How to Spatchco*ck (2024)

How to Spatchco*ck (1)

Video Title: How To Spatchco*ck

Video Duration: 2:06

Chicken School

Perfect for the oven or the BBQ, spatchco*cking your bird will cook faster and more evenly.

There’s nothing quite as mouth-watering as a roast chicken, yet not many of us have hours to prep, roast, and baste a chicken.

Spatchco*cking – also referred to as butterflying – is a chef’s technique where you remove the backbone from a whole chicken and break the breastbone so that the chicken lies completely flat. If it sounds like it might require brute strength, don’t worry. All you need is a sharp kitchen knife or poultry shears (heavy-duty scissors) and a little know-how.

But first, the advantages of this technique (besides impressing people with your culinary knowledge!).

Not only does spatchco*cking or butterflying greatly reduce cooking time – it’s roughly 25% faster –but it ensures the entire chicken is evenly cooked. This is essential, since different parts of a whole chicken will cook at different rates. Spatchco*cking prevents the dark meat closer to the bone from being undercooked and the white meat closer to the skin from being overcooked. The result is an evenly cooked bird, that has crispy skin, and juicy, tender chicken.

And there’s no better method for roasting a whole chicken on the grill. Spatchco*cking allows the meat to lie close to the grill so the entire bird cooks at the same rate.

Here’s a quick step-by-step instruction on how to do it.

  1. Clean the chicken.Pat it dry with paper towels. Remove any giblets– the liver, heart, gizzard, and/or neck of a chicken –and anywater from inside the chicken. Set the chicken breast side down on a dedicated meat cutting board. Don’t throw out the extras —those will make great stuffing, soup, or broth later. Simply pat those dry and put into a plastic bag or container, label it, andadd it to your freezer.
  2. Locate the spine or backbone.Take your finger and run it along the middle of your chicken’s back. This will give you an idea of where the bone is and where, on either sides of the bone, you’ll be making your cuts.
  3. Remove the spine or backbone.If you’re using a knife: insert the tip to one side of the backbone and press down firmly, bringing the rest of the knife down. You can press your palm against the back of the knife to apply more pressure. You might hear some cracking noises! Repeat this on the other side of the spine/backbone.

If you’re using kitchen or poultry shears: starting from the tail end, cut all along one side of the spine or backbone. You’ll be cutting into the softer outer side of the ribcage, not the backbone itself. Now, do the same on the other side of the bone.


Once both sides have been cut all the way through, remove the backbone and save this for soups or broth in your handy freezer stock bag.

  • Break the breastbone.Here’s where you get to work out some of your frustrations! Flip the chicken over so that the breast side is facing up and the inside of the chicken faces the board. Firmly press down on the chicken’s breastbone with the palm of your hands until it breaks down the middle.
  • Flatten the bird.Having broken the breastbone, the bird should already be lying flat, but if not, using your hands, press more firmly on the bird so that it lies flat. You can now remove the wingtips, if desired, since they tend to burn during cooking. (To avoid having to cut the wingtips, simply tuck the wings underneath the breasts or cover with aluminium foil while cooking.)
    First, find the ligament in the wing. The wing is made up of 3 parts – the upper wing (closest to the body), the lower wing (the middle portion) and the wingtip (the outermost part). The L-shaped part between the wingtip and the lower wing is where you’ll want to cut. Place the heel of the knife (the part closest to the handle) between these two bones and, pressing down firmly, sever the ligament. Do this on the other wing. Again, save those wingtips for soup-making.
  • Cook or grill.Rub the chicken with oil or butter and season the bird. Place the bird into your oven and relax —you earned it. Or, if grilling, place the bird breast side up on the grill and close the lid. For both methods, cooking time will depend on the size of the bird.

Tip: A fish grilling basket (make sure it’s clean!) is perfect for grilling butterflied chicken on the BBQ, since the steel basket holding the chicken has a handle that makes turning the bird over easy.

Recipes

Butterflied Chicken Italian-Style

If you’ve never been to Italy before I suggest you start cooking this recipe. You’ll feel like you’re in the old country in no time.

