a complete one-pan meal. It’s Whole30, Paleo, GF, and WW friendly!
Download the Cooking Time Chart and say goodbye to rubbery chicken forever!
What is Butterflied Chicken?
The name is a little funny, but butterflied is just another name for a spatchcock(ed) chicken. In a nutshell, it’s a way of preparing a whole fryer chicken to help it cook more quickly. The backbone of the bird is removed, and then the bird is pressed down and flattened.
Not only does butterfly chicken cook more quickly than a whole roasted chicken, the skin gets extra crispy, and the meat stays moist and super juicy.
In the case of this whole roasted chicken recipe, the entire meal is made on a sheet pan with potatoes and Brussels sprouts. This makes it a complete meal on its own!
You may also like: Sheetpan Roasted Salmon, Sheetpan Steak Fajitas.
Recipe Ingredients and Substitutions
Get your grocery list ready, because here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe at home! As is, all the ingredients in the recipe are Whole30, Paleo, WW friendly and Gluten Free friendly.
- Whole Fryer Chicken: It’s easiest to butterfly small to medium sized chickens, so look for a bird that’s between 3.5 and 4 pounds.
- Olive Oil
- Seasonings: This recipe calls for salt, pepper, garlic powder, and oregano, but you can adapt this recipe to use any flavors you enjoy, like rosemary, thyme, or dill. If you have a gluten sensitivity, be sure to check your seasonings for GF certification!
- Produce: Lemon, brussels sprouts, and potatoes. You can substitute any root vegetables you like here that call for similar cook times. Some good choices are peeled and diced carrots, butternut squash, and broccoli florets.
*For a Keto/Low Carb adaptation, omit the potatoes and substitute radishes.
How to Butterfly a Chicken
You’ll be surprised at how simple this technique is! It only takes about 2-3 minutes in total. Even novice cooks can learn this skill, but if you’d rather skip it, just ask your butcher to spatchcock the chicken for you!
- Clean the bird. Trim away any excess fat, then use a few paper towels to pat the skin dry.
- Place the chicken on a sturdy cutting board with the breasts facing down.
PRO TIP: To prevent the board from moving around, set it on a slightly damp kitchen towel. - Cut out the backbone. Use sharp kitchen shears to cut along one side of the backbone from end to end. Then, cut along the other side of the backbone, removing about about 1 inch of spine in width.
- Completely remove the spine section from the chicken. Either save the backbone to use for making chicken stock, or discard it.
- Flip the bird over and flatten it. Lay the whole butterflied chicken breast side up, then and use your hands to press down firmly, flattening the chicken. You’ll hear a crack, and that means the chicken is properly spatchcocked! You can tuck the wings underneath or not (I don’t).
Did You Know?
Butterflying isn’t just a way to help whole chicken cook more quickly – you can butterfly chicken breasts too!
When boneless chicken breasts are really thick, slice them horizontally, almost all the way through. Stop slicing just before the knife cuts through the other side, then open the breast meat up like you would open a book.
You can use this method when you make my Bruschetta Chicken and Kung Pao Chicken recipes.
Whole Roasted Chicken Recipe Instructions
- Season and marinate the chicken. Lay the butterflied chicken on a parchment or foil-lined sheet pan. Be sure that it’s dry, then rub it all over with the oil and seasonings. Use your fingers to rub it under the skin too.
Place it on the bottom shelf of your fridge for at least 30 minutes. You want to allow enough time for the chicken marinade to work its way into the meat.
Pro Tip: Unlike cuts of beef and pork, there are no thick ligaments and tendons to tenderize in poultry like chicken and turkey. So, the only reason to marinate chicken is to add flavor. For this reason, it’s best to marinate chicken for no longer than 2-3 hours. After that, the meat begins to break down, which can give it an unpleasant, rubbery texture.
- Prep the vegetables. While the butterflied chicken marinates, wash the veggies. Remove the large stems from the Brussels sprouts and cut each one in half. If you want to peel the potatoes, go ahead. Otherwise, just cut them into bite size pieces. Cut the lemon into quarters.
