Oven Roasted Spicy Spatchcocked Chicken

Written by
Nancy Lopez-McHugh
Author of two books, freelance writer, and photographer. She runs the popular blogs Spicie Foodie and Mexican Made Meatless.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Nancy Lopez-McHugh
Updated 07/27/19
Roasted spatchcock chicken

clubfoto / Getty Images
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 40 mins
Total: 50 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
994 Calories
53g Fat
17g Carbs
107g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 994
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 53g 68%
Saturated Fat 15g 74%
Cholesterol 332mg 111%
Sodium 907mg 39%
Total Carbohydrate 17g 6%
Dietary Fiber 3g 9%
Protein 107g
Calcium 140mg 11%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Spatchcock (or spatchcocked) may be a funny-sounding term to describe butterflied poultry, but there's nothing funny about how great it will taste. Spatchcocking is a method of preparing a chicken, turkey, goose or duck. The process basically entails the bird being butchered in a way that allows it to be splayed flat for cooking. As a result, the bird's cooking time is much quicker than a whole chicken. Once you have butterflied or spatchcocked the bird, you can roast it in the oven or put it on your bbq grill or stovetop flat grill. 

The process of spatchcocking a chicken may sound a tad intimidating, but you should be able to take on the challenge immediately.

Once you've done it a few times, you'll see that it really does get easier every time—just like when you first learn how to cut up a whole chicken on your own. However, if you don't want to take on the spatchcocking yourself, you can ask the butcher at your grocery store to do it for you. 

Ingredients

  • 1 3.5 lb chicken (spatchcocked)
  • 1 medium lemon (sliced in half)
  • 1 handful celery leaves (off the celery stalk, finely chopped)
  • 4 cloves of garlic (finely minced)
  • 3 spring onions (finely sliced)
  • 1 tablespoon red chile pepper (ground)
  • 1 teaspoon salt (fine sea salt)
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (ground)

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. First, spatchcock the chicken. Once the chicken is prepared, use your fingers to gently pull the skin away from the meat slightly, enough so you can slide your hands underneath. Set the chicken aside on a baking sheet. 

  3. Juice the lemon halves and set the juiced lemon rind aside.

  4. In a bowl, combine the lemon juice with the celery leaves, minced garlic, spring onions, red chile, salt, and black pepper. Give the ingredients a good stir, then taste and adjust the ingredients if desired.

  5. Next, use a spoon to coat the chicken meat under the skin and throughout the entire chicken. Then coat and rub the sauce ingredients all over the outside or on top of the chicken skin—make sure to cover as much of the meat as possible.

  6. Grab the lemon halves you juiced and slice them into even slices. Place these lemon slices underneath the skin and on top of the breasts and thighs. Place the chicken in the fridge for 30 minutes before roasting or grilling. 

  7. Preheat oven to 400 F.

  8. Roast in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. (You can also place it on the grill to cook.) Your roasting time will depend on the thickness or weight of your chicken. Make sure that the juices run clear in the thighs before removing from the oven.

  9. Serve with desired side dishes and enjoy!

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