What Is Spatchcocking?
Spatchcocking involves cutting out the chicken’s spine and pressing down on the breast bone to flatten the chicken. Flattening it exposes more of the chicken’s surface to the oven or grill heat, which is what allows it to cook faster and give you that deliciously crisp chicken skin. The spatchcocking method cuts your cooking time immensely. (You can sometimes get it from the fridge to your dinner plate in about a half hour.) Spatchcocking also keeps the meat juicy and lets the skin get extra crispy for the most appetizing at-home chicken ever. If you want to spatchcock your chicken for the grill or roasting, all you’ll need to grab are a good, sharp pair of kitchen shears, a cutting board, and the steps below to get your chicken into shape.
Steps
Go ahead and get over your fear of butchering your bird. You may find that the spatchcocking technique works beautifully with any poultry you plan to serve—including your Thanksgiving turkey.
