The Perfect Roasted Chicken with Lemon, Garlic & Herb Butter and the Most Delicious, Crispiest Skin

I went through a long phase of not caring for chicken breasts unless they were beaten fairly thin and grilled. Chicken breasts cooked in a crockpot or roasted in the oven always seemed to cook a bit dry, so I developed a big, big love for cooking chicken thighs—-always juicy no matter how you cook them! But, I’m here to tell you that was the past because I learned how to spatchcock a whole chicken, and when roasting a whole chicken that’s cut “spatchcock,” the end result is near perfection every time!

For those wondering, spatchcock is just a fun word used to describe a whole chicken that’s been butterflied open, pressed down flat onto a roasting pan, and then cooked so that all of the chicken receives an even amount of heat. Every part of the chicken cooked this way is absolutely DELICIOUS, and the chicken breasts are juicy and incredibly tender. So, I’m super excited to share this recipe with you because I fully believe, if you haven’t tried roasting a whole chicken this way, it will become your new favorite!

The process:

Lay the whole chicken with the chicken breasts facing down. Using kitchen shears, start cutting through the ribs of the chicken, right beside the spine. Repeat the process on the other side of the spine; then, use a heavy knife to cut through the sternum just a little. Flip the chicken over, and press firmly until the chicken lays flat.

That's all there is to it! Not only will this allow your chicken to cook evenly, but it will also significantly reduce your cooking time. Hip, hip...hooray!!

Now for the fun part:

Butterflying the chicken is only the first step of roasting the absolute best chicken you've ever made at home, and thankfully, the next step is super simple, too! The key to getting a perfect crispy skin on the outside is all about the flavored butter! I used a stick of room temperature butter, a little lemon juice, some minced garlic, a little kosher salt, and a blend of fresh herbs (parsley, thyme & rosemary). YUM!! After laying the chicken flat, separate the skin so you can spread about 2/3s of the flavored butter mixture underneath the skin. Be sure to get the butter down into the legs and thighs, too, and then spread the rest of the butter all over the top of the chicken.

Roast on 425 degrees for 45-50 minutes, until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees and the juices run clear. That's literally it...one absolutely incredible, juicy roasted chicken with the perfect crispy skin. Inexpensive, healthy, just a small handful of ingredients and super delicious. It doesn't get any better than that!