Roasted Spatchcock Chicken (Weeknight Easy!)
Flavourful and moist full chicken roast, complete with veggies all in one pot! Most of the cook time is completely hands off, so it is perfect for busy evenings.
Ingredients
- 4 medium potatoes
- 2 bell peppers or 2 medium carrots
- 2 red onions
- 4 large cloves of garlic
- Olive oil
- 1 tsp Red pepper flakes
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 1/2 lemon juiced
- 2 tbsp salted butter
- 1 tbsp Paprika
- Salt & Pepper
- 1/4 cup chicken stock or water
Instructions
- Wash all veggies and chop them into large (approx. 1”x3”) wedges/pieces.
- Preheat oven to 425°F
- Drizzle a bit of olive oil on your Dutch oven or roasting pan and place all vegetables inside. Sprinkle in the red pepper flakes, and pepper. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon over the veggies and add 2 bay leaves.
- Prep the flavours! Mince all garlic cloves, add about 1/3 to the veggies and the remaining into a small bowl. Add the butter to the bowl and microwave for 20seconds to soften the butter (it doesn’t need to be fully melted). Add about a tablespoon of olive oil each to the bowl and to the veggies. To the small bowl add the paprika, pepper, and any minced fresh herbs (i.e. parsley) that you’d like to use.
- Prepare the chicken. Generously salt the chicken all over and add a generous sprinkle of salt to the veggies while you’re at it too! Then spatchcock it, place the chicken breast side down, take a pair of kitchen shears and cut along each side of the backbone (you will need to cut through small bones, but it shouldn’t be difficult by any means). Once the spine has been removed, flip it over and press your palm with a bit of force between the breasts to flatten the chicken out.
- Season the chicken. Use your fingers to make little pockets between the skin and the meat and use your fingers and a spoon to fill it with our butter seasoning mixture. Spread the remaining butter seasoning all over the outside of the bird and then toss the veggies with with your hands to coat them with the olive oil. Place the chicken on top, breast side up, and legs out the the side so that it sits flat with all of the skin facing upwards.
- Bake at 425°F for 40-60 minutes (time varies based on size of chicken, but I typically do 30min covered, and then uncover it and start checking the internal temp at around the 40min mark. We’re looking for an internal temp of no less than 165°, be careful not to overcook as this will dry it out!
- Once it is done cooking, pull it out, and let it rest for 10min before cutting into it and serving. Pairs well with a salad, try this one!