Splaying a chicken is a simple technique that can take your roasted or grilled chicken to the next level. By removing the backbone and flattening the bird, you allow it to cook more evenly, resulting in moist, tender meat and deliciously crispy skin. This method has become popular among home cooks and chefs alike for achieving chicken perfection. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about splaying chicken, from the benefits to a step-by-step process.
What is Splaying a Chicken?
Splaying a chicken, also known as butterflying or spatchcocking, involves cutting out the backbone and flattening the bird for roasting or grilling. This allows the chicken to lie flat so it can cook evenly on both sides. The breast and thigh meat get direct exposure to the heat source, cooking them through without drying out.
Splaying gives you the best of both worlds – juicy, tender meat with crispy seasoned skin. It’s an easy process that makes a dramatic difference in the finished chicken.
Benefits of Splaying a Chicken
There are several advantages to splaying chicken before cooking
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Even cooking – With the chicken flattened, the breasts and thighs cook at the same rate No more overdone breasts or undercooked legs.
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Crispier skin – More skin surface touches the hot pan or grill, allowing it to crisp up beautifully.
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Faster cooking – A spatchcocked chicken cooks faster than an intact one, shaving off at least 15 minutes.
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Better seasoning – Seasonings and marinades penetrate the meat easier when splayed open.
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Easier to serve – Carving a flattened chicken is much simpler. Slicing neat portions is effortless.
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Compact shape – It takes up less space in the oven or on the grill, fitting into pans easily.
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Presentation – A splayed chicken makes for an attractive presentation at the table.
Splaying chicken truly optimizes the cooking process. Just a small bit of initial effort yields big rewards in both flavor and texture.
Step-by-Step Guide to Splaying a Chicken
Splaying a whole chicken is simple to do at home with just a few handy tools:
What You Need
- Sharp kitchen shears or heavy-duty scissors
- Cutting board
- Whole chicken (3-4 lbs)
- Cooking oil or fat for seasoning
The Process
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Prepare the chicken – Rinse the chicken under cold water and pat dry completely with paper towels. Trim off any excess fat.
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Position chicken breast down – Place the chicken on the cutting board, breast facing down and neck facing you.
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Cut along both sides of the backbone – Using kitchen shears, cut down one side of the backbone from tail to neck. Repeat on the other side to remove it.
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Open the chicken like a book – Flip the chicken over and open it up wide, exposing the interior.
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Flatten the breastbone – Use the heel of your hand to press down firmly in the center of the chicken. Crack the breastbone so it flattens.
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Tuck the wingtips – For even cooking, tuck the wingtips under the breast.
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Coat in oil or fat – Rub cooking oil or melted butter all over the skin. Season the chicken as desired.
And you’re done! It’s ready for roasting or grilling. Enjoy your beautifully cooked splayed chicken.
Grilling Tips for Splayed Chicken
Splaying chicken works great for grilling too. Follow these tips:
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Use a medium-hot grill, about 400°F.
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Grill skin-side down first to get a good sear.
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Move to indirect heat to finish cooking through, about 30 minutes total.
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Rotate the chicken halfway for even cooking.
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Brush with oil to prevent sticking.
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Grill until breasts reach 160°F and thighs 175°F internally.
Roasting Tips for Splayed Chicken
To roast a splayed chicken in the oven:
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Heat oven to 450°F.
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Place chicken skin-side up on a rack in a roasting pan.
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Roast for 40-50 minutes until fully cooked through.
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Baste with pan juices occasionally for extra crispiness.
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Cook until breast meat reaches 150°F and thighs 175°F.
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Let rest 5 minutes before carving.
Marinating Ideas for Extra Flavor
A splayed chicken absorbs flavors beautifully when marinated. Try one of these easy marinades:
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Mediterranean – Olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, garlic
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Asian – Soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic
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Jamaican Jerk – Jerk seasoning, lime juice, brown sugar, allspice
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Tandoori – Yogurt, curry powder, cumin, lemon juice
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BBQ – BBQ sauce, brown sugar, chili powder, Worcestershire
Marinate the spatchcocked chicken for at least 2 hours in the fridge, or up to overnight. Pat dry before cooking.
Serving Suggestions
A perfectly cooked splayed chicken makes for amazing meals. Serve it:
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On its own with sides like roasted veggies or potato salad
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In sandwiches with coleslaw and pickles
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Diced in pasta, grain bowls, or salads
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Shredded for tacos, quesadillas, or nachos
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In soups or chicken pot pie
However you choose to use it, splayed chicken is sure to be a hit! This easy technique lets you enjoy juicy, flavorful chicken with that irresistible crispy skin every time.
Cooking Benefits of Spatchcocking:
- No trussing or kitchen twine required – does anyone enjoy trussing poultry? The answer is no.
