A good roast chicken is a recipe you need in your arsenal. You can use it to impress a date, feed your family, or host a dinner party. Spatchcocking your chicken—a technique in which the chicken is cut nearly in two and flattened, sometimes also called butterflying—helps it cook more quickly and evenly; that’s how Spatchcock Chicken with Lemon Garlic Sauce only needs an hour to cook an entire chicken. And that doesn’t even get into taste! Spatchcock Chicken with Lemon Garlic Sauce has its titular lemon garlic sauce adds extra flavor to the chicken, which is already dressed with plenty of fresh herbs.
Ingredients
- 1 (4 pound) whole chicken, spatchcocked
- 1/4 cup regular olive oil
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- zest of 1 lemon, grated
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
- zest of 1 lemon, in thick strips
- 1 medium yellow onion, sliced in 1/4 inch slices
- juice of 2 lemons
- 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
- 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1 pound baby potatoes, sliced in half
- 1 head garlic, cut in half horizontally
- 1/2 cup low-sodium
- chicken stock
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Step 2 –Brush the skin of the spatchcocked chicken generously with the olive oil.
Step 3 –Generously sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of the kosher salt, 1 teaspoon of the freshly cracked black pepper, and the grated lemon zest over the skin-side of the chicken.
Step 4 –Flip over the chicken and season the flesh side with the minced garlic, parsley, thyme, rosemary, and the remaining salt and black pepper.
Step 5 –Place the lemon peel slices, onion slices, lemon juice, rosemary sprigs, thyme sprigs, baby potatoes, and garlic head in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet.
Step 6 –Place the chicken flat on top of the skillet, skin-side up.
Step 7 –Roast the chicken in the oven, turning it halfway through for even cooking, until the skin is deeply golden brown, about 50-55 minutes.
Step 8 –Remove it from the oven once it is done. It should read 165 degrees F in its thickest part with a meat thermometer.
Step 9 –Take the chicken from the cast iron pan and place it on a clean cutting board. Remove the potatoes from the pan as well with a slotted spoon to a serving plate.
Step 10 –Let the chicken rest for 10-15 minutes to retain juiciness.
Step 11 –While the chicken is resting, put the skillet over medium heat on the stove-top and whisk in the chicken stock.
Step 12 –Let it simmer until the pan sauce thickens.
Step 13 –Remove the sprigs of herbs, lemon zest strips, and the head of garlic.
Step 14 –Carve the chicken on the cutting board and serve with potatoes and pan sauce.
