Braise

Spatchcocked and Braise-Roasted Whole Chicken

March 30, 2021
4.7
10 Ratings
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

About a decade ago, I went to a cooking demonstration at Macy's by Christopher Hirscheimer. She showed the crowd her trick for making it easy to carve roasted chicken -- she simply cut out the chicken's backbone before roasting, then she reshaped the bird and trussed it to hold it together. Spatchcocking is a similar technique except instead of re-shaping the bird, you flatten it, making it possible to grill or saute a bird in one layer. Fast forward to this fall. At a dinner with some fellow food52ers in Boston, our conversation touched on chef Gordon Hammersley's technique of "braise-roasting" poultry -- where he submerges the meat in broth and leaves the skin exposed to the oven heat. I thought it was time to get in the kitchen to try the combo of spatchcocking and braise-roasting. As usual, rather than do any research, I winged it, occasionally calling out to Merrill for advice. Here are the results! —Amanda Hesser

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • One 4 to 4 1/2 pound chicken
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 large shallots, sliced
  • 4 garlic cloves, lightly smashed (skins left on)
  • 2 rosemary sprigs
  • 8 sage leaves
  • 1/2 cup fino sherry or dry white wine
  • About 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 lemon, cut into thin slices (skin left on; seeds discarded)
Directions
  1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Using poultry shears, cut the backbone out of the chicken. Reserve the backbone. Turn the chicken skin-side-up and press down on the breast bone to flatten the chicken. Generously season the chicken all over.
  2. In a casserole pan or other low shallow pan large enough to fit the flattened chicken, melt the butter in the oil over medium high heat. When the foam subsides, add the chicken skin-side-down, and the backbone, and brown well, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove to a plate. Pour off all but 1 1/2 tablespoons fat.
  3. Set the pan back on the stove. Add the shallots and garlic, and cook over medium heat until the shallot has softened, about 2 minutes. Add the rosemary, sage and sherry. Increase the heat and boil off nearly all the sherry. Add 1 cup chicken broth and the lemon slices. Gently lower the chicken back into the pan, again skin-side up.
  4. If needed, add more broth to come 1/2-inch up the side of the pan. Transfer the pan to the oven, and braise-roast until the chicken is cooked through (an internal temperature of 165 degrees), 30 to 50 minutes.
  5. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes -- uncovered, or the skin will soften! Carve the bird. Strain the pan juices and adjust the seasoning. Serve bird and cooked-down broth, and enjoy!

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Sarah Grimes
    Sarah Grimes
  • bellly
    bellly
  • Cody E.
    Cody E.
  • Sammy
    Sammy
  • Madina Kassengaliyeva
    Madina Kassengaliyeva
Amanda Hesser

Recipe by: Amanda Hesser

Before starting Food52 with Merrill, I was a food writer and editor at the New York Times. I've written several books, including "Cooking for Mr. Latte" and "The Essential New York Times Cookbook." I played myself in "Julie & Julia" -- hope you didn't blink, or you may have missed the scene! I live in Brooklyn with my husband, Tad, and twins, Walker and Addison.

94 Reviews

Sarah G. November 2, 2023
This was delicious and I’ll definitely be using the braise-roasting technique again! It was very easy in my staub skillet. I added a bit too much stock, (maybe an extra cup) so it didn’t reduce enough. Also, I might use less lemon next time for more balanced flavor between it and the savory broth (maybe mine was extra juicy?) I’m going to riff on this and maybe add some new flavors and seasoning to the chicken. As written, it was delicious served with roasted acorn squash with more of the sage to tie the two together.
 
murrboysmom October 31, 2021
I cook a lot of chicken and have roasted, smoked and BBQ'd chicken. I'm in love with this technique. I'm so happy I was cruising Food52 today and landed on this one!
 
Amanda H. October 31, 2021
I'm so glad you found this, too! Thanks for letting us know.
 
bellly March 30, 2021
Perfect whole chicken recipe. (I didn’t have any wine though so I just used more chicken broth.)
 
Cody E. November 21, 2018
I love spatchcocked chicken! The first time I tried it, I was intimated by the "cutting of the chicken," but I have to say it is so worth it! It comes out so juicy and tender and delicious! Also, just a side note... try grilling a spatchcocked chicken! The flavor profiles of the smoked meat along with the seasonings are melt in your mouth yummy goodness!
 
sue_ann_canvasser November 19, 2018
Can we do this with a turkey?
 
