Yah that’s right…..Spach-kok-ed chicken. Aside from the interesting dinner conversation you could have with this name, I literally can’t think of a better way to grill chicken. Spatchcocked simply means to remove the backbone and flatten poultry for roasting or grilling. The chicken cooks more quickly and evenly, and all the skin–not just the skin over the breast–gets golden and crisp. The chicken marinates in garlic, olive oil, lemon, oregano, paprika and thyme. The result is fabulous. I served this with a salad of tomatoes, feta, and cucumbers drizzled with red wine vinegar and olive oil.
Tip:
Buy a whole organic chicken at the grocery store and have the butcher spatchcock it (take the backbone out.)
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Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken, rinsed & patted dry
- Marinade:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 7 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 2 tsp. paprika
- 1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tsp. chopped fresh oregano
- 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp. fresh black pepper
- 1 tsp. sea salt
Instructions
- Place spatchcocked chicken on a cookie sheet.
- In a bowl, add the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, paprika, white wine, thyme, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and whisk well. Pour the marinade over the chicken, and rub it into the entire chicken. Cover and place in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight.
- Allow your chicken to return to room temperature before grilling. Prepare your gas or charcoal grill with the goal of attaining a medium heat (count of 5 when placing hand over heat).
- Season your chicken with salt and pepper.
- Place chicken breast-side down over direct medium heat.
- Grill on each side for approximately 20 minutes a side. Stay near your grill and watch for any flare-ups from the fat in the chicken’s skin.
- The chicken is done when the juices run clear. or use a meat thermometer (should read 180F).
- Remove the chicken from the grill, drizzle with more olive oil and dried oregano and serve on a platter.
Made this this weekend and it was great! I used dried herbs and marinated all day before grilling. Will be a summer staple for this household. Thanks!
★★★★★
Dan,
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe. It’s on heavy rotation at our house too! Enjoy summer grilling!