How to Spatchco*ck (2024)

FAQs

What is the point of a spatchco*ck chicken? ›

To spatchco*ck a chicken, or butterfly it, is to remove the backbone, thus allowing it to be completely opened out and flattened. Doing this reduces the cooking time significantly and allows the whole bird to be cooked in different, speedier ways, such as grilling or pan frying.

Do you flip a spatchco*ck? ›

Flip the whole chicken over and turn OFF the middle burner so that the chicken is now in indirect heat. Cook it with the lid closed for 45 minutes to an hour until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees F. Rest & serve. Once the chicken is done, let it rest for about 20 minutes before cutting into it and serving it up.

At what temperature is a spatchco*ck chicken done? ›

Roast chicken until thickest part of breast close to bone registers 150°F (66°C) on an instant-read thermometer and joint between thighs and body registers at least 175°F (80°C), about 45 minutes.

Should you brine a chicken before spatchco*cking? ›

You can absolutely brine your chicken before spatchco*cking it (we actually prefer a dry brine to a wet brine), but it isn't a must for a delicious, juicy spatchco*ck chicken.

What is the downside of spatchco*ck? ›

But it can also be problematic. It takes up space in the oven, for one thing. Doesn't that bird know you have green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, and rolls waiting in line? Plus it is often overcooked, and half the skin—which we want ultra crisp—is soaked and squidgy at the bottom of the bird.

Can you spatchco*ck without scissors? ›

Can you spatchco*ck a chicken with a knife? Yes, you can. Use a large sharp knife. Place the tip of the knife on one side of the backbone in the middle of the chicken, press it down, then firmly bring the knife down along one side of the spine in one movement so you cut all the way through.

How much to reduce cooking time for spatchco*ck chicken? ›

Not only does spatchco*cking produce a roast chicken in at least 15 minutes less than the time required to prepare an intact bird, but it also results in a more perfectly cooked dish.

How long to cook a spatchco*ck chicken at 275 degrees? ›

Preheat Traeger grill to between 225 and 275 degrees F. Place the chicken breast side up on the grill, spreading out the legs so it lays flat. Smoke for 3-4 hours until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Remove from grill and let rest for 15-20 minutes before slicing and serving.

Do you use direct or indirect for spatchco*ck chicken? ›

You want one side to have direct heat and one to have indirect heat, with the overall temperature at 350 degrees F. Prepare the chicken. Cut your chicken on both sides of the backbone with a pair of good, sharp kitchen shears, and then pull out backbone.

Do you Spatchco*ck chicken breast up or down? ›

For your everyday broiler-fryer chicken, spatchco*cking requires little more than a raw chicken and a sturdy pair of scissors. After patting the chicken dry with a paper towel, position the chicken breast-side down and remove the backbone by cutting down either side of it.

What is the difference between butterfly and Spatchco*ck? ›

Poultry is often butterflied. Butterflying makes poultry easier to grill or pan-broil. The more specific term spatchco*cking refers to a variation on butterflying that also removes the backbone and possibly the sternum, typically from a smaller bird. Removing the sternum allows the bird to be flattened more fully.

Do you spatchco*ck chicken breast up or down? ›

For your everyday broiler-fryer chicken, spatchco*cking requires little more than a raw chicken and a sturdy pair of scissors. After patting the chicken dry with a paper towel, position the chicken breast-side down and remove the backbone by cutting down either side of it.

How do you separate a spatchco*ck chicken? ›

Using kitchen shears or a sharp knife, cut along both sides of the backbone and remove it. Flip the chicken over and press down firmly to flatten it. You can also remove the breastbone for easier carving later if desired.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Jonah Leffler

Last Updated:

Views: 6370

Rating: 4.4 / 5 (65 voted)

Reviews: 80% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Jonah Leffler

Birthday: 1997-10-27

Address: 8987 Kieth Ports, Luettgenland, CT 54657-9808

Phone: +2611128251586

Job: Mining Supervisor

Hobby: Worldbuilding, Electronics, Amateur radio, Skiing, Cycling, Jogging, Taxidermy

Introduction: My name is Jonah Leffler, I am a determined, faithful, outstanding, inexpensive, cheerful, determined, smiling person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.