Amanda H. November 20, 2018
If you feel comfortable making adjustments to the cooking time and increasing seasonings, wine, and broth, then yes should work!
 
Sammy November 19, 2018
This may be obvious to better cooks, but what becomes of the roasted backbone?
I’m making this for Thanksgiving.
 
Amanda H. November 19, 2018
It mostly just flavors the sauce, but you can pull any meat off the bone and add it to the sauce.
 
Sammy November 19, 2018
Sorry, I just noticed your photos and comments, including purpose of the backbone. Hate to have wasted your time. Can’t wait to make this. By the way, Whole Foods Market is always happy to remove the back bone and keel.
 
Sf2oak May 29, 2018
Made this chix with very few modifications- came out very well. Texture/moisture of chicken excellent. Great technique. I have a lot of leftover sauce- any ideas for use?
 
Amanda H. November 20, 2018
Risotto!
 
Tessa May 3, 2018
Would Marsala wine be a good substitute for the sherry or white wine?
 
Amanda H. May 3, 2018
It will be sweeter but I think it would be good!
 
fearlessem April 18, 2018
Made this a few nights ago and two guests went bonkers for it, calling it the best roast chicken they've ever had. I roasted a sheet pan's worth of potatoes, sweet potatoes, and onions at the same time, using some of the fat that had rendered from the browning of the chicken. Killer.
 
Amanda H. April 19, 2018
What a great comment to receive -- thanks for sharing!
 
Madina K. February 8, 2018
I added some carrot coins and they were delicious! My 17-month old ate an entire quarter chicken (leg and thigh) in one sitting! Delicious!
 
LindaSK April 3, 2017
Amanda, in the 70s when I was living in NYC, my husband & I had the privilege of seeing Julia Child cook a chicken this way...with Paul in the front row timing her! We were remembering this the other day & I've been searching through my recipes & cannot find hers :-( Hence a search of Food52's website & here I am! She included potatoes, onions, carrots & parsnips in the pan with the chicken as well. Looking forward to a delicious dinner tonight!
 
Amanda H. April 5, 2017
What a great story -- thanks for sharing! Hope you liked the recipe, too.
 
Deb I. March 21, 2017
Made this for dinner last night. Absolutely delicious. Loved the crispy skin, the short cooking time, the moist flesh. (Had the butcher do the spatchcock part.) See photo on Twitter @DebHendrix2.
 
Two T. September 26, 2016
This was so delicious! I will make it again and again. I added potatoes, diced small, in with the shallot and let them cook beneath the chicken. Divine.

Can anyone recommend a good pan for this? One that is oven and stovetop safe and fits a 4lb chicken? I ended up using a 10 inch cast iron skillet when I slided it into the oven with the braise and aromatics--mine wasn't quite large enough for browning the chicken in the beginning though so I ended up using a different pan for that.
 
Amanda H. September 26, 2016
Not to push something in our shop but I now use this pan for cooking all sorts of roasts and braises: https://food52.com/shop/products/2359-staub-cast-iron-double-handle-fry-pan-13
It's enameled cast iron so it holds heat super well and also works on both stovetop and oven.
 
Mauree September 7, 2016
Oh my I did it, I spatchcocked! It's in the oven, smells divine. I used lime as I didn't have lemon!
 
Amanda H. September 7, 2016
Congratulations!
 
Can I. January 9, 2016
I made this tonight for the second time and it is so darn good. Usually my husband does a whole chicken on the grill very week or so, so I don't get to cook a whole chicken often. This recipe is so delicious and so easy and the oven temp allows you to simultaneously roast vegetables. Tonight I roasted whole carrots and cubed white sweet potato. We ate everything with the fantastic pan juices and my husband kept saying how delicious everything was. I just stashed the leftover pan juices in the fridge and will be figuring out tomorrow how to use them. Thank you Amanda! I forgot to mention that I discovered at the last minute that I didn't have chicken stock, so used 4 oz. white wine and 4 oz. water and threw in the chicken neck for flavor. Fantastic!
 
Amanda H. January 9, 2016
So happy to hear this! If you have any chicken left, you could pull it into small pieces and serve it with the pan juices over cooked farro or wheat berries. Just an idea!
 
Can I. January 9, 2016
Thank you, Amanda. That sounds great.
 
elf1 December 30, 2014
Simply delicious! The hot reduced juices are fab over a little gem salad, served with crushed roast new potatoes....scrummy!
 
