I roast a chicken or two every week. In a pinch, I will do nothing more than rub the bird with salt and stick it in a hot oven. In just over an hour of hands-off cooking I’ll have dinner on the table.

But with the tiniest bit of forethought, I can make an even more delicious roast chicken. Spatchcocking, or removing the backbone and flattening the bird, improves the roast chicken experience in three ways. 1. It allows the bird to cook more evenly in less time. 2. It gives you more of that beautiful crispy skin. 3. It makes carving a serving a breeze.

I try to do my spatchcocking the day before I plan on cooking the chicken. And then I like to rub A LOT of kosher salt all over the bird. This is called a dry brine. It makes for an even more moist chicken and incredible skin. I’m talking potato chip addiction deliciousness here.

Below is a short video of me spatchcocking and then dry brining one of our pasture-raised chickens. Some folks recommend using a pair of kitchen shears to remove the backbone. I use a sharp knife, mostly because I’ve never met a pair of kitchen shears that were good for much more than opening packages and snipping herbs. But you do you. If you have shears than can get the job done I definitely want the link to those super scissors.

Remove backbone. (Save for making bone broth!)
Cut the breastbone and flatten chicken.
Apply much salt.
Refrigerate, uncovered, for 6-48 hours.
Roast in 450 degree oven for 30-60 minutes or until thickest part of breast reaches 165 degrees.