Spatchcocked Roasted Chicken
We utilize a blend of aleppo and za’atar in this recipe because we love the slight spice and depth of flavor that these add to the chicken. You can easily substitute other spice blends or herbs that you prefer (thyme and lemon, rosemary and garlic, etc.). This recipe is best if you start the process the night before you plan to cook the bird, but if you can’t manage that, try to at least get started in the morning in order to dry brine the bird in order to dry out the skin a bit.
Ingredients
1 small whole chicken (no more than about 6-7 lbs.; giblets and neck removed)
Cooking oil of choice (olive oil is great for flavor, but due to the high cooking temp on the bird, you could also opt for a higher smoke point oil, such as sunflower or canola oil)
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
2-3 tablespoons za’atar seasoning
1-2 tablespoons aleppo pepper
1 large yellow onion
Poultry shears (highly recommended)
Instructions
Spatchcock the bird:
At least about 4 hours before you plan to start cooking (and preferably the night before), remove the chicken from its packaging and pat dry with paper towels. Position the bird breast side down on a cutting board. Use the poultry shears to cut all along one side of the backbone. Repeat on the other side of the backbone and remove it (toss the backbone or save it for making stock). Turn the bird over, breast side up on the cutting board, opening it up a bit as you do. Firmly press into the breast bone of the of the chicken with the heel of your hand to flatten the bird out.
Dry brine the bird:
Arrange a cooling rack inside a baking sheet. Place the flattened bird on the rack, skin side down, and liberally season with kosher salt, at least about 1 tablespoon. Flip the bird over, skin side up, and season again with at least about 1 tablespoon of kosher salt. Place the baking sheet with the chicken, uncovered, into the fridge for at least 3.5 hours, preferably overnight.
Prep the bird for cooking:
About 30 minutes before you plan to start cooking, remove the chicken from the fridge to allow the bird to come up in temperature a bit. Begin to preheat your oven to 425°F (400°F, if you’re using convection - we strongly recommend convection if you have it as an option).
While the oven is preheating, peel and slice the onion into 1/2 inch thick slices - you’re going to use these to lift the chicken off the bottom of your roasting pan. The slightly charred onions that result also taste great afterwards, to enjoy alongside the chicken. We usually just use a 9” x 13” pan, lined with foil, but any similarly size roasting pan should do. Break apart the onion into ring sections and arrange across the bottom of the roasting pan.
After the chicken has rested out of the fridge for at least about 30 minutes, flip the bird over on the rack, skin side down. Drizzle about 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of cooking oil over the surface of the bird (the amount of oil needed depends on the size of your bird, you only need a thin layer of oil to help the seasoning stick). Use your hand to make sure the oil is uniformly distributed over the bird. Evenly season the underside of the bird with about 1 tablespoon za’atar, 1/2 tablespoon of aleppo (you can use a little more aleppo if you enjoy the spice), and a good few grinds of fresh black pepper. Since the bird has been dry brined, you shouldn’t need to add any additional salt.
Transfer the chicken over to the prepared roasting pan, placing on top of the onion rings, skin side up. Repeat the same steps as above with oil, za’atar, aleppo, and black pepper all over the skin of the chicken.
Roast the chicken:
Place the roasting pan with the seasoned chicken into the preheated oven and cook for 15 minutes at 425°F (400°F on convection). After 15 minutes has elapsed, reduce the temperature to 400°F (375°F on convection) and continue cooking for about another 30 minutes (approximately 45 minute total cook time).
Keep an eye on the bird in the last 15 minutes. If the skin starts looking too brown, loosely cover the top of the chicken with foil while it continues cooking. Remove the chicken from the oven when a thermometer in the breast meat reads 160°F - this may be a little before or after the 45 min cook time.
Rest and serve:
Allow the chicken to rest for at least about 15-20 minutes before transferring to your cutting board (we usually keep the chicken uncovered when resting to prevent the skin from steaming and reducing crispiness). The carryover heat while resting will bring it up to the desired 165°F.
Transfer the chicken to your cutting board and serve up as desired. The onions and pan drippings make for great accompaniments to the chicken.