SleepyG November 18, 2014
Yummmmmm. Is it weird to eat leftover chicken for breakfast? Oh well if so! Thank you thank you thank you thank you for making my husband use the word, "delicious". He notoriously says "good" in response to dinner which isn't good enough for me:)
 
Peter S. November 10, 2014
Made this tonight along with sriracha-roasted cauliflower and pearled couscous with shallot, shitakes, and baby spinach. Spectacular!!!
 
Amanda H. November 14, 2014
And where was my invitation? :)
 
Ashley M. December 25, 2013
Made this for our Christmas dinner tonight with some smashed potatoes and oven roasted Brussels sprouts. As someone who has spent an entire year boasting that the Zuni Cafe roast chicken was THE BEST roast chicken in the entire world, I'm having mixed emotions when it comes to this one, because this was, without a doubt, the most moist, juicy, savory, delicious roast chicken I have ever had. My boyfriend said I was making inappropriate noises while eating it. I'm in love with not only everything about the chicken, but the broth itself. I strained the leftover broth and have stuck it in the fridge until I can figure out what to do with it - I really don't want it to waste, it's too good! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
 
Amanda H. December 26, 2013
Ashley Marie, I don't know if I'll ever receive a better comment on a recipe -- thank you, and merry Christmas!
 
Ashley M. December 26, 2013
Merry Christmas to you too! Thank YOU for sharing it - REALLY! ;) Any ideas on what to do with the strained broth?
 
Amanda H. December 26, 2013
The first thing that comes to mind is stracciatella (Italian egg-drop soup) -- you'd probably have to add chicken broth or water to your saved broth to get the right volume, but I thought of this because the flavor of this soup is so much about the broth. Here's Merrill's recipe for it: http://food52.com/recipes/4165-egg-barley-stracciatella
 
Ashley M. December 26, 2013
It's in the low 20F's here, so that soup sounds wonderful tonight, especially after all the heavy food we've been eating this week! Thanks again!
 
Sarah October 28, 2013
I have made this several times--great recipe. Last time, I tried deboning two chickens (leaving in the drumstick and retying so they look like whole birds). Browned and the cooked them side-by-side in the braise and people RAVED about it. And so simple to carve.
 
Pat E. October 12, 2013
Yum! ....once again....
 
BadCat September 17, 2013
WOW! This was awesome! It was really so quick and easy. This is going to be my new "go to" week night chicken recipe. Thanks!
 
Amanda H. September 17, 2013
Thanks for your note -- and happy to hear you liked it so much!
 
Jenn2323 September 4, 2013
I made this for Rosh Hashana tonight. Thank you for elevating such a classic recipe like Roasted Chicken. By sharing the technique of removing the bone, the browned skin and even cooking became my new, best "go- to" recipe. Thank you again Food52
 
Amanda H. September 5, 2013
Great to hear this -- and happy new year!
 
stephanieRD March 4, 2013
Made this last night for our Sunday dinner alongside some brown rice and roasted veggies. This was fantastic! I have never spatch-cooked a chicken before. The breast meat was tender and juicy; the dark meat turned out well also with a buttery, velvety texture. Great idea!
 
Amanda H. September 5, 2013
Glad you liked the recipe -- I wish they sold chickens pre-spatchcocked!
 
Foodelf March 3, 2013
Thanks for bringing this one back to the surface again, I loved it when I first made it and it certainly deserves another outing.
 
Julia K. January 21, 2013
I found this recipe on Food52 app for iPhone and tried it last week. I loved it so much I made it two days in a row with some very minor changes. Thank you for this amazing idea/technique. Just posted it on my blog: http://www.imagelicious.com/blog/2013/1/20/spatchcocked-and-braise-roasted-chicken
 
Amanda H. September 5, 2013
Thanks, Julia (sorry I missed your note when it was originally posted).
 
TedM January 8, 2013
Made this last night and I agree with the comments by "the solar chef" and "AmandaJames" below. The sauce turned out quite bitter. Next time no whole lemons! Just the zest and/or juice. Also, for my taste, it could have used much more sherry flavor and a bit of sweetness, so a double-dose of amontillado would be better than the fino.
Or even better yet, the spatchcock/braise idea would be perfect for a whole variety of ingredients, like "AmandaJames'" sausage and artichoke - next time I make this (and I will!) I will probably wing it.
 
