This dish is easy to make and calls for simple ingredients. You will love it because it can be doubled to serve a crowd or for weekly meal preps for larger families. It also comes in handy during hectic work weeks! The best part is that it is comforting during the colder months, and it makes the house smell herby and inviting. I smile when I think of this recipe because it is one I use when teaching my daughter how to clean and handle meat. I remember how her face lit up with pride when she realized she was capable of cooking something delicious, hearty, and beautiful. This recipe pairs well with carrot rice, spinach rice, beans, roasted veggies, and a fresh garden salad.
INGREDIENTS
2 spatchcock chickens (about 3 lbs each) or 6 lbs of chicken, bone-in dark meat
4 tbsp butter
⅔ cup olive oil
1 lb (24 oz) baby potatoes or chopped potatoes (1 inch thick)
Seasoning:
2 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1/2 tbsp black pepper
1/2- 1 tbsp pink salt
1 tbsp dried rosemary
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried thyme
1 tbsp celery salt (or Old Bay seasoning)
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat your oven to 350 F.
Combine all dry seasonings to make a dry rub.
Clean and spatchcock chicken.
Place chicken in your roasting dish and pat dry with a clean sheet of paper towel. Gently lift the chicken skin and poke holes into the meat using a small knife.
Melt butter by placing it in a microwavable dish and microwave in 10-second increments until the butter is fully melted. Add olive to the melted butter. Drizzle about ⅔ of the butter and oil mixture over the chicken.
Season chicken with dried seasonings by sprinkling the seasoning blend to cover the chicken fully. Leave about 2 tablespoons for seasoning the potatoes. Massage seasoning and olive oil and butter mixture into the chicken- covering the entire chicken and under the skin.
Add potatoes and the remaining seasoning and olive oil and butter mixture to a mixing bowl. Toss until potatoes are evenly covered. Add potatoes to the roasting dish surrounding the chicken. Skip this step for a low-carb or keto diet.
Cover the roasting dish with foil, and let marinade for 30 minutes to an hour.
Bake covered at 350 F for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. Baste chicken after 30 minutes.
Remove the foil, and baste again. Bake uncovered at 400F for another 20 minutes until brown.
If you make or adjust this recipe, we would love it if you tag us on Instagram at @thematchingaprons
Notes on Ingredients
Chicken. We were able to get our butcher to remove the spine and spatcock these smaller whole chickens. However, you can spatchock whole chickens (or any poultry) by using a pair of kitchen shears to remove the spine and opening the bird so the inner parts face downward. You can also opt for 6 lbs of chicken legs, thighs, or quarter legs.
Butter and Olive Oil combined for added flavor. Feel free to skip the butter only use olive oil.
Potatoes. This recipe is very flexible. We used a medley of baby potatoes here but chunked sweet potatoes or russet potatoes also work well. Omit potatoes for a low-carb or keto diet.
Seasoning. Again, this recipe is very flexible. Lemon pepper, dried parsley, or sazon also work well in this dish- we didn’t have these on hand that day. Sazon also adds a more vibrant color! Feel free to add or substitute your favorite herbs and spices. We like to make our own blends to better control the salt content in our meals. Nonetheless, there are tons of seasoning blends with no, or low, salt that you can experiment with- check out Tabitha Brown’s line or Mrs. Dash if you prefer a ready-made option!
Notes on Instructions
Combine all dry seasonings to make a dry rub to ensure all flavors are well combined throughout the dish.
Clean chicken. We use lemon, lime, or white vinegar in warm water to clean chicken, but we understand that many people prefer to skip this step- that’s fine.
Spatchcock chicken. Again, we got our butcher to help with this, but there are resources online for extra guidance. You can also use quarter legs, thighs, or chicken legs for this recipe.
Place chicken in your roasting dish. Pat dry with clean paper towel to remove excess moisture. Gently lift the chicken skin and poke holes into the meat using a small knife. The idea here is to ensure we get as much flavor to stick to, and throughout, the meat as possible.
Melt butter. Add in olive oil. Adding butter to the olive oil adds flavor, but you can omit the butter for a healthier dish.
Drizzle some of the butter and oil mixture over the chicken. Leaving about 3-4 tablespoons for the potatoes.
Season chicken with dried seasonings by sprinkling the seasoning blend to cover the chicken fully. Leave about 2 tablespoons for seasoning the potatoes.
Massage seasoning and olive oil/butter mixture into the chicken- covering the entire chicken and under the skin.
Toss potatoes, remaining seasoning, and olive oil/butter mixture in a mixing bowl until evenly coated. Add potatoes to the roasting dish surrounding the chicken. Skip this step for a low carb or keto diet.
Cover the roasting dish with foil, and let marinade for 30 minutes to an hour. Feel free to marinate overnight in the refrigerator, but you will want to let sit outside of the fridge for about 1-2 hours the next day so it is close to room temperature before cooking.
Bake covered at 350 F for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. Baste chicken after 30 minutes.
Remove the foil, and baste again. Bake uncovered at 400F for another 20 minutes until brown.
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