• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Vindulge

BBQ and Grilling Recipes with Wine Pairings

  • Home
  • About
    • About Mary
    • Portfolio
    • TV Appearances
    • Work With Me
  • Cookbook
  • Wine
    • Food and Wine Pairing
  • All Recipes
  • Travel
  • Resources
    • Fundamentals For Learning How to Grill
    • Guide to Pellet Grills – Common Q and A
    • Best Pellet Grill – MAK Two Star General – Versatile American Made Pellet Smoker
    • Blogger Resources
  • Contact
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About
  • Shop Wines
  • Cookbook
  • All Recipes
  • Travel
  • Wine Guides
  • Blogging Resources
  • Connect with us!

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    You are here: Home » Food » Poultry

    How to Spatchcock Chicken and Turkey

    October 28, 2021 By Mary Leave a Comment

    Sharing is caring!

    103 shares
    • Facebook7
    • Twitter
    Jump to Recipe
    How to Spatchcock Chicken
    How to Spatchcock Chicken
    How to Spatchcock Chicken
    How to Spatchcock Chicken

    Learning how to Spatchcock Chicken is one of the greatest techniques to achieving perfectly cooked chicken and turkey. This easy process of removing the backbone of the bird and flattening it only requires a good knife or scissors and delivers some of the tenderest poultry you’ll ever have.

    A spatchcocked chicken cooking on a grill
    Learning how to spatchcock a chicken or turkey is an easy technique that yields great rewards.

    Two of our most popular posts revolve around smoked turkey and how to smoke a whole chicken. While traditionally the entire roast is what most people will strive to cook, our personal preference is to spatchcock the chicken prior to cooking. Spatchcocking will result in an even cooking surface and super tender meat throughout the bird.

    You can spatchcock (or flatten) any poultry, from turkey, chicken, to quail, and even Cornish game hens. Just use the same technique for whatever bird you have. The technique we’re using here is to remove the backbone.

    Jump to:
    • Spatchcocking vs. Butterflying
    • Equipment and Preparation for Spatchcock Chicken
    • How to Spatchcock Chicken
    • Recipes for Spatchcock Chicken (or Turkey)
    • Food safety
    • How to Spatchcock Chicken

    Spatchcocking vs. Butterflying

    Spatchcocking is essentially butterflying a chicken (or other bird), or removing the backbone of the chicken, flattening the chicken, and creating a uniform and flat shape to even out the cooking surface area. This allows the breast and thighs to cook evenly and avoid drying out any part of the chicken. It also speeds up the cooking process.

    Some choose to remove the breastbone, however removing the backbone is easier and still maintains the integrity of the whole chicken and makes it easy to flatten.

    Equipment and Preparation for Spatchcock Chicken

    • A large cutting board is important to have so you have room to move the poultry.
    • A good boning knife is easier for spatchcocking because you can move it through the cartilage easier than scissors. But culinary scissors also work if you have them.
    • Be sure the neck and giblets are removed and the chicken is dry to make it easier to cut up. The neck, backbone, and giblets are great ingredients to add to homemade stock.
    • Gloves make it easier to handle the chicken and is better for food safety. Discard gloves after use.

    Chef’s Tip: Place a dry towel under the cutting board to prevent it from slipping or moving around while you spatchcock the chicken.

    How to Spatchcock Chicken

    Step by step process for spatchcocking (or butterflying) the chicken.

    Step One: Place Chicken on Cutting Surface

    Step 1 in how to spatchcock a chicken
    Breast side down will make sure the backbone is facing you.

    Place the whole chicken breast side down on a large cutting board or cutting surface. The backbone will be facing you.

    Step Two: Start The Cut Along Backbone

    Step 2 in how to spatchcock a chicken
    Start with a one inch cut along backbone to see where the cartilage lines up.

    Using a sharp boning knife or culinary scissors make a small cut on one side of the backbone. You are testing to see where the cartilage and bone meet so you can make heavy downward strokes to cut through the cartilage. Once you make about a 1-inch cut, continue cutting downward along the backbone until you have cut all the way through. If you run into bone, just continue to move the knife slightly further from the backbone until it hits cartilage again.

    Step Three: Repeat and Remove Backbone

    Step 3 in how to spatchcock a chicken
    Cut carefully along backbone and move away from bone if it sticks.

    Repeat on the other side of the backbone. Discard the backbone or use for stock.

    Step Four: Press Flat

    step 6 in how to spatchcock a chicken, flattening it
    Press firmly after flipping breast side up to finish the process.

    Place the bird, breast side down, and press down on each side to flatten. Flip the bird so it’s breast side up, and press again (you’ll hear bones cracking) until the chicken is flat. Or you can make a cut into the breastbone to make flattening easier. Although pressing firmly works just as well.

    Step Five: Season

    A spatchcocked turkey
    Brine, season, or inject the bird after it’s been spatchcocked. This is a whole turkey that has been spatchcocked and seasoned.

    Season and prepare the chicken for your favorite recipe.

    Recipes for Spatchcock Chicken (or Turkey)

    Now that the chicken has been pressed flat it’s time to cook using your favorite recipes. The following are all recipes that can be adapted to using the spatchcocked method.

