Butterflied Chicken with Spicy Garlic Butter
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Use a cast iron skillet to roast a whole butterflied chicken to perfection, Italian diavolo-style chicken recipe is seasoned with garlic butter and crushed red pepper.
Roasting a whole chicken is probably my number one favorite thing to do with the bird, hands down.
Instead of keeping it whole, this butterfiled chicken is split down the backbone, then seasoned under the skin with a tasty butter infused with spicy red chili and garlic. To cook, put it in a a seasoned cast iron skillet and pop it in the oven.
It’s fiendishly good and just a little spicy, just like the Italian word for devil — diavolo.
Sometimes I season chicken for roasting with grainy Dijon mustard mixed with some chopped tarragon, making sure to smear plenty of the mixture under the skin.
Other times there’s nothing better than a simple roasted chicken popped into the oven with just salt, pepper, olive oil and lemon.
How to butterfly or “spatchcock” a chicken
- To remove the backbone from a whole chicken: Put the chicken on a cutting board, breast side down.
- Cut along the backbone on either side with a pair of scissors or a sharp knife.
- Remove the bone and discard, or save it to add to homemade chicken stock
Roasting chicken in a cast iron skillet
You can easily find pre-seasoned cast iron pans but when I bought mine oh-so-many-years ago that wasn’t an option. Those pans are treasured tools in my kitchen for sure, with a patina that bears witness to half my lifetime of cooking.
The skillet goes from stovetop to oven (and straight to the table, sometimes) which simplifies things even more.
Cast iron butterflied chicken turns out super juicy and just a little spicy, but not too much to set your mouth on fire.
- The warm juices are delicious over a pile of tender parsley sprigs, making a softly wilted salad you can serve with toasted crusty bread, pasta or couscous.
- Be sure to let the chicken rest 10 – 15 minutes before carving and serving for the best juicy meat.
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Butterflied Chicken with Spicy Garlic Butter
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken (3-3½ pounds), backbone removed
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 tablespoons softened butter
- 1 tablespoon pressed garlic, 3-4 cloves
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt, or 2 teaspoons fine salt
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or rosemary
- 1 teaspoon crushed chili flakes, or to taste
- 1 bunch Italian parsley, tough stems trimmed
Instructions
- Heat oven to 425 (220 C) degrees.
- Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes while the oven preheats.
- Combine 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, butter, garlic, 1 1½ teaspoons salt, chopped thyme and chili in a small bowl to make a creamy paste. Using your fingers, carefully loosen the skin on the breasts and rub some of the mixture in between the flesh and the skin. Rub the remaining paste all over the outside of the chicken, including a bit in the cavity. Season the skin with the remaining 1 ½ teaspoons salt.
- Heat a 10-12-inch cast iron skillet or heavy-duty ovenproof pan over medium heat until a drop of water sizzles and instantly evaporates. Add the remaining tablespoon olive oil, then lay the chicken in the pan, skin side down.
- Cook 10 minutes without moving the chicken. The skin should start to turn golden brown – adjust the heat so the pan doesn’t become too hot and burn the skin.
- Transfer chicken to the oven and roast 30 minutes. Carefully turn the chicken over and roast an additional 15-20 minutes, until the legs wiggle easily, the juices run clear and the internal temperature reads 160 degrees. Let chicken rest at least 10 minutes before carving — remember that it will continue to cook as it sits. Carve into pieces and serve on a platter on a bed of the parsley.
Karen’s Notes and Tips
- Put the chicken on a cutting board, breast side down.
- Cut along the backbone on either side with a pair of scissors or a sharp knife.
- Remove the bone and discard, or save it to add to homemade chicken stock
Nutrition
Hey, I’m Karen
Creator of Familystyle Food
I’m a food obsessed super-taster and professionally trained cook ALL about creating elevated dinners with everyday ingredients. Find simplified recipes made from scratch and enjoy incredibly tasty food! Read more about me here.
I am making this tonight – SO EXCITED FOR DINNER!
Fantastic!! xo