How to Spatchcock a Chicken
A spatchcock or spatchcocked chicken will literally cut your cooking time in half. When the chicken is spread out or opened up like a book, it cooks more quickly and evenly. It will be crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside and bursting with great flavor.
To spatchcock a chicken, you’ll remove the backbone and arrange the chicken to make it as flat as possible. This may sound complicated, but it’s really pretty easy to do.
Instructions
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Steps
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1.
Place the chicken on a cutting board, breast side down.
2.
Using a sharp butcher knife or poultry shears, cut and remove the backbone.
Hot TipWatch the embedded video for a demonstration of this technique.
3.
Open the chicken and make a small incision to the breast bone. This will allow you to easily break the breast bone to open the chicken like a book.
4.
Flip the chicken over and make small incisions in the loose skin next to each leg. Secure the legs by inserting them into the openings in the chicken skin.
5.
Rotate the wings backward so that the tip of each wing is tucked underneath the drumettes. The spatchcock chicken is now ready for seasoning.
When you’re ready to test your new skills, try this Bourbon Smoked Chicken recipe.
