Greek-Seasoned Spatchock Chicken

“Spatchcock” is a funny sounding word dating back to the 1700s. It refers to a chicken (or other fowl) that is split open and cooked flat (as opposed to stuffed and/or simply roasted whole).  We love this cooking technique because the chicken cooks evenly and the breast meat turns out tender and juicy. The skin is that perfect crispy-meets-caramelized texture. Plus, the quick cooking time is amazingly convenient, so you can even make it on a weeknight.  A 5-pound chicken would normally take 1 hour and 40 minutes to roast. But, it only takes 45 minutes once spatchcocked, for about the same amount of prep time. We know it can seem a bit intimidating to spatchcock a chicken for this recipe. However, it’s pretty easy to do with poultry shears. Or, you can definitely ask your butcher to do it for you. Either way, be sure to save the backbone and the rest of the carcass for homemade chicken bone broth!

Try serving this Greek-Seasoned Spatchock Chicken (Nutrivore Score: 181) with Mashed Cauliflower (Nutrivore Score: 2291) and Wilted Spinach Salad with Almonds and Cranberries (Nutrivore Score: 499) for a well-balanced meal with a total Nutrivore Score of 2,971.

Greek-Seasoned Spatchcock Chicken

Nutrivore Score: 181

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Resting Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 599kcal

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Ingredients

• 4 cloves garlic crushed
• 1 whole lemon zested and juiced
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (optional)
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil divided
• 5 pound chicken whole

Instructions

• Prepare the seasoning rub.  Mix crushed garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, chopped oregano, chopped thyme, chopped rosemary, salt and 1 tablespoon of avocado oil.
• Rub 1 tablespoon of avocado oil over the bottom of a cast-iron or stainless steel skillet (10″ or bigger will fit most chickens).
• Preheat oven to 425F.
• Using poultry sheers, cut along the right side of the chicken’s backbone (so you’re cutting through the ribs and not the vertebrae) all the way down the spine.  Repeat down the left side to entirely remove the backbone.  Turn chicken over (back to breast-side up) and open up to begin to lie flat.  You can more thoroughly flatten the chicken by pulling up on one side while pushing down on the other (this breaks the ribs so the chicken will like flat).
• Place chicken skin-side-up inside prepared skillet.  Pat dry with paper towel.  Rub seasoning slurry all over skin side of chicken.
• Roast for 45 minutes.  Let rest 10 minutes in pan before serving.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Greek-Seasoned Spatchcock Chicken

Amount per Serving

Calories

599

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

43

g

66

%

Saturated Fat

 

12

g

75

%

Trans Fat

 

0.3

g

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

9

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

19

g

Cholesterol

 

193

mg

64

%

Sodium

 

568

mg

25

%

Potassium

 

503

mg

14

%

Carbohydrates

 

1

g

0

%

Fiber

 

0.4

g

2

%

Sugar

 

0.1

g

0

%

Protein

 

48

g

96

%

Vitamin A

 

375

IU

8

%

Vitamin C

 

5

mg

6

%

Calcium

 

45

mg

5

%

Iron

 

3

mg

17

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.