This Spatchcock Whole Roasted Chicken brushed with melted butter and fresh thyme is a deliciously flavorful recipe that’s simple to make.
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I just love when cooking is so easy you can hardly call it a recipe. With only three ingredients, this Butter & Thyme Spatchcock Roasted Chicken is just one of those recipes!
I tend to make a whole roasted chicken 2-3 times per month. Not only are they versatile with a plethora of ways to prepare them, the leftovers are great too!
Some of our favorite leftovers are Chicken Pot Pie, Chicken and Wild Rice Soup and Napa Almond Chicken Salad.
Depending on the size of the whole chicken, you can feed anywhere from 4-8 people. This 8-pound roasted chicken was deliciously moist with a crispy outer skin and took about 1 1/2 hours to cook.
Roasts are an inexpensive way to feed a family and you can use the carcass to make Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup too!
What is a Spatchcock Chicken?
Occasionally, I like to remove the backbone and lay the chicken on a flat pan; which is called spatchcocking or butterflying.
It helps the chicken to cook more evenly so the breast and thigh meat are cooked at the same time.
The chicken also cooks a little faster because when it’s laid flat, there is more heat exposure which results in a crispy, brown skin.
Equipment
- Roasting Pan (or Sheet Pan)
- Kitchen Shears
- Basting Brush
- Meat Thermometer
- Cutting Board
- Chef Knife
- Platter
I like rotating my sheet pans using the older ones for roasting chicken, sheet pan meals, vegetables or potatoes.
Ingredients Needed
For this recipe you’ll need the following ingredients:
Whole Roaster Chicken: My roaster chicken was approximately 8-pounds, but this recipe will work on cut up chicken parts or whole turkey as well.
Melted Butter: I used salted butter so there was no need to add additional salt to this recipe.
Fresh Thyme: I used 2-tablespoons of fresh thyme removed from the stem, but if you don’t have any, you can use 1 teaspoon of dried ground thyme instead.
How do you make Butter and Thyme Spatchcock Roasted Chicken?
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Remove any innards from the whole chicken and discard.
Next, place the chicken on a hard surface like a cutting board and using sharp kitchen shears, cut down both sides of the backbone to remove the bone.
Turn the chicken over and press down so that the chicken is laying flat; then place it on a sheet pan or in a roasting pan.
Melt the butter either in a small saucepan or in a bowl in the microwave; then add the thyme. Using a basting brush, add the butter mixture to the top of the chicken; then place in the oven.
Cooking time will depend on the size of of the chicken. At 8-pounds, this chicken took approximately 1 1/2 hours to cook to an internal temperature of 180 degrees F.
Remove the pan from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before carving.
How to Carve a Whole Chicken
Carving a whole roasted chicken is the same as carving a Thanksgiving turkey. Here is what you have to do:
- Cut the legs from the body where the thigh meets the breast.
- Cut through the leg joint to separate the drumstick from the thigh.
- If you prefer your dark meat sliced, hold the drumstick by the leg and slice the meat downward off of the bone. For the thigh, cut the meat off of the bone angling the knife as you go.
- Carve both breasts from the breastbone and ribcage; then slice the breast crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices.
Serving Suggestions
Because of the mild flavor, you can serve this Butter & Thyme Spatchcock Roasted Chicken with so many accompaniments. Here are a few of my personal favorites!
Side Dishes: Chive Butter Smashed Potatoes, Creamy Garlic and Herb Mashed Potatoes Garlic and Rosemary Twice Baked Potatoes or Balsamic Mushroom Risotto
Vegetables: Sea Salt Roasted Green Beans, Butter and Thyme Roasted Carrots, Gremolata Roasted Cauliflower or Herb Creamed Spinach
.
VISIT THE RECIPE INDEX TO SEARCH FOR MORE RECIPES BY CATEGORY.
More Roasted Chicken Recipes
- Rosemary Lemon Spatchcock Chicken
- Balsamic Maple Whole Roasted Chicken
- Spatchcock Honey Mustard Chicken
- Whole Roasted Greek Chicken
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Butter and Thyme Spatchcock Roasted Chicken
Equipment
- Sheet Pan (or roasting pan)
Ingredients
- 8 pound whole roaster chicken
- 8 tablespoons butter (melted)
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Remove any innards from the whole chicken and discard.
- Next, place the chicken on a hard surface like a cutting board and using sharp kitchen shears, cut down both sides of the backbone to remove the bone.
- Turn the chicken over and press down so that the chicken is laying flat; then place it on a sheet pan or in a roasting pan.
- Melt the butter either in a small saucepan or in a bowl in the microwave; then add the thyme. Using a basting brush, add the butter mixture to the top of the chicken; then place in the oven.
- Cooking time will depend on the size of of the chicken. At 8-pounds, this chicken took approximately 1 1/2 hours to cook to an internal temperature of 180 degrees F.
- Remove the pan from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before carving.
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