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    Spatchcock Roast Chicken Recipe

    Last Updated On: Apr 6, 2025 by Aarthi

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    Spatchcock roast chicken is one of the most popular method for roasting a whole chicken. It is also known as roast spatchcock chicken or roast butterflied chicken. If you are struggling making juicy roast chicken, try this roast whole chicken, it was flavourful, moist and juicy. Butterflied chicken is marinated in a chilli garlic marinate and roasted in oven. Learn how to make Spatchcock roast chicken with step by step pictures and video.

    Spatchcock Roast Chicken

    We love whole roast chicken in this house. I have tried so many versions of roast chicken and shared earlier. Some of our family favourites are my Vietnamese roast chicken, greek roast chicken, Indian masala baked chicken and lemon roast chicken. 

    Jump to:
    • What is Spatchcock mean?
    • About Spatchcock roast chicken
    • Watch Spatchcock Roast Chicken Video
    • Spatchcock Roast Chicken Ingredients
    • How to Spatchcock a Chicken
    • My Extra Tips for Juicy Spatchcock Chicken
    • How to Make Spatchcock Roast Chicken (Stepwise Pictures)
    • Expert Tips
    • 📖 Recipe Card

    Ever since we started roasting whole chicken butterflied or spatchcock style, I find it taste so flavourful, juicy and moist. This roast chicken is so flavourful and easy for weeknight dinners, since there is no marination required. All you need is to marinate the chicken with freshly ground chilli paste and cook them in a cast iron pan or grill pan. 

    What is Spatchcock mean?

    A chicken or any game bird split open from the back bone using a sharp knife so it lays flat. This is a popular method used for cooking chicken. Since chicken lays flat on the cooking surface or grill, it cooks evenly and fast.

    About Spatchcock roast chicken

    Spatchcock roast chicken is one of the most popular method for roasting a whole chicken. It is also known as roast spatchcock chicken or roast butterflied chicken. Popular fast food chains like nandos cooks their famous peri peri chicken in this method. 

    Roasting whole chicken can be tricky because when you roast a whole chicken in oven, the breast tends to dry out faster by the time dark meat is cooked through. But when you butterfly a chicken before cooking, it cooks faster and more evenly which results in juicy moist chicken. 

    The recipe for making spatchcock roast chicken starts by prepping or preparing the chicken. Chicken is usually bought whole from stores, it is easy to spatchcock the chicken yourselves. Or you can ask your butcher to spatchcock it for you.

    Once chicken is prepped, marinate it with a spicy chilli garlic paste which I made in a blender. I usually don’t let it marinate longer, just 15 minutes to 30 minutes of marination is enough. Once chicken is marinated, start by cooking it 3 to 4 minutes on stove top in a cast iron pan or grill pan, then pop the whole pan inside the oven and continue baking till golden and crispy. 

    Similar Recipes

    Peri peri chicken

    Barbeque chicken

    Grilled Chicken Legs

    Oven baked garlic chicken

    Watch Spatchcock Roast Chicken Video

    YouTube video

    Spatchcock Roast Chicken Ingredients

    ingredients for Spatchcock Roast Chicken

    Chicken - For this recipe, I am using a whole chicken with skins. The chicken weighs around 2 kg and skins should be still intact for moist and juicy chicken. Make sure you wash the chicken really well and pat them completely dry with some paper towel.

    Onion & Garlic - these two form base for the marinate. Instead of onions, you can use peeled shallots as well for better flavour. 

    Dry Red Chillies - any variety of dry red chillies can be used depending on your spice level. I used a combination of Kashmiri red chillies and dried birds eye chilli.

    Herbs & Spices - dried oregano, paprika adds the smoky flavour and colour to the chicken. 

    Ketchup - I used ketchup to add a tangy taste to the chicken, you can use tomato paste instead of tomato ketchup. 

    Vinegar - a good amount of vinegar is used to balance the taste of the roast chicken. You can use white vinegar or apple cider vinegar. 

    Brown Sugar - some kind of sugar is used in the marinate to create a caramel like colour and taste to the chicken. 

    How to Spatchcock a Chicken

    how to Spatchcock a Chicken

    A chicken or any game bird split open from the back bone using a sharp knife so it lays flat. This is a popular method used for cooking chicken. Since chicken lays flat on the cooking surface or grill, it cooks evenly and fast.

    This is how you spatchcock or butterfly a whole chicken yourselves. Things you need will be kitchen gloves, cutting board, sharp knife or kitchen shears.

    • Take a whole chicken, around 2 kg or 4.4lb in weight. Make sure the chicken is with skins on for juicy chicken. 
    • Place the whole chicken on a cutting board, flip the chicken, make sure the chicken breast-side is facing down. Now use a sharp kitchen shears or knife to to cut through the ribs. 
    • Once the chicken is opened up like a book, flip it gently so the breast side is facing up. 
    • Use your hands to flatten the breast gently by putting some weight on it which ensure the chicken is flat. 
    • You can season chicken as per your preference and cook. 
    close look of Spatchcock Roast Chicken

    My Extra Tips for Juicy Spatchcock Chicken

    Choosing Chicken - For this recipe, I am using a whole chicken with skins. The chicken weighs around 2 kg and skins should be still intact for moist and juicy chicken. Make sure you wash the chicken really well and pat them completely dry with some paper towel.

