Don’t be afraid to spatchcock chicken -- it's so simple and absolutely worth it! And if we can do it, you surely can. This keto spatchcock chicken with thyme, rosemary and garlic is so easy to make and it turns out wonderfully juicy with golden, crisp skin. It's so yummy!
While trussing a chicken is fairly straightforward, we think spatchcocking (or butterflying) chicken is just as easy and produces better results. When you spatchcock chicken, you remove the backbone to flatten the chicken for roasting. Why do this? By flattening the chicken, it cooks more evenly and prevents different areas from drying out. Furthermore, it cooks much faster and you get more crispy skin (since it increases the amount of exposed skin).
While you may ask your butcher to spatchcock the chicken for you, it's something you can quickly learn to do. We found it helpful to watch this short video, which shows you step-by-step instructions on how to do it. You can also see our 5-step directions below.
Step 1: On a lined baking sheet, place the chicken breast side down, so you have access to the backbone (see picture 1). Then, with a kitchen shear, cut along one side of the backbone until the very end. Since you'll be cutting through ribs, you'll hear them crack and break, which is totally normal.
Step 2: Cut on the other side of the backbone until you reach the end. Remove the backbone. At that point, the back should open up as seen in picture 3 above.
Step 3: With a sharp knife, slice the white cartilage at top of the breast bone that is preventing if from laying flat. This does not have to be perfect -- as long as you slice at the top of the breast and it seems to flatten after, then it worked.
Step 4: Flip the chicken over, and with the palm of your hand, push down on the breast to force the chicken to lay flat. If you didn't slice the cartilage above the breast bone in the above step, then this step will likely crack it (which is what you want). After, gently twist the thighs outward (so knees are facing in) and arrange the wings close to breasts.
Step 5: Carefully rub the herbed olive oil under the skin on the breasts and thighs. Be careful not to tear the skin. Rub any leftover herbed oil on the backside of chicken and on top of skin.
This low-carb and keto chicken recipe is great for a weeknight family meal or a small get together. The preparation just takes 10 to 15 minutes minutes and it takes roughly 45 minutes to roast. Each serving is less than 1 net carb. Enjoy!
Recipe
Spatchcock Chicken with Thyme, Rosemary and Garlic
Ingredients
- 4 pound or slightly more or less whole chicken
- Salt and pepper to season
- 2 tablespoons California Olive Ranch Extra Virgin Olive Oil or other extra-olive virgin oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced
Instructions
- Make herbed olive oil: Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. In a small bowl, combine olive oil, chopped thyme, chopped rosemary, and minced garlic. Lightly season with salt and sir to combine. Set aside.
- Prepare the chicken: Remove giblets from chicken. With paper towels, pat dry the outside of chicken (do not rinse chicken with water). On lined baking sheet, place chicken breast side down with backbone facing up. With a kitchen shears, cut along one side of the backbone until the very end. Make a similar cut along the other side of the backbone. Discard the backbone. With a sharp knife, slice the cartilage at the top of breast bone to help flatten chicken. Flip chicken over, and with the palm of hand, push down on chicken breast to force the chicken to lay flat. Gently twist thighs outward (so knees are pointing in) and arrange wings close to breasts. Gently rub herbed olive oil under the skin on the breasts and thighs. Rub any left over herbed oil on the backside and over skin. Season the outside of chicken with salt and pepper.
- Roast and serve: Roast in oven for 40 to 50 minutes, until thermometer reads 165 degrees when inserted into thickest part of breast and thighs. When done, remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving.
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