Amy G. November 12, 2012
I made this today for the first time, it was wonderful, as there are only 3 of us there is enough left over for tomorrow's Cobb salad.
 
elaina November 5, 2012
I've made this multiple times. My boyfriend loves it. Once I used an immersion blender with the braising liquid, reduced it and used it as gravy on the chicken and mashed potatoes. SO GOOD!!
 
elaina November 5, 2012
I've made this multiple times. My boyfriend loves it. Once I used an immersion blender with the braising liquid, reduced it and used it as gravy on the chicken and mashed potatoes. SO GOOD!!
 
arhoad October 19, 2012
Mad this last night as an alternate to my usual whole roast chicken with butter, salt, and pepper. My daughter wanted me to mix it up. This was wonderful. I made this with the green beans with soy sauce, ginger, garlic and red pepper flake. Loving your recipes, thank you
 
Amanda H. October 19, 2012
Glad to hear you liked it -- and the green beans sound delicious!
 
millefeuille March 1, 2012
Great recipe! After reading the braised scallion recipe on this site, I decided to add 2 inch lengths of scallion and carrots to the braising liquid. They were delicious served alongside the crispy, juicy chicken. After gently reducing the strained broth, I added some chopped parsley and chives. Made for a tremendous sauce.
 
dinner A. February 16, 2012
Made this for dinner tonight along with barley risotto. So quick and tasty...the sauce was divine.
 
maryvelasquez January 22, 2012
Thanks for this recipe, which was very easy after I faced the step where I had to cut out the backbone. I don't have poultry shears, but a sharp chef's knife worked. The fIavor was wonderful. I used the convection feature on my oven, which I rarely do, and the skin was super crisp. And, yes, the carving was a snap!
 
Amanda H. February 4, 2012
I'm glad to know it doesn't dry out in a convection oven. I have convection but haven't tried it.
 
EmFraiche January 10, 2012
This was my first time every cooking a whole chicken, and it turned out better than I could have imagined. Thank you for the excellent, well written recipe!
 
Amanda H. January 10, 2012
Thanks for the great feedback -- and congrats on your first whole chicken success!
 
hothead January 8, 2012
Hi Amanda

Where can I get a low shallow pan for this recipe.
 
Panacea F. January 10, 2012
I used a 12" iron skillet and it worked like a charm. Great recipe, Amanda! I'm so glad to have a new go-to chicken recipe.
 
Amanda H. February 4, 2012
A skillet is a great idea -- the pan you see in the photo is a Le Creuset oval casserole dish (enameled cast iron, not ceramic). Hope this is helpful.
 
Jeff M. December 26, 2011
As a dutiful bf, I'm baking a test chicken right now for when my gf visits. The aromas alone are enough to....well.....I think my gf will enjoy when I make it for her soon! Thanks!
 
MaSaBeMama December 11, 2011
made 4 of these last night - again a truly outstanding dish that is perfect for a crowd. Thank you Amanda!
 
Amanda H. December 18, 2011
4 -- wow! That's a new record -- really glad you like it so much!
 
sue_ann_canvasser December 11, 2011
Stupid question- since its braised do you cover it in oven? I made this before and it's wonderful but I forget if it's covered!
 
Amanda H. December 18, 2011
No need to cover it!
 
EmilyC November 16, 2011
I made this for dinner tonight and loved it! I roast chicken about once a week, and I feel like I've tried every technique out there, but this method may become my new go-to. The chicken was so flavorful from the braising liquid and I love that the skin stays crispy. A great, great recipe.
 
davegorf October 15, 2011
I love this. But...What if you were going to spatcock a big turkey for a family dinner and wanted to make it the same way? For a 20 ibs turkey would it simply be 5X the recipe? I love the whole spatchcock method so to do a turkey in less time with this flavor...I need to know. Would the cooking time change, seasoning change - especially if it is a heritage bird or seasonings more attuned to turkey meat than chicken. All ideas are welcome. Thanksgiving is not far away!
 
Amanda H. October 15, 2011
I would do two smaller turkeys rather than 1 large, and would then triple the butter and oil and quadruple the aromatics, using half the ingredients for each bird. One thing you'll need to adjust is the liquid. In step 4, I specified how far up in the pan the broth should come, so you may need more or less liquid depending on the dimensions of the pan (or pans) you use. Hope it turns out well!
 
elaina June 27, 2011
This was amazing, I made it friday and my boyfriend could not stop eating it. Every piece was delicious. We grilled asparagus and potato's to go with it, while the asparagus was perfect, the potato's were not quite ready so, while the chicken rested we put the potato's in the juices turned up the heat, the sauce thickened and the potato's came out perfect too.
 
fo June 25, 2011
i love spatchcocking chicken. its my fave. theres more to a chicken than just its name.
 
the S. June 25, 2011
Though I love the method, a light bulb went off when I tasted the sauce: if you use whole lemons with the peel it will make the sauce bitter and that's what happened. If I make this again I will only use only the lemon zest!
 
