Herb-Roasted Spatchcock Chicken Recipe
Try this easy roasted spatchcock chicken recipe with lemon-herb gravy. Stuffed with fresh herbs and baked to tender, flavorful, juicy!
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
- 4-5 lbs whole chicken for roasting giblets removed
- 1.5 tbsp coarse sea salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp grated garlic cloves about 3 large cloves
- ⅔ cup fresh herbs finely chopped, rosemary and thyme or any poultry seasoning fresh herbs
- 4-6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 whole lemon
Lemon Herb Chicken Gravy:
- 2 tbsp chicken dripping from the roasted chicken above
- 2 tbsp cassava flour or all purpose flour, gluten-free flour
- 1.5 cups chicken stock low sodium
- ½ tsp coarse sea salt or to taste
- ¼ tsp black pepper or to taste
- 1 whole lemon juice or to taste
Instructions
Butterfly the chicken:
- Remove the chicken giblets. Gently pat it dry with a clean paper towel. Place the whole chicken breast side down over a secured large cutting board. Use a pair of kitchen shears to cut down each side of the back bone (i.e.spine) from the cavity up to the neck. Save the backbone for later use (p.s. great for chicken stock). Make a shallow incision cut in the cartilage on the back of the breast bone and use your hands to gently press both sides down to flatten the bird.
Season the chicken:
- Mix well salt, pepper, garlic, herbs, and olive oil in one bowl. Flip the bird (skin side up) and use your fingers to gently separate the skins from the meat to create small pockets. Be careful not to tear the skin. Tuck the wings behind the breast. Stuff the herb mixture under the skin and use your hands to gently spread the herbs as evenly as you can. Make sure to season the outer interior and the back of the bird. Drizzle with half of one whole lemon juice.
- Marinate overnight in a large flat container, breast side down to soak up more juice flavor.
Bake:
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C) for conventional oven or 400°F (204°C) for convection oven. Place the bird (skin side up) on top of a wire rack over a large sheet pan, lined with parchment paper. Bake for 30 minutes. Rotate the sheet pan and loosely cover the wings and any other spots that get brown too quickly with foil paper so they won’t get burnt.
- Roast for an additional 20 minutes or until the breast meat reaches 165°F (74°C) and the thigh meat reaches 175°F(80°C) when using a meat thermometer.
- Remove from the oven. Let the bird rest for 10 minutes before carving.
Lemon herb chicken gravy:
- In a saucepan over medium-low heat, add chicken dripping from the sheet pan. Whisk in flour until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in chicken stock. Reduce heat to low. Bring gravy to a simmer, stir often and simmer until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 3-4 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a gravy boat.
Video
Notes
- Storage: The chicken will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge. Store it in an airtight container to maintain its freshness.
- Freeze: For longer storage, shred the chicken first and freeze it for up to 2 months. Make sure to use freezer-safe bags or containers to prevent freezer burn.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 679kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 50g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 166mg | Sodium: 846mg | Potassium: 706mg | Fiber: 1g | Vitamin A: 3625IU | Vitamin C: 56.8mg | Calcium: 96mg | Iron: 5.1mg