    Marination - the particular marination which I have provided is the key for a spicy yet flavourful roast chicken. This marination absorbs into the chicken which makes it super moist and juicy. 

    You can cook the chicken immediately. But if you got the time, You can marinate the chicken longer if you want. Cover the chicken with a plastic wrap and place in fridge and let it marinate overnight. 

    Using Right Pan - I used my cast iron grill pan that can directly go from stove top to oven. Most of the cast iron grill pan or skillet available in the market can go directly from stove top to oven. 

    If you are using regular pans or skillets to sear the chicken, you might need to transfer the seared chicken into a baking tray or roasting tray before putting it in the oven. 

    Baking Temperature and timing - the temperature and timing mentioned in the recipe is perfect to get a crispy skin and juicy chicken. 

    Basting the chicken - Make sure to baste some of the cooking liquid over the chicken every 15 minutes for moist chicken. 

    Resting Chicken - Once the chicken is cooked, rest it for 15 minutes before slicing and serving. 

    Spatchcock Roast Chicken

    How to Make Spatchcock Roast Chicken (Stepwise Pictures)

    Spatchcock (butterfly) a chicken

    1)Take a whole chicken, around 2 kg or 4.4lb in weight. Make sure the chicken is with skins on for juicy chicken. Now flip the chicken over to start cutting from the back bone.

    take chicken for spatchcock or butterfly

    2)Place the whole chicken on a cutting board, flip the chicken, make sure the chicken breast-side is facing down. Now use a sharp kitchen shears or knife to to cut through the back bone.  

    cut on the back using a knife

    3)Gently open up the chicken.

    open the chicken

    4)Once the chicken is opened up like a book, flip it gently so the breast side is facing up.

    flip over

    5) Use your hands to flatten the breast gently by putting some weight on it which ensure the chicken is flat. 

    press on it to flatten the chicken

    6)This is your spatchcock chicken or butterflied chicken.

    spatchcock or butterflied chicken

    First (Pre) Marination

    7)Take the cleaned and dry chicken in the bowl. We are going to pre-marinate the chicken.

    take chicken in a bowl

    8)I used a combination of oregano, salt, red chilli flakes and black pepper powder. Season generously on both side of the chicken. Massage it really well and set aside for 10 minutes while we prepare the spicy marinade.

    marinate chicken with oregano, chilli flakes, salt and pepper

    Spicy Chilli Marinade

    9)Take a small blender jar. Add in peeled and chopped onions, peeled garlic. Instead of onions you can use peeled shallots.

    make marinade for chicken. Take onion garlic in a blender

    10)Now add in dry red chillies, bird eye chillies.

    add chillies

    11)Add in tomato ketchup.

    add ketchup

    12)Sprinkle in some paprika. Even though this is optional, I strongly recommend to add it for flavour. Instead of paprika, you can use red chilli powder.

    add paprika

    13)Add in salt and brown sugar. I used powdered jaggery (natural brown sugar).

    season with salt and brown sugar

    14)Now for the herbs, I am using dried oregano. You can use dried basil, parsley.

    add oregano

    15)Pour some olive oil and vinegar into the blender and start grinding them.

    pour olive oil and vinegar into chicken

    16)Don't grind the marinade to super smooth. A little coarse and chunky is okay.

    marinade for chicken

    Marinating the Chicken

    17)Now take ¾th of the marination and apply over chicken and massage it all over the chicken on both sides.

    apply marinade over chicken

    18)Let the chicken marinate for 10 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile preheat oven to 220 degree C | 428 degree F. 

    massage chicken with this marinade

    Pre Grilling Chicken on Stove Top

    19)Heat a cast iron grill pan on medium to high heat. Now apply some oil on the grill pan.

    heat grill pan with oil

    20)Place the marinated chicken breast side down in the grill pan and cook them on high for 3 to 4 minutes.

    place chicken on grill

    21)Flip the chicken over gently and cook for another 3 minutes.

    cook till slightly seared

    22)Now take the remaining ¼ of the marinate and apply all over the chicken. Drizzle with 1 tbsp of oil over the chicken. 

    apply extra marinade

    Baking Chicken in Oven

    23)Place the chicken grill pan into the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 200 degree C | 392 degree F and continue baking for 1 hour.

    continue cooking in oven

    24)Make sure to baste some of the cooking liquid over the chicken every 15 minutes for moist chicken. 

    baste spatchcock chicken with chicken juices

    25)One cooked, remove the chicken from oven and let it rest for 15 minutes before carving. 

    spatchcock chicken ready

    26)Enjoy.

    enjoy

    Expert Tips

    • Make sure the chicken you use is with skins on. This helps the chicken to stay moist and succulent.
    • You can cook the chicken in outdoor grill for smoky flavour.
    • You can marinate the chicken longer if you want. Cover the chicken with a plastic wrap and place in fridge and let it marinate overnight. 
    • You can use honey instead of brown sugar. Lemon juice can be used instead of vinegar.
    • Make sure you use cast iron grill pan that can go into the oven directly, else you might need to transfer the chicken to another baking tray before baking in oven. 

