Roasted Spatchcocked Chicken with Root Vegetables
For simple oven roasted whole chicken with crispy skin and juicy meat, try my recipe for roasted spatchcocked chicken along with tender root vegetables! Great for Sunday dinner, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, and any other holidays.
Servings 4
Calories 800kcal
Ingredients
- 4 lb whole chicken
Rub for Chicken
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh sage
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Root Vegetables
- 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
- 4 medium carrots, cut into sticks
- 2 cups chopped winter squash, such as (peeled) butternut or delicata
- 6 medium cloves garlic, left whole
- 3-4 sprigs fresh herbs, like thyme, rosemary, and sage
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley, optional
Instructions
Heat the Oven
- Place oven rack in the upper middle position. Heat oven to 500F.
Prepare the Chicken
- Place the chicken spine side up (and breast side down) on a cutting board. Use sharp kitchen shears to cut along each side on the spine and remove it.
- Flatten the chicken either by cutting it just a little at the end of the breastbone or by turning it over and flattening it down by pressing firmly in its center.
- In a small bowl mix together the sage, salt, pepper, and baking powder.
- Drizzle the olive oil over the skin and then sprinkle with the rub, using your hands to spread the rub evenly over the skin.
Roast the Chicken
- Place the chicken on a roasting rack set over a roasting pan or deep sheet pan. Arrange it so that the breast is in the middle of the roasting rack and the legs are near the edge.
- Put it in the oven and reduce the heat to 450F.
- Roast for 15 minutes.
Add the Vegetables
- While the chicken is roasting peel and slice the vegetables. Then toss them with olive oil and kosher salt.
- At the 15 minute mark, take the roasting pan out of the oven and move the roasting rack off of the pan. Add the vegetables to the pan and spread them out. Scatter the sprigs of herbs about.
- Replace the chicken over the top and put everything in the oven. Roast for 20-30 minutes more, or until the breast meat is 150F and the thighs are 175F.
- Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let rest for 5-10 minutes before carving. Sprinkle the parsley over the roasted vegetables and transfer them to a serving bowl.
Notes
- Spatchcocking: Here is a video I like showing how to spatchcock (or butterfly) a chicken.
- Vegetables: You can switch up the types of vegetables used in the recipe. Other choices include potatoes (instead of or in addition to sweet potatoes), parsnips, broccoli, cauliflower, and turnips. You want 6-8 cups of total vegetables. Just be sure to pick ones which are fine with being cooked a little longer (as in no asparagus since it gets mushy).
- Chicken: I use a bird which is about 3 1/2 - 4 lbs. A larger one will take longer so keep that in mind when adding the vegetables. (For instance 5 - 5 1/2 lb chicken will take 50-55 minutes so add the veggies at the 25 minute mark.)
- Sauce: Since the drippings are being used to flavor the vegetables you can't make a gravy with this recipe. Instead I like to make a separate sauce. Some options include Yogurt Sriracha Sauce (in my sheet pan chicken recipe), Blue Cheese Dressing, or Spicy Green Goddess Dressing.
Nutrition
Calories: 800kcal