    Note that the cooking time will be slightly less than a whole bird because you don’t have the entire cavity. It takes roughly 10 minutes per pound to cook a spatchcocked chicken or other poultry. But always cook to temperature and not time. We cook chicken and poultry to 160 degrees Fahrenheit (in the thickest portion of the bird) and then carry over cooking (when it rests off heat) will allow the temperature to increase to the USDA recommended temperature of 165 degrees.

    • Smoked Spatchcocked Turkey with Cajun Seasoning
    • Bourbon Brined Smoked Turkey
    • Pellet Grill Chicken
    • Smoked Whole Chicken
    • Our cookbook also has some great recipes with this technique
    A spatchcocked turkey on a thanksgiving tablescape with side dishes

    Food safety

    Consider the following safety considerations when spatchcocking chicken or other poultry.

    • Cook to a minimum temperature of 160 °F (74 °C)
    • Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
    • Wash hands after touching raw meat, or better yet, use gloves and then wash hands when done
    • Don’t leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
    • Never leave cooking food unattended

    See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

    This post may contain affiliate links. This means if you click on the link, we may receive a small commission if you purchase through the link. We partner with brands we know and love and use and it helps keep the blog going!

    spatchcocked chicken on the grill

    How to Spatchcock Chicken

    A step by step guide on how to spatchcock chicken (or butterflying) when grilling, smoking, or roasting. The same technique also works for turkey or other poultry.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Servings: 1 spatchcocked chicken
    Author: Mary Cressler | Vindulge
    Cost: $20.00

    Equipment

    • Boning Knife
    • Large Cutting Board

    Ingredients

    • 1 whole roaster chicken
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Place Chicken on Cutting Board: Place the whole chicken on a large cutting board.
    • Prep the Chicken: Stand the the chicken upright so the breast side is facing AWAY from you. You’ll be looking at the backbone.
      Step 1 in how to spatchcock a chicken
    • Remove the Backbone: Using a sharp boning knife or culinary scissors make a small cut on one side of the backbone. You are testing to see where the cartilage and bone meet so you can make heavy downward strokes to cut through the cartilage. Once you make about a 1-inch cut, continue cutting downward along the backbone until you have cut all the way through. If you run into bone, just continue to move the knife slightly further from the backbone until it hits cartilage again.
      Step 2 in how to spatchcock a chicken
    • Repeat: Repeat on the other side of the backbone. Use the backbone for stock or discard.
      Step 4 in spatchcocking a chicken
    • Flatten: Place the bird, breast side down, and press down on each side to flatten. Flip the bird so it’s now breast side up, and press again (you’ll hear bones cracking) until the chicken is flat. Or you can make a cut into the breastbone to make flattening easier. Although pressing firmly works just as well.
      step 6 in how to spatchcock a chicken, flattening it
    • Remove the wing tips or simply tuck the wingtips under the bird and prepare to season.

    Video

    Notes

    Equipment and Prep:
    • A large cutting board is important to have so you have room to move the poultry.
    • A good boning knife is easier for spatchcocking because you can move it through the cartilage easier than scissors. But culinary scissors also work if you have them.
    • Be sure the neck and giblets are removed and the chicken is dry to make it easier to cut up. The neck, backbone, and giblets are great ingredients to add to homemade stock.
    • Gloves make it easier to handle the chicken and is better for food safety. Discard gloves after use.
    Chef’s Tip: Place a dry towel under the cutting board to prevent it from moving around while you spatchcock the chicken.
    Recipes Using Spatchcock Method: See the post for our favorite recipes using the spatchcock method for chicken or turkey. 
    Find the perfect wine pairing at the Vindulge Wine Shop
    Tried this recipe? We would love to see!Mention @vindulge or use the hashtag #vindulge
    « Cedar Plank Grilled Salmon with Maple Chipotle Glaze
    Barbera Wine Guide »

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Mary-Cressler-Sept-2015-smI'm Mary, a wine/food/travel writer, Certified Sommelier, mom of twins, former vegetarian turned BBQ fanatic, runner, and founder of Vindulge and author of Fire + Wine cookbook.  Thanks for stopping by!

    Learn More...

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter

    Fire and Wine Cookbook Cover.

    Get Ready for Summer

    Smoked Brisket

    What’s on our Grill

    Tri Tip fajitas and peppers in a cast iron skillet.

    Easy Grilled Tri-Tip Fajitas Recipe

    Verde chicken tacos on a serving platter

    Super Easy Verde Chicken Tacos

    Vegetarian Chili in a bowl with cheese and a spoon.

    The Ultimate Vegetarian Chili Recipe

    Pulled pork breakfast hash in a cast iron pan.

    Pulled Pork Breakfast Hash

    More

    As Seen On

    Products we love

    taking the temperature of a porchetta roast on the grill
    We use Thermoworks Signals BBQ Alarm to monitor the internal temperature of the meat while it’s cooking, then double check with an instant read thermometer, like the Thermapen One.

    Vindulge Wine Club

    join the wine club side bar

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Portfolio
    • TV Appearances
    • Work with Me

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2021 Vindulge

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
    Cookie SettingsAccept All
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
    CookieDurationDescription
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
    viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
    Functional
    Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
    Performance
    Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
    Analytics
    Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
    Advertisement
    Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
    Others
    Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
    SAVE & ACCEPT
    103 shares
    • 7