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Easy Spatchcock Roast Chicken (Butterflied Chicken)

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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Overnight Dry Brine 1 day
Servings: 6 people
Course: Main Dish
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 4-5lb chicken
  • 2 lemons
  • 4-5 teaspoons kosher salt 1 tsp per pound of chicken
  • 3 sprigs fresh rosemarry
  • 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2-3 sprigs fresh sage
  • 4 tablespoons butter softened
  • 2-3 carrots
  • 2-3 ribs of celery
  • 1 onion

Method
 

Night before
  1. Cut the back bone out of the chicken and crack the breast bone.
  2. Put the chicken on a cooling rack that has been placed on a cookie sheet, and pat dry with a paper towel.
  3. Rub the salt and zest from one lemon on the chicken, and place chicken uncovered in fridge overnight.
Morning of
  1. Preheat oven to 450℉.
  2. Take the chicken out of the fridge.
  3. On a new baking sheet place roughly cut up carrots, celery, onion and lemon. Then place chicken on top.
  4. Dice the sage, rosemary, and thyme, and mix it in the softened butter.
  5. Rub herbed butter over the chicken. Do not rinse the chicken before doing this.
  6. Bake the chicken at 450℉ for 15 minutes. Then lower the oven temperature to 350℉ for the reminder of the cooking time (about 45 minutes).
  7. Take the chicken out of the oven when it has reached 160℉ in the thickest part of the breast. Let the chicken rest for 10-15 minutes, which should allow it to come to the final temperature of 165℉.