Spatchcock chicken with potatoes
Flattening the chicken means it roasts in under an hour with crisp skin everywhere, over potatoes that soak up every drop of the drippings.
- 80 min total
- 25 min hands-on
- A little more hands-on
- Serves 4
- About $3.45 a serving
- 950 calories
- Good the next day
- Gluten-free
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 1 whole chicken, about 4 lb
- 2 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 2 tbsp butter, softened
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves finely chopped
- 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
From your pantry
- 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 2½ tsp salt, divided
- 1 tsp black pepper, divided
Each serving has about 950 calories, 62 g protein, 43 g carbs and 59 g fat, and costs about $3.45 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No Yukon Gold potatoes? Russet potatoes or red potatoes work.
- No butter? Ghee works.
- No fresh rosemary? Fresh thyme works.
- No lemons? Limes work.
- No fresh parsley? Cilantro works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
Take the butter out to and the oven to 450°F with a rack in the middle.
Softened. For vegetables it means cooked until they bend and lose their crunch; for butter, left out until it dents easily. Soft onions taste sweet, and soft butter mixes in smoothly.
How you’ll know: Onions squash easily against the pan with your spoon, and butter dents under a finger without looking greasy.
Preheat. Preheating means turning the oven on before you start, so it’s fully hot when the food goes in. Food that starts in a cold oven cooks unevenly and doesn’t brown the same.
How you’ll know: The oven beeps or its light clicks off, usually 10 to 15 minutes after you turn it on.
Pull out the giblets, set the chicken breast side down on a board, and cut along both sides of the backbone with sturdy kitchen scissors to remove it.
Dolly’s tip: Ask the meat counter to do this for you. Most will spatchcock a chicken for free.Food safety: Wash your hands, the board and the knife with hot soapy water after touching raw meat, and don’t rinse raw chicken in the sink.
Flip the chicken breast side up and press hard on the breastbone with the heel of your hand until it cracks and the bird lies flat. it dry.
Pat dry. Patting dry means pressing paper towels onto food to soak up the moisture on its surface. Wet food steams instead of browning, so this is how you get a good sear and crisp skin.
How you’ll know: The surface feels tacky, not wet, and the last paper towel comes away barely damp.
Dolly’s tip: It feels dramatic. One firm push and a crack is all it takes.the potatoes on a large with 1 tablespoon of oil, 1 teaspoon of salt and half the pepper, and spread them in an even layer.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Sheet pan. A sheet pan is a flat metal baking tray with a low rim all the way around. The rim catches juices, and the wide surface lets food spread out and brown.
How you’ll know: Everything fits in one layer with a little space between the pieces.
the lemon into a small bowl and mash in the butter, garlic, rosemary and 1 teaspoon of salt. Rub it all over the chicken, pushing some under the breast skin.
Zest. Zest is the thin, colored outer layer of citrus peel, rubbed off on the smallest holes of a grater. It holds the fruit’s fragrant oils, so it adds bright flavor without the sourness of juice.
How you’ll know: You see bright flecks and smell citrus right away; stop when you reach the white layer, which is bitter.
Lay the chicken skin side up on top of the potatoes, it with the last tablespoon of oil, and sprinkle the remaining salt and pepper over.
Drizzle. Drizzling means pouring a thin, slow stream over the top of something. A thin stream spreads a little flavor a long way.
How you’ll know: You see thin lines across the food, not a puddle collecting underneath.
45 to 55 minutes, until the skin is deep and the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°F.
Roast. Roasting means cooking in a hot oven, around 400°F to 450°F, usually spread out on a sheet pan. The dry heat browns the outside and brings out sweetness, especially in vegetables.
How you’ll know: The edges are browned and a little crisp, and a fork slides easily into the thickest piece.
Golden brown. Golden brown is the color of good toast, somewhere between yellow and light brown. It means the outside is cooked and crisp but not burnt.
How you’ll know: It looks like toast and smells toasty; dark brown with a bitter smell means it went too far.
Timer: 50 min
Dolly’s tip: Check the thigh and the thickest part of the breast. Both need to read 165°F.Food safety: Chicken and turkey are done at 165°F in the thickest part. A thermometer is the only sure check. Without one, cut into the thickest piece: it should be white all the way through, with no pink.
Move the chicken to a board to for 10 minutes. the potatoes in the drippings and give them 10 more minutes in the oven if they need color.
Rest. Resting means letting cooked meat sit for a few minutes before you cut it. It keeps cooking gently, and more of the juice stays in the meat instead of running onto the board.
How you’ll know: Loosely covered with foil, it stays hot, and very little juice runs out when you slice it.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Timer: 10 min
Cut the chicken in half down the breastbone, then separate the legs from the breasts. Squeeze the lemon over and serve on the potatoes with the parsley.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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