- Since the chicken lays completely flat, all of the chicken skin is exposed to the heat of the oven. this yields super crispy, caramelized skin over the entirety of the bird.
- The trickiest part of roasting a chicken is timing. White meat (the breasts) cooks and dries out faster than dark meat (legs and thighs). With a traditional trussed chicken, it can be hard not to overcook the breasts as the legs finish cooking. Since spatchcocked birds lay completely flat, this method produces even cooking in both the breasts and legs. The unevenness of your oven heat is actually the reason why this works so well —> read this guide for more information. No need to flip or rotate the pan.
- Spatchcocking significantly reduces roasting time. To the point where you can realistically roast a chicken on a busy weeknight. This 5-lb chicken took just over an hour to roast. A traditional trussed chicken of this size would take upwards of 1 hour and 45 minutes.
- Since spatchcocked poultry cooks faster (more surface area, more heat exposure), this allows you to roast at higher temperatures, which also helps yield perfectly golden, crispy skin.
- You can use the removed backbone to make homemade gravy, or jus as you are roasting the chicken. Or save it for stock!
- Spatchcocked poultry is easier to carve. The shape of chicken makes it much easier to remove the legs properly and remove the breasts from the bone.
- Easier to season consistently, as the poultry lays completely flat. You don’t have to worry about not reaching every crevice of the cavity or getting behind every nook and cranny. It’s all out in the open.
How to Spatchcock a Chicken:
- Remove the chicken from its packaging and place on a large cutting board. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, and place breast-side down on the board with the neck facing towards you.
- Using good-quality kitchen shears or poultry shears and holding the neck in one hand, cut along one side of the chicken spine, separating it from the ribs. Cut closely to the spine so that you do not remove any excess meat. Continue to cut about ¾ along the spine on one side, repeat on the other side of the spine. Hold the spine for leverage and continue cutting on both sides to remove it completely. If you are having difficulty, rotate the bird so that the tail faces you and cut from the opposite side.
We’re ready to roast. It’s that easy! You use this exact same method for turkey (or any poultry).
How to spatchcock a chicken
FAQ
How to splay a chicken?
- Lay the chicken breast side down on a cutting surface: You should be looking down at the chicken’s backbone.
- Using kitchen shears, cut out the backbone: …
- Use your hands to open up the bird slightly, then flip it breast side up: …
- Flatten the chicken: …
- Tuck the wings under (optional): …
- Roast or grill the chicken:
Is spatchcocking a chicken worth it?
- Since spatchcocking a chicken means that you lay it completely flat, it will cook quicker and more evenly.
- It’s much easier to season a spatchcocked chicken evenly from both sides as it lays flat.
- More crispy skin!
How long do you cook a spatchcock chicken for?
A spatchcocked (or butterflied) chicken typically takes 45-60 minutes to cook in a preheated oven at 400°F (200°C).
What is an alternative to spatchcocking chicken?
Frog-style or “frogging,” involves removing the backbone and breastbone, allowing the chicken to be opened up completely flat, resembling a frog. This method can be especially useful for marinating and grilling.
How do you SPLAY a Spatchcock chicken?
If members of your family or friends are spatchcock chicken-averse, you might want to go with splaying the whole chicken instead, which involves cutting the skin that keeps the chicken’s thighs close to the breast, so that the thighs and legs are able to fall open, and then pressing down slightly until the joints give.
How do you play chicken?
This sport is called ‘Chicken!’. It is played by choosing a long, straight road with a white line down the middle and starting two very fast cars toward each other from opposite ends. Each car is expected to keep the wheels on one side of the white line. As they approach each other, mutual destruction becomes more and more imminent.
What is the quickest way to roast a chicken?
The quickest way of roasting a chicken is by spatchcocking the fowl before cooking it, which involves cutting the chicken up so it looks like a butterfly instead of roasting it as a whole. To do this, cut alongside the chicken’s breastbone to split it open, and force it down with the palm of your hand so it goes flat.
How do you keep a chick from wriggling?
Can also use elastic hair-band in figure-8 around legs with tape wrapped around section between legs. To keep the chick from wriggling out of Hobbles, use vertical wraps of sports tape (or masking tape or sticky section of band-aids) around the section between the two legs to more firmly tape the center section together.
How do you help a chick with a swollen welt?
KEEP IN MIND: You need to help a chick daily by gently scratching itchy spots that the Leg Hobbles prevent it from reaching with its feet. If you don’t scratch places like the back of its neck for the chick where it cannot, it will be pretty miserable and can develop a terribly itchy, swollen welt from lack of normal skin stimulation.
How do you keep chicks from wriggling out of hobbles?
To keep the chick from wriggling out of Hobbles, use vertical wraps of sports tape (or masking tape or sticky section of band-aids) around the section between the two legs to more firmly tape the center section together. If chick is over 4 days old and extra stiffness is needed to help keep legs apart, reinforce center section.