Butterflied Chicken (BBQ or Oven Method)

This butterflied chicken, also known as spatchcock chicken, can be cooked on the BBQ or in the oven for juicy meat, crispy skin and faster cooking than a whole roast chicken. I've made this one with a lemon mustard marinade, but you can use any spices, dry rub or sauce of your choosing!

Butterflied chicken is a whole chicken that has been cut through the backbone so it can open out and sit flat while cooking. You'll often see it called spatchcock chicken, but it's not to be confused with a spatchcock as in a young chicken - in this recipe, we're talking about the preparation method.

Because the chicken sits flatter, it cooks more evenly than a traditional whole roast chicken. The breast and legs finish cooking closer together, the skin has more contact with the heat, and there's more surface area for marinade to actually do its thing.

I love cooking chicken this way on the BBQ because you still get the whole-chicken effect, but it's faster, easier to manage, and less likely to end up with dry breast meat and undercooked legs. Plus, my partner really loves the BBQ so it gives me a chance to pop my feet up hehe.

It's also really useful for meal prep because you can cook one whole chicken, then slice or shred it for salads, wraps, rice bowls, pasta salads, sandwiches, or easy dinners during the week. Check out my shredded chicken recipes for inspo!

Ingredients

Whole chicken. I get a whole chicken and butterfly it myself (which I've included instruction on how to do below). If you get your chicken from the butcher, you can ask them to do this for you.

Lemon mustard marinade. I make my own lemon mustard marinade, but you could also use a storebought one or use another marinade or seasoning of your choosing. At the very least, you want to include some oil and basic salt and pepper (although, I do recommend adding a little more).

How to BBQ Butterfly Chicken

Step 1: Remove the backbone: Place the chicken breast-side down (the fatter half). Using poultry shears, cut along both sides of the backbone from tail (where the hole is) to neck, removing it completely. (Save for stock if you'd like)

Note - you could use normal scissors, but it will be harder and you'll want to make sure they're super sharp! Don't use a knife!!!

Step 2: Flatten the chicken: Flip the chicken over so it's breast-side up. Press firmly on the breastbone with the heel of your hand to flatten the bird-you should hear a little crack and the chicken will then lie flat on its own.

Pat dry with paper towels (this helps the skin crisp up).

Marinate with your choice of flavours - I do mine in a lemon mustard sauce.

How do you cook a butterflied chicken in the oven?

Place the butterflied chicken skin-side up on a lined tray or wire rack. Roast at 180°C / 350°F for approximately 45-60 minutes for a 1.5kg / 3.3 lb chicken, or until the thickest part reaches 69°C / 156°F.

Remove the chicken from the oven and rest for 10-15 minutes before carving. The internal temperature will continue to rise as it rests, which helps the chicken finish cooking without becoming tough or dry. For best results, check that the final resting temperature reaches approximately 74-75°C / 165°F in the thickest part of the chicken.

Cooking time BBQ vs Oven

Note. Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the chicken, BBQ temperature, oven accuracy and whether the chicken starts fridge-cold or closer to room temperature. A meat thermometer is the easiest way to avoid overcooking it.

What do I do with the backbone?

I'm not a big fan of waste, so when there's an opportunity to use the WHOLE chicken, like in my Homemade Chicken Stock recipe, I'll do it.

You can make a gravy or jus with the backbone at the same time you're cooking the chicken, which makes it easy to pop on the table right away.

1. Slice backbone into chunks and add to a small pot over medium heat. Allow it to turn golden brown (approx. 5 minutes)
2. In the meantime, roughly slice a brown onion, carrot and celery. Allow to become fragrant (approx. 5 minutes).
3. Pour in 2 cups of stock (or water), a splash of soy sauce, some peppercorns and a couple of bayleaves. Bring to a boil and then turn the heat down to simmer.
4. Allow it to reduce for at least 30 minutes before straining. You can then add it back to the stove to make a gravy by adding some cornstarch to thicken.

How to use butterflied chicken for meal prep

Just like a whole roast chicken, a butterflied chicken is a great meal prep option for your protein source. I've chosen to marinate this one in my lemon mustard sauce because it adds a really light and refreshing flavour, but you can mix-and-match this with seasonings of your choice or a different marinade like my sweet chilli soy or peri peri if you like a bit more spice.

You can cook vegetables alongside your chicken and then use this as meal prep throughout the week. Any leftover bones can then be used in a homemade slow cooker chicken stock to make other dishes like my Mediterranean chicken orzo (because you know ya girl hates waste!)

Chicken can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days. I recommend doing this with a marinade (or at the very least, with the juices that come from the chicken) as this will help keep it moist and prevent it from drying out.

Greek-inspired

I am a big fan of a homemade tzatziki sauce so after shredding or slicing your leftover chicken you can use the tzatziki as a marinade and then use it for my Mediterranean chicken wraps (pictured) or chicken and couscous salad which are both really easy cold meal prep options.

If you prefer a hot option, you can make my Greek-inspired rice bowls. Any leftovers can then be frozen in the marinade to keep the chicken moist.

Teriyaki-inspired

If you're after more of an Asian vibe, you can add leftover chicken to a thick teriyaki marinade and use it in poke bowls (as pictured) or even just a simple teriyaki chicken rice bowl.

Mexican-inspired

Instead of using the marinade, you could also coat the chicken in a spice rub like my homemade taco seasoning. This is then perfect for mixing and matching with Mexican-inspired dishes like my sheet pan chicken fajitas (you can even cook the veggies the same time as the butterflied chicken), or a chicken burrito bowl.

Salads

Salad meal preps are probably one of my favourite uses for leftover chicken because you're not having to risk heating the chicken up (which can sometimes cause it to go dry if you don't do it right).

My recent favourite is my chicken Caesar pasta salad (pictured), but you can also mix-and-match with my satay chicken salad which you can make even more versatile by adding into a wrap on day 2 for a bit more meal prep versatility.

Freezing butterflied chicken

You can freeze a raw butterfly chicken whole by covering it tightly in plastic wrap and allowing it to thaw before cooking. You can do this with the marinade (like a lemon mustard or garlic soy) or plain.

You can also freeze a cooked whole butterfly chicken in the same way, but I would suggest separating into single serve pieces (e.g. a whole breast) or breaking it up into bite sized pieces. Wrap tightly to prevent freezer burn and it can be frozen for up to 6 months. If you have jus or gravy you've made, add this to the chicken to help keep it moist.

Frequently Asked Questions

Other easy chicken recipes you'll like

Or, you can have a browse through my chicken meal preps for more delicious eats.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I do - Love & Pasta, Lauren x

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