Are you searching for the ultimate, foolproof method for the juiciest, most flavorful, and most beautifully golden-brown roast chicken you’ve ever made? A recipe so simple, so brilliant, and so completely reliable, it will become your new go-to for a show-stopping Sunday supper or a fast and elegant weeknight dinner? This incredible, from-scratch Roasted Spatchcock Chicken is that perfect recipe. We’re talking an impossibly juicy and tender chicken, with a shatteringly crisp, golden-brown skin, all roasted on a bed of caramelized, savory root vegetables.
This isn’t just another roast chicken recipe; it’s your new secret weapon. The brilliant “spatchcock” method cuts the roasting time in half, while the clever garlic-herb butter rub guarantees unbelievably moist meat and the most flavorful, crispy skin imaginable. This is a satisfying, soulful, and deeply impressive all-in-one-pan meal that is destined to become a new family favorite.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate “One-Pan” Holiday Feast
What makes this Roasted Spatchcock Chicken so spectacularly delicious is its brilliant, time-saving technique and its wonderful, savory flavor. This recipe is a masterpiece of smart, efficient cooking. The star of the show is the method: a spatchcocked chicken, meaning the backbone has been removed so the bird lies flat. The flavor comes from a from-scratch garlic-herb compound butter, which is rubbed under the skin to keep the meat moist and season it from the inside out. The real magic happens in the roasting pan: the chicken is roasted with a classic medley of baby red potatoes, carrots, and Brussels sprouts, which all caramelize beautifully in the savory, buttery chicken drippings, creating a magnificent, all-in-one meal.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 1 hour 30 minutes (includes resting) |
| Active Prep Time | 25 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 4-6 |
The Holiday Pantry: The Essential Ingredients
This iconic dish uses a handful of high-quality, simple ingredients to create its signature rich and comforting flavor.
- The Chicken (The Spatchcock Shortcut!):
- Spatchcocked Chicken: This is the number one secret to a fast, easy, and perfectly cooked chicken! “Spatchcocking” (or butterflying) means removing the backbone so the chicken can be pressed flat.
- The Butcher is Your Best Friend!: The easiest way to prepare this is to ask your butcher to do the work for you! Simply ask for a “5-pound whole chicken, spatchcocked.”
- The Garlic-Herb Butter (The Flavor Powerhouse!):
- The Compound Butter: This is the number one secret to a juicy, flavorful bird! A simple, from-scratch paste of softened butter, minced garlic, fresh thyme, fresh rosemary, and lemon zest is the key to the entire dish.
- The Vegetable “Rack”:
- The Root Vegetable Trio: A classic and perfect combination of buttery baby new potatoes, sweet carrots, and earthy Brussels sprouts creates the perfect, aromatic bed for your chicken to roast on.
The Roasting Masterclass: The Secrets to a Perfect, Juicy Chicken
This recipe uses a few simple but brilliant professional techniques that guarantee a flawless, impressive result.
- The Spatchcock Advantage: The brilliant secret to a chicken that cooks in half the time and is perfectly cooked everywhere (no more dry breast meat!) is spatchcocking. By flattening the bird, you are exposing all the parts to a more even, direct heat, and you are maximizing the amount of skin that gets gloriously crispy.
- Flavor Under the Skin: The number one, restaurant-quality secret to an incredibly moist and flavorful chicken is to rub your compound butter under the skin, directly onto the meat. The butter and its seasonings infuse the meat as it cooks, keeping it unbelievably juicy.
- The Staged Veggie Cook: The secret to vegetables that are perfectly tender (and not mushy!) is to add them in stages. The hardier root vegetables (potatoes and carrots) go in first, while the more delicate Brussels sprouts are added for only the last 20 minutes of cooking.
- Trust Your Thermometer & Rest!: You must let your finished chicken rest for at least 10 minutes before you carve it. This crucial, patient step allows the hot, delicious juices to relax and redistribute throughout the entire roast.
Step-by-Step to the Best Roasted Spatchcock Chicken
This elegant, festive side dish is a joy to prepare.
Part 1: The Art of the Aromatic Herb Butter
Step 1: First, preheat your oven to a hot 450°F ($232^{\circ}C$).
Step 2: On a cutting board, combine your 4 chopped garlic cloves and 1 teaspoon of the kosher salt. Use the flat edge of your knife to mash and drag the garlic and salt together until they form a smooth paste.
Step 3: In a small bowl, stir together your garlic paste, the 6 tablespoons of softened butter, the 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh thyme, the 2 tablespoons of lemon zest, and the 3/4 teaspoon of black pepper until they are well combined. Set aside 2 tablespoons of this butter mixture for later.
Part 2: The Spatchcock & One-Pan Assembly
Step 1: Pat your spatchcocked chicken completely dry with paper towels. Place it in a large, rimmed baking pan.
Step 2 (The Most Important Step!): Starting at the neck end, gently use your fingers to loosen the skin from the breast and thigh meat. Rub your main garlic-herb butter mixture directly on the meat, under the skin. Tuck the wing tips under the chicken.
Step 3: Roast the chicken in your preheated oven for 10 minutes.
Step 4: Remove the pan from the oven and reduce the heat to 400°F ($200^{\circ}C$). Arrange your 12 ounces of halved new potatoes and 8 ounces of trimmed carrots around the chicken.