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Season the veggies and arrange them on a sheet pan. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl, and toss with the remaining oil and some salt and pepper. Spread the vegetables and lemon pieces on the sheet pan.
Set in the oven and cook for about 40 minutes, or until the internal temperature, taken at the thickest part of the thigh reaches 163°F.
As it rests for 5 to 10 minutes, the internal temperature of the roasted chicken will increase another 2-3 degrees, reaching a safe internal temperature of 165°F.
Recipe Tips
- Prefer your veggies a bit firmer? The Brussels sprouts become very crispy when roasted for 40 minutes. If you like your Brussels sprouts a little firmer, simply remove the sheet pan from the oven after about 30 minutes. Use a spatula to remove the veggies, then place the bird back in the oven to continue cooking.
- When taking the internal temperature, be sure the probe isn’t touching any bones.
- To store leftovers: Transfer to an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Alternately, you can freeze leftover chicken for use within 4 months, per USDA.
Grilling Spatchcocked Chicken
Oven roasting isn’t the only way to cook a spatchcocked chicken! If you’d like, you can grill it rather than making it in the oven!
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat, and place the rack about 5 inches from the flame.
- Lightly brush the grill with oil, then place the seasoned chicken skin side down on the grill and close the cover. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the skin is starting to crisp and it easily releases from the grill grates.
- Flip the chicken and cook for another 10 minutes. Use a meat thermometer to test the temperature is at least 165°F. at the thickest part of the thigh.
Storing Leftovers
If you have roasted chicken leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Alternately, you can freeze the meat to use within 4 months, per USDA. To repurpose the leftover chicken, make my Chicken Fajita Stuffed Peppers!
Related Recipes
- Rosemary Chicken and Roasted Grapes Spinach Salad
- Greek Yogurt Marinated Chicken with Lemon & Herbs
- Roasted Acorn Squash
I’d love to hear about your experience making this recipe! Please leave a comment and rating below!
How to Roast Butterflied Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 lb. whole chicken fryer chicken weighing 3½ – 4 pounds
- 4 Tablespoons olive oil divided
- 2 cups brussels sprouts
- 3 medium russet potatoes about 2 pounds
- 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Video
Instructions
Butterfly the Chicken
- Place the chicken with the breasts facing up. Using sharp kitchen shears, cut along one side of the backbone, from end to end. Cut along the other side of the backbone, completely removing about about 1 inch wide portion of the spine. Turn the chicken over and use your hands to press down firmly on the bird, until you hear the breast bone crack. This will flatten the bird. Optionally, you can tuck the wings.
Marinate the Chicken
- Lay the butterflied chicken on a parchment or foil lined sheet pan. Pat it dry with a few paper towels, then rub it all over with 2 Tablespoons of oil and seasonings, using your fingers to rub it under the skin too. Let the chicken marinate in the seasonings for at least 30 minutes.
Prepare the Dish
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Meanwhile, wash the vegetables. Trim and remove any large stems from the Brussels sprouts, then cut each sprout in half. Cut the potatoes into quarters. Cut the lemon into quarters. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl, and toss with the remaining oil; season them lightly with salt and pepper. Spread the vegetables and lemon pieces into an even layer on the sheet pan.
Roast
- Set the sheet pan in the 450℉ oven and roast for 40 minutes, using a meat thermometer to ensure the internal temperature has reached 163℉ at the thickest part of the thigh (*see notes, below). Allow the chicken to rest for about 5 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- Butterflied chicken is also known as spatchcock chicken.
- Chicken is safe to eat when the internal temperature reaches 165°F. at the thickest portion of the thigh.
- To ensure juicy meat, remove the roasted chicken when the internal temperature is 163°F. As the meat rests for 5 minutes, the internal temperature will increase another 2-3 degrees.
- When taking the internal temperature, be sure the probe isn’t touching any bones.
- To store leftovers: Transfer to an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Alternately, you can freeze leftover chicken for use within 4 months, per USDA.
