Roast Butterfly Chicken Recipe

Succulent and flavoursome, this Butterfly Chicken Recipe delivers a roast chicken you'll be proud of!

Learn why butterflied chicken is a preferred cooking method and follow the step-by-step instructions below to butterfly a whole chicken and oven roast it to perfection. Enjoy beautifully tender meat in golden, crispy skin.

Jump to:

• What is Butterfly Chicken?
• Why bother Butterflying Chicken?
• Ingredient notes
• How to butterfly a whole chicken
• Preparing the chicken
• How to roast Butterflied Chicken
• More chicken dinner recipes
• Classic desserts to pair with roast chicken
• Butterfly Chicken Recipe

What is Butterfly Chicken?

Butterfly or butterflied chicken is a technique used to prepare a whole chicken for cooking where the backbone of the chicken is removed so that the chicken lies flat – resembling a butterfly shape.

It's also known as spatchcock, a term that was more popular in the past. The technique of spatchcocking a chicken has been used for centuries as a way to cook poultry more efficiently.

Why bother Butterflying Chicken?

Butterflying a chicken:

• reduces its thickness and allows for more even heat distribution, resulting in a faster cooking time and a more consistent rate of cooking – reducing the risk of undercooked or overcooked areas
• exposes a larger surface area of the skin, helping the skin to crisp up nicely during cooking and allowing better infusion of the seasoning (resulting in a more flavoursome chicken)
• makes it easier to carve, since it lies flat on the cutting board (and the absence of the backbone makes it simpler to separate the chicken into individual serving pieces).

Have I convinced you?

Great, let's keep going...

Ingredient notes

Here's what you'll need:

• whole chicken (I've used a 1.9 kg chicken, but I've included instructions in the recipe card for adjusting the cooking times for smaller or larger birds.)
• butter
• olive oil
• lemon
• garlic clove
• salt & pepper
• paprika
• dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon mixed herbs (thyme, rosemary, marjoram, basil, oregano, sage) (you can use fresh herbs instead of dried herbs, just 4x the amount).

Note that I use both butter and oil. You can use butter or oil, however I prefer to use both – butter under the skin for moisture and oil rubbed into the outside of the skin to create a crispier skin.

Ingredient quantities can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.

How to butterfly a whole chicken

Before you start this Butterfly Chicken Recipe

Get everything ready by:

• removing the chicken and butter from fridge and allowing to stand for 15 minutes before starting the recipe

• pre-heating the oven to 220 degrees celsius / 430 degrees fahrenheit (fan-forced) and spraying a baking dish with oil (you cook the chicken at this temperature for 10 minutes before reducing the heat to 180 degrees celsius / 355 degrees fahrenheit).

Also, remember to practice safe food handling practices by:

• separating raw chicken from other foods to prevent any bacteria from transferring to these foods
• using separate cutting boards and utensils for raw chicken to avoid cross-contamination and washing them thoroughly with hot, soapy water after each use
• washing your hands with warm water and soap before and after handling raw chicken
• cleaning and sanitising all surfaces, utensils, and countertops that come into contact with raw chicken to eliminate any potential bacteria.

Cut out the backbone

Start by patting the chicken dry with a paper towel and then placing it onto a clean cutting board, breast side down.

Locate the backbone of the chicken, running along the centre of the back.

Using a pair of poultry shears or kitchen scissors and starting at the tail end, make a cut along one side of the backbone.

Repeat the cut on the other side of the backbone, allowing you to completely remove the backbone from the chicken.

Crack the breast bone

Flip the chicken over so that it is now breast-side up. Use the palm of your hand to firmly press down on the breastbone to flatten the chicken. Keep applying gentle pressure until you hear a slight crack or feel the breastbone give way.

Preparing the chicken

First, you'll need to squeeze the juice from the lemon – also cut the skins into quarters and retain.

Next, mix salt, paprika, parsley and mixed herbs into softened butter. (If butter isn't soft enough, place in microwave for 10 or 20 seconds.)

Place the chicken in the prepared baking dish, breast side down, and pour half of the lemon juice over the chicken plus smear ¼ of the butter over this side of the chicken.

Turn the chicken over so it is breast side up. Slide quartered lemon skins and garlic clove under the chicken while ensuring the chicken remains flat in the dish.

Pour the remaining lemon juice over the chicken.

Using your fingers and a dessert spoon, gently ease the skin away from the meat. Take care not to tear the skin. Gently spoon remaining butter mixture under the skin. Using your fingers, massage the skin so that the butter is distributed as evenly as possible under the skin of the chicken.

Pour oil over the chicken and season with additional salt and pepper. Rub the oil and seasoning into the skin using your fingertips.

How to roast Butterflied Chicken

Now it's time to place the chicken into oven.

Set your timer, because after 10 minutes you should reduce the oven temperature to 180 degrees celsius / 355 degrees fahrenheit (fan-forced).

Continue cooking for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until cooked.

TIP: Although this chicken is pictured surrounded by roasted vegetables above, I recommend cooking the chicken by itself. Roast the veges in another pan and add them when serving.

How can I tell if my chicken is cooked?

There are a few ways to determine if the chicken is ready to be taken from the oven:

• Check the colour: it should be a deep golden-brown colour on the outside.
• Observe the juices: pierce the thickest part of the chicken with a fork or knife – if the juices run clear rather than pink the chicken is likely done.
• Look at the texture and joints: once cooked, leg joints move easily and the meat should be tender.
• Test the internal temperature: insert a food thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken, such as the thigh, without touching the bone – it it has reached above 75 degrees celsius it is safe consumption.

Cooking times by weight

You can adapt this butterfly chicken recipe to use with various weights of whole chicken.

A 1.9kg chicken takes about 1 hour and 25 minutes to cook.

Add 20 minutes to ½ an hour for every extra 500 grams.

Reduce by 20 minutes to ½ an hour for every 500 grams less.

TIP: Remember that each oven and chicken is different, so the best way to gauge whether your chicken is cooked is to use the cooking time as a guide and rely on one or a combination of the methods above under the heading "How can I tell if my chicken is cooked?"

I tested various methods of cooking and ingredients to get this butterfly chicken recipe just right.

I hope you love it as much as my family love it, and would love a rating and review if you try the recipe.

More chicken dinner recipes

Classic desserts to pair with roast chicken