Spatchcock Chicken Recipe Recipe
Learn how to spatchcock a chicken! An easy technique, and a delicious one-pan meal perfect for cozy fall nights. The drippings from the chicken infuse the cauliflower steaks with goodness and flavor!
How to Make the Best Spatchcock Chicken Recipe
Spatchcocking a chicken might sound intimidating, but it’s actually one of the easiest techniques to master—and it results in the most evenly cooked, crispy-skinned roast chicken you’ll ever make. By removing the backbone and flattening the bird, you dramatically reduce cooking time while ensuring both the breast and thigh meat reach perfect doneness at the same time.
This recipe takes things up a notch by roasting the spatchcocked chicken directly on top of cauliflower steaks. As the chicken cooks, all those incredible drippings—infused with mustard, herbs, and garlic—cascade down onto the cauliflower below, transforming simple vegetables into something truly spectacular. It’s a complete one-pan meal that’s as impressive as it is practical.
The whole grain mustard marinade creates a beautiful golden crust on the skin while adding a subtle tangy depth to the meat. Paired with the aromatic herbs and whole garlic cloves, this dish fills your kitchen with the most amazing aromas while it roasts. Perfect for a cozy fall dinner or when you want to impress guests without spending hours in the kitchen.
Spatchcock Chicken Recipe
Learn how to spatchcock a chicken! An easy technique, and a delicious one-pan meal perfect for cozy fall nights. The drippings from the chicken infuse the cauliflower steaks with goodness and flavor!
Ingredients
Cauliflower Base
Spatchcock Chicken
Mustard Marinade
Instructions
Prepare the Cauliflower Base
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Slice cauliflower into "steaks" about ½ inch to ¾ inch thick, green parts and all. Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet with a rim.
- Scatter sliced onions, whole garlic cloves, and sprigs of herbs over top.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper and a very light drizzle of olive oil.
Prepare the Chicken
- In a small bowl, mix mustard, oil, and a pinch of salt.
- Spatchcock the chicken: Place the chicken on a cutting board, backside up, breast bone down. Using sturdy kitchen scissors, cut along each side of the backbone, removing it (save it for stock).
- Open the chicken up like a book, find the lower tip of the breast bone, and slice the flesh open at that point so the tip can protrude out.
- Turn the chicken over, spread apart, and press down hard on the breast bone with the heel of your hand to flatten.
- Sprinkle the inside and outside generously with salt and pepper.
Roast
- Place the chicken, breast side up, over the cauliflower, pushing down to make it relatively flat.
- Brush or rub the skin side of the chicken with the mustard marinade (saving 1-2 tablespoons for basting), getting all the nooks and crannies.
- Place in the middle of the oven for 40 minutes.
- Baste with the remaining mustard. If there are pan juices, spoon some over the cauliflower, and bake for another 10-20 more minutes until cooked through. Bake until thigh at the thickest part reaches 170°F or juices run clear.
- Remove from oven. When you tilt the pan, spoon the flavorful clear pan juices over the exposed cauliflower. Let rest 10 minutes before cutting.
Notes
- Save the backbone you remove during spatchcocking—it makes excellent chicken stock.
- The cauliflower absorbs all the delicious chicken drippings, making it incredibly flavorful.
- For extra crispy skin, pat the chicken dry with paper towels before seasoning.
- A meat thermometer is your best friend here—the thigh should reach 170°F for perfectly cooked chicken.