Step 5: Return the pan to the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
Step 6: Remove the pan from the oven again. Arrange your 8 ounces of halved Brussels sprouts around the chicken and spread the remaining 2 tablespoons of the garlic-herb butter mixture on top of the chicken breasts.
Part 3: The Perfect Roast and Final Rest
Step 1: Return the pan to the oven and bake for about 20 more minutes.
Step 2: You will know the chicken is perfectly done when the vegetables are tender, the chicken is a beautiful golden brown, and a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers $165^{\circ}F$.
Step 3 (The Final, Crucial Step!): Remove the pan from the oven. Drizzle the chicken with the 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice and loosely tent it with aluminum foil. Let it rest for 10 minutes before you carve it.
Serve the carved chicken with the beautiful, caramelized roasted vegetables and any of the delicious pan drippings.
Roasted Spatchcock Chicken (An Easy & Juicy One-Pan Meal!)
A classic and easy recipe for a Roasted Spatchcock Chicken, cooked on a single sheet pan with a medley of root vegetables. The chicken is spatchcocked (butterflied) to ensure even and fast cooking. A flavorful compound butter, made with garlic, fresh thyme, and lemon zest, is rubbed both under and on top of the skin, creating a juicy, tender bird with a perfectly golden-brown, crispy skin. The chicken is roasted on a pan with potatoes, carrots, and Brussels sprouts, which all cook in the delicious pan drippings.
Ingredients
- 1 (5-lb.) whole chicken
- 12 oz. small red new potatoes, halved
- 8 oz. small carrots, trimmed
- 8 oz. Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 6 Tbsp. (3 oz.) salted butter, softened
- 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 3/4 tsp. black pepper
- 1 lemon (for 2 Tbsp. zest and 3 Tbsp. juice)
- Kitchen twine
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Place the chicken, breast side down, on a cutting board. Using poultry shears, cut along both sides of the backbone and remove it.
- Turn the chicken breast side up and press firmly against the breastbone with the heel of your hand until it cracks and the chicken lies flat. Place it in a large rimmed baking pan and tuck the wing tips under.
- Make a garlic-herb butter: On a cutting board, mash the chopped garlic and 1 tsp of kosher salt into a paste using the flat edge of a knife. In a small bowl, combine this garlic paste with the softened butter, thyme, lemon zest, and pepper.
- Set aside 2 tablespoons of the garlic-herb butter. Rub the remaining garlic-herb butter under the skin of the chicken breasts and thighs.
- Roast the chicken in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven and reduce the heat to 400°F. Arrange the potatoes and carrots around the chicken.
- Return the pan to the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove the pan again, add the Brussels sprouts, and spread the reserved 2 tablespoons of garlic-herb butter over the chicken breasts.
- Return to the oven and bake for about 20 more minutes, until the vegetables are tender and a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh registers 165°F.
- Drizzle the chicken with the fresh lemon juice and let it rest for 10 minutes before carving. Serve with the pan juices.
Notes
- Spatchcocking the chicken (removing the backbone) is the key technique that allows it to cook more quickly and evenly, with crispier skin.
- Adding the vegetables in stages ensures that the potatoes have time to cook through while the more delicate Brussels sprouts do not overcook.
- Rubbing the herb butter *under* the skin is crucial for flavoring the meat and keeping it moist, while adding the reserved butter *on top* later helps to brown and crisp the breast skin.
- Letting the chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving is essential for the juices to redistribute, ensuring the meat is moist and tender.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
- Make-Ahead: This is the perfect make-ahead holiday meal! You can prepare the garlic-herb butter up to 3 days in advance and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can also chop all your vegetables a day in advance.
- Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- The Best Leftovers: Leftover roasted chicken is a true treasure! It makes the absolute best sandwiches, is fantastic in a chicken salad, or can be used to make a creamy chicken noodle soup.
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Frequently Asked questions (FAQs)
Q1: Why is my chicken skin not crispy?
The most common culprit is that the skin was not patted completely dry before you added the butter. Moisture is the number one enemy of crispy skin! The initial blast of high, 450°F heat is also a crucial step for that initial crisping.
Q2: Can I do this with a regular (non-spatchcocked) chicken?
You can, but you will lose all the brilliant benefits of the spatchcocking method! A whole, un-spatchcocked chicken will take at least 1 1/2 to 2 hours to cook, the skin will not be as uniformly crispy, and the breast meat will be more prone to drying out before the dark meat is cooked.
Q3: Is spatchcocking hard? Do I have to do it myself?
It is not hard, but it does require a good, sturdy pair of poultry shears to cut through the backbone. The absolute easiest method is to simply ask your butcher to do it for you when you buy your chicken.
Q4: Can I use different herbs or vegetables?
Of course! This recipe is a wonderful template. You could add parsnips or chunks of sweet potato along with the carrots, or you could use fresh sage or oregano in your herb butter.
Q5: What internal temperature should I aim for?
For a chicken, it is crucial for food safety that the meat is fully cooked. The only 100% foolproof way to guarantee that your turkey is perfectly cooked (and safe to eat!) is to use an instant-read meat thermometer. The chicken is done when the thermometer registers $165^{\circ}F$ in the thickest part of the thigh.