Spatchcock chicken is simply a whole chicken that has the backbone removed. It’s then flattened, for even cooking. Instead of using a brick, covered in foil, I used my heavy Dutch Oven to flatten the chicken while searing the skin to a beautiful golden brown. Red potatoes are evenly spread out on a pan, and the seared chicken is placed on top– and then slathered with a marinade of fresh lemon juice, oil, garlic and herbs. The end result is moist and flavorful chicken and gorgeous potatoes that are crispy on the outside, and creamy in the middle.
Roast chicken is a dinner I don’t make often enough. I would venture to guess that’s because I find roast chicken to, sometimes, taste underwhelming. This recipe, from America’s Test Kitchen, has changed my mind! It’s one of the best I’ve ever made!
We’ve made Grilled Spatchcock Chicken before with great results. This recipe is made on the stove and finished off in the oven. I was so happy with the beautiful golden, crispy skin. Let me show you how:
The key to success starts with buying a chicken that’s no bigger than 3 pounds (otherwise it won’t fit in the 12″ skillet). I was proud of myself, that I successfully learned how to butterfly the whole chicken all by myself, with my poultry shears! (Otherwise, ask your butcher to do it for you.)
To get that beautiful sear on the butterflied chicken, I wrapped my Dutch Oven with foil and placed it on top of the chicken– and left it alone for about 20 minutes (peeking every 5 minutes). If you don’t own a Dutch Oven (one of my most used cooking equipment), you could use a baking sheeting with two heavy bricks or a stockpot filled with heavy cans.)
While the chicken was searing, I made a quick “marinade” of oil, fresh lemon juice, red pepper flakes, garlic and fresh thyme.
I carefully removed the chicken onto a baking sheet and prepared my red potatoes by washing them and cutting them in half.
The potatoes were seasoned with salt, pepper and fresh thyme.
The chicken was set atop the potatoes, and then the marinade was brushed all over the chicken. Into the oven, for 10-15 minutes. I always use a thermometer when I cook, so the temperature I was looking for was for the chicken breast to register at 160F.
Gorgeous! I’m usually tempted to cover my meat with foil, to preserve the heat. In this case, don’t do it— otherwise the crispy skin will become soggy. We’re not quite finished yet. While the chicken was resting, the potatoes went back into the oven for another 10 minutes.
I removed the potatoes, with a slotted spoon to leave any fat in the pan.Are those gorgeous roast potatoes, or what?! The juice from the chicken gave these so much flavor!
TASTING NOTES: I’ve received a few “unkind” emails accusing me of taking credit for this recipe. I never do that, and I always list my recipe source on the printable recipe card. This recipe comes from my most trusted recipe source: “America’s Test Kitchen”. I bought a subscription to their full-access website— that includes all of their cooking videos. The videos have taught me to be a better cook.
TASTING NOTES: So flavorful! The lemon, garlic and herbs made the roast chicken really pop. The skin was crispy. The potatoes were incredibly good– both crispy and creamy inside. This chicken recipe has become one that will be on our regular rotation.
Chicken Under a Brick with Herbed Potatoes
Equipment
- Heavy pot, such as a Dutch Oven or a Brick, covered in foil
- 12" Oven-Proof Non-Stick Skillet (can use a cast-iron skillet)
Ingredients
- 1 small whole chicken (about 3 lbs), trimmed of excess fat, giblets removed and discarded, chicken patted dry
- Table salt and ground black pepper
- 1 teasppn vegetable oil
For the marinade:
- 2 Tbsp oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice from 1 lemon plus 1 lemon cut into wedges
For the herb potatoes:
- 1 ½ pounds Red Bliss potatoes small, scrubbed, dried, and cut into 3/4 inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
- Instead of two bricks and a rimmed baking sheet, you may use a heavy cast-iron skillet loaded with several cans or a large stockpot partially filled with water. Be careful when removing the pan from the oven, as the handle will be hot.
TECHNIQUE: BUTTERFLYING A CHICKEN:
- With the breast side down and the tail of the chicken facing you, use poultry shears to cut along the length of one side of the backbone. With breast side still down, turn the neck end to face you, cut along the other side of the backbone and remove it. Turn the chicken breast-side up. Open the chicken on the work surface. Use the palm of your hand to flatten the chicken, then pound it with the flat side of a mallet to a fairly even thickness. Season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste.
- Adjust an oven rack to the lowest position and heat the oven to 450 degrees. Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a heavy-bottomed 12-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until it begins to smoke. Swirl the skillet to coat evenly with oil. Place the chicken, skin-side down, in the hot pan and reduce the heat to medium. Place the weight (see the note above) on the chicken and cook, checking every 5 minutes or so, until evenly browned, about 25 minutes. (After 20 minutes, the chicken should be fairly crisp and golden; if not, turn the heat up to medium-high and continue to cook until well browned.)
Make the marinade:
- Meanwhile, mix the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, garlic, 1½ teaspoons of the thyme, the pepper flakes, lemon juice, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper in a small bowl and set aside.
Remove the seared chicken:
- Using tongs, carefully transfer the chicken, skin-side up, to a clean plate. Pour off any accumulated fat in the pan and add the potatoes, sprinkling them with ¼ teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, and the remaining 1½ teaspoons thyme. Place the chicken, skin-side up, on the potatoes and brush the skin with the reserved thyme-lemon juice mixture.
Roasting the chicken and potatoes:
- Transfer the pan to the oven and roast until the thickest part of the breast registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let rest 10 to 15 minutes.
Finish Roasting the Potatoes:
- Return the skillet with the potatoes to the oven and roast until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the potatoes to a large bowl, leaving the fat behind. Toss the potatoes with the parsley. Cut the chicken into pieces. Serve the chicken and potatoes immediately with the lemon wedges.
Notes
I need to sincerely apologize. I didn’t read the recipe to the end, where you DO give credit to ATK. I’m sorry.
I would never steal a recipe as my own. I’m glad you saw that so did give credit. I love ATK.
I for one am very happy for this recipe. I watched it on TV but they never leave the recipe unless you subscribe to America’s Test Kitchen. Thank you, Thank you for making this available to me. It is a great recipe and fit for company.
I’m so glad that you got to try out this recipe. It’s one of our favorites.