Roasted Spatchcock Chicken with rosemary, lemon, paprika and garlic, deliciously golden and juicy, perfect for your Sunday Roast Dinner. It cooks a lot quicker than a whole roasted chicken, but it's as tasty. No need to slave away in the kitchen to cook a fabulous meal, this chicken is on the table in well under an hour.
I do love a good Sunday Roast! Any kind of roast (well, apart from lamb, which I would never ever even consider trying!). But if roast pork or roast beef can be a hit and miss with kids, I know that chicken is always a favourite.
A classic whole roasted chicken never fails to please everybody's taste buds, but if you are in a rush, this might not be the best option, as it could take some time to cook.
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What is a spatchcock chicken
And now it's when the spatchcock chicken comes to the rescue. It's done is well under an hour, but it's as delicious, and definitely as juicy. So, how can this be done?
Spatchcocking means removing the back bone in order to flatten the chicken. In this way, it cooks evenly and a lot quicker. It's a very simple process which can be done in no time with a sharp knife or kitchen scissors.
How to spatchcock a chicken
Using a sharp knife or kitchen scissors, cut along both sides of the backbone, and remove the backbone. Turn the chicken breast side up, and open the underside of chicken. Press firmly against breastbone until it cracks- this allows the chicken to flatten up fully.
Transfer the chicken to a roasting tray, season generously with salt and black pepper. I also used garlic granules, paprika, rosemary and lemon for deeper flavours.
I like dotting the chicken with small cubes of butter for extra flavours, but olive oil is another good option. You can't go wrong with any seasoning here, it's completely up to you what you like.
Temperature and cooking time
As with any roast, I like playing with the temperature in order to achieve the best results. Start by preheating the oven at 220 degrees Celsius (430 Fahrenheit), and roast for 20 minutes, then lower the temperature to 180 degrees Celsius (350 Fahrenheit) for a further 35-40 minutes.
The chicken gets cooked through, and the skin becomes a delicious golden brown colour. Leave it to rest for at least 10 minutes before carving, the juices released can be used for gravy or stock.
Chicken stock/broth made from leftovers/bones left from the roast chicken
To think that I used to throw away all the bones left after a delicious roast! Well, not anymore! Since I have a slow cooker, I add bones, and other bits left from the chicken, together with juices, add enough water to fill up the slow cooker, and leave to cook on low for at least 8 hours.
This makes the very best homemade stock that makes the best leftover chicken soup. Or it can be added to any other dishes too. If you don't use it soon, it can be frozen perfectly well to be used at any other time. Do give it a try!
Leftover roast chicken recipes
If you happen to have loads of chicken left, why not make these delicious recipes?
One-Pot Leftover Roast Chicken Pasta
Green Bean Stew with Leftover Chicken
Leftover Chicken, Spinach and Artichoke Lasagna
Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas
If you’ve liked my ROASTED SPATCHCOCK CHICKEN or any other recipe on the blog, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m getting up to.
Roasted Spatchcock Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken
- 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic granules
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon rosemary
- a few dots of butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 220 degrees Celsius (430 Fahrenheit).
- Use a sharp kitchen knife or kitchen scissors and cut along the back bone of the chicken in order to remove the back bone.
- Turn the chicken side up, and press firmly on the breastbone until it cracks to flatten the chicken.
- Arrange it on a roasting tray, season with salt, pepper, garlic, paprika, rosemary and spread the butter all over.
- Roast for 20 minutes, then lower the temperature to 180 degrees Celsius (350 Fahrenheit) for 35-40 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, and leave to rest for at least 10 minutes for the juices to be released.
Nutrition
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