AntoniaJames June 25, 2011
I made this with some regular lemons, at a time when I had blossoms but no lemons on my Meyer lemon tree; we too found the sauce a bit bitter (though I didn't mind it much, as my shallots were sweet and my white wine not very dry). I've also made it with Meyers, which were perfect. If you go with just using the zest, don't forget to add the juice of the lemon as well. This is one of my favorite methods of cooking chickens these days. I use this technique all the time, with a variety of different ingredients playing supporting roles. ;o)
 
AntoniaJames May 7, 2011
I used this method, but substituted the basic ingredients in Merrill's Chicken with Sausage, White Wine and Artichokes, http://www.food52.com/recipes/4168_chicken_with_sausage_white_wine_and_artichokes, adding about 2 ounces of garlicky kielbasa in addition to the Italian sausage. Without question, it was one of the most scrumptious roast chickens I've ever prepared. Served the leftover sausage slices, artichoke hearts and sauce over polenta for lunch. In a word, sensational (both the dinner and the lunch!). ;o)
 
Amanda H. May 7, 2011
Recipe mash-up -- love it!
 
wssmom March 3, 2011
I have been meaning to make this for a while, and finally scored a chicken worthy of the recipe. What I love are the straightforward, precise and clear directions, which totally carried me through to a great result! The Spouse is still moaning in delight!
 
Amanda H. March 4, 2011
Glad to hear it!
 
hardlikearmour March 2, 2011
LOL..."winged it"....I've only recently started butterflying chickens, and love the technique!
 
Amanda H. March 4, 2011
haha!
 
Blissful B. February 20, 2011
I made this tonight & it was absolutely delicious. My oven was in use, so I cooked it 100% in the skillet on the stovetop. I didn't get that beautiful crispy skin, but the meat was juicy & very flavorful (with no splatters to clean up in the oven.) Thanks for a simple recipe with lovely flavor.
 
Amanda H. March 2, 2011
Good tweaks to know!
 
MinkyMcNamara February 6, 2011
I made this tonight, and it was fabulous! I love this technique...I used my cast iron skillet. This is a fun change from plain-old roasting, and it makes a great sauce- in half the time. Thanks!
 
Robin O. January 15, 2011
This is a delicious recipe. I too am a fan of Hammersley's chicken, and have made it a few times at home. Your recipe really simplifies the process, but still retains the great flavor.
 
Amanda H. January 15, 2011
Glad you like it!
 
healthierkitchen January 12, 2011
Have made this twice now - just delicious and so attractive to serve!
 
Shoshanadh December 25, 2010
I don't think I'll ever roast a chicken any other way. I've made this twice since it appeared, each time with a juicy flavorful outcome, though I didn't brown the chicken first. I'd like to try duck but am concerned that the duck will end up floating in a tub of fat. Do you think steaming the duck first is a good way to go?
 
Amanda H. December 25, 2010
I think it might be better to cook the duck this way a day in advance. Let it cool and refrigerate the duck and sauce separately. In the morning, there should be a solid layer of fat on top of the sauce -- then you can spoon this off and discard it, and you'll be left with a much purer sauce. Then reheat the duck and sauce for dinner.
 
MaSaBeMama December 25, 2010
Have made this twice & will be making again tonight. Used Madeira as the spirit - once the rosemary and sage are added the aroma is awesome. Even my non-chicken eating son admitted this was delicious. Thanks!
 
Amanda H. December 25, 2010
I'm going to try it with Madeira -- sounds like the sweetness will nicely balance the tart of the lemons.
 
neonkitty December 13, 2010
I just made this for my dad to cheer him up and it was the easiest and most savory dish I've had in a while. What a pleasure to prepare and share! I bet the leftovers are going to be just amazing. Thank you!
 
Amanda H. December 25, 2010
Thanks for trying it!
 
TheWimpyVegetarian December 8, 2010
Made this tonight for dinner and it was really wonderful! And oh so easy!! Thanks for another great recipe!!
 
Amanda H. December 25, 2010
Glad you like it -- thanks for letting me know!