    Storage & Serving

    Roast chicken taste great when served with some kuboos, pita bread or Mexican rice. Make sure you enjoy it with some toum (Lebanese garlic sauce) and pico de gallo.

    Leftover chicken can be stored in fridge, you can add it to salads, stir fries and more.

    More Grilled, Fried or Baked Chicken Recipes

    • Chicken Mince Kebab Recipe
    • Chicken Kebab Recipe
    • Seekh Kebab Recipe
    • KFC Chicken Recipe
    • Popcorn Chicken Recipe
    • Chicken Piccata
    • Tangdi Kabab Recipe
    • Oven Baked Garlic Chicken Recipe
    • Grilled Chicken Legs Recipe

    📖 Recipe Card

    Spatchcock Roast Chicken Recipe (Butterflied Roast Chicken)

    Spatchcock roast chicken is one of the most popular method for roasting a whole chicken. It is also known as roast spatchcock chicken or roast butterflied chicken. If you are struggling making juicy roast chicken, try this roast whole chicken, it was flavourful, moist and juicy. Butterflied chicken is marinated in a chilli garlic marinate and roasted in oven. Learn how to make Spatchcock roast chicken with step by step pictures and video.
    No ratings yet
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes
    Resting Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 722kcal

    Equipment

    • Mixing Bowl
    • Cutting Board, Knife & Kitchen Gloves to spatchcock chicken
    • Cast Iron Grill Pan, Skillet or Baking Tray
    • OTG or Oven

    Ingredients

    • 2 kg Whole Chicken with skins on roughly 4 lb
    • 1 tsp Red Chilli Flakes
    • 1 tsp Dried Oregano
    • 1 tsp Salt
    • 1 tsp Black Pepper Powder
    • 1 tbsp Olive Oil

    For Marination Paste

    • 6 no Dry Red Chillies
    • 4 no Bird Eye Chillies optional
    • 1 medium Onion peeled and roughly chopped
    • 10 Cloves Garlic peeled
    • 4 tbsp Tomato Ketchup
    • 3 tbsp Brown Sugar
    • 2 tsp Paprika
    • 4 tbsp Vinegar
    • 2 tsp Dried Oregano
    • 3 tbsp Olive Oil
    • 1 tsp Salt

    Instructions

    • Take a whole chicken, around 2 kg or 4.4lb in weight. Make sure the chicken is with skins on for juicy chicken. Place the whole chicken on a cutting board, flip the chicken, make sure the chicken breast-side is facing down. Now use a sharp kitchen shears or knife to to cut through the back bone. Once the chicken is opened up like a book, flip it gently so the breast side is facing up. Use your hands to flatten the breast gently by putting some weight on it which ensure the chicken is flat.
    • Take the chicken in a bowl, sprinkle with red chilli flakes, salt, black pepper powder and oregano over the chicken. Mix it really well so the spices and herbs coats evenly over both sides of the chicken.
    • Take all the ingredients given for marination in a blender. Grind them to a coarse paste.
    • Now take ¾th of the marination and apply over chicken and massage it all over the chicken on both sides. Let the chicken marinate for 10 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile preheat oven to 220 degree C | 428 degree F.
    • Heat a cast iron grill pan on medium to high heat. Now apply some oil on the grill pan. Place the marinated chicken breast side down in the grill pan and cook them on high for 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the chicken over gently and cook for another 3 minutes. Now take the remaining ¼ of the marinate and apply all over the chicken. Drizzle with 1 tbsp of oil over the chicken.
    • Place the chicken grill pan into the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 200 degree C | 392 degree F and continue baking for 1 hour. Make sure to baste some of the cooking liquid over the chicken every 15 minutes for moist chicken.
    • One cooked, remove the chicken from oven and let it rest for 15 minutes before carving.

    Video

    YouTube video

    Notes

    Make sure the chicken you use is with skins on. This helps the chicken to stay moist and succulent.
    You can cook the chicken in outdoor grill for smoky flavour.
    You can marinate the chicken longer if you want. Cover the chicken with a plastic wrap and place in fridge and let it marinate overnight.
    You can use honey instead of brown sugar. Lemon juice can be used instead of vinegar.
    Make sure you use cast iron grill pan that can go into the oven directly, else you might need to transfer the chicken to another baking tray before baking in oven.

    Storage & Serving

    Roast chicken taste great when served with some kuboos, pita bread or Mexican rice. Make sure you enjoy it with some toum (Lebanese garlic sauce) and pico de gallo.
    Leftover chicken can be stored in fridge, you can add it to salads, stir fries and more.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 722kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 46g | Fat: 50g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 25g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 180mg | Sodium: 1.481mg | Potassium: 627mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 694IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 86mg | Iron: 3mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @yummytummyaarthi or tag #yummytummyaarthi!
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    Aarthi

    About Aarthi

    Over the past few years I’ve been on a mission to find and create recipes that I can make from scratch. I hope you enjoy the recipes on this blog as they are tried and true from my kitchen to yours!

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