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–+ servings
Roasted Spatchcocked Chicken in Cast Iron pan on wooden table.

Greek-Seasoned Spatchcock Chicken

Nutrivore Score: 181
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Resting Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 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.

Notes

“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.   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!