3 favourite spatchcock chicken recipes to enjoy + learn how to spatchcock
Here are 3 spatchcock chicken recipes you and your family and friends will enjoy.
Plus, learn how to spatchcock a chicken – scroll past the recipes, below.
It’s much easier than you think!
3 spatchcock chicken recipes
- Pollo alla diavola aka devilled chicken
- Homemade Peri Peri Chicken aka a Nandos Fakeaway
- Warm spicy spatchcock chicken
1. Pollo alla diavola aka devilled chicken
Pollo alla diavola, roughly translated means devilled chicken.
And is often part of the second course in Italian cuisine.
The names come from incredible flavours.
The heat of chilli and black pepper, and the smell of the rosemary and oregano make this chicken a summer sensation.
And the crispy, golden skin, with tender meat, enhance this delicious rustic flavour.
I did this in our wood oven but you can grill this dish, do it on the barbecue, or opt for the oven.
Pollo alla diavola or devilled chicken
Ingredients
- 2 kg British free-range chicken
- 1 fresh red chilli, deseeded and chopped or chilli jam from a jar
- 1 lemon juice
- 3/4 tbsp dried oregano
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 175 ml olive oil
Chilli rub
- 2 tsp black peppercorns (crushed)
- 1 – 2 tsp dried chilli flakes (crushed)
- 1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped + a handful of sprigs to go under the chicken
- sea salt
Instructions
- Spatchcock the chicken (or get your butcher to do it). See my blog to learn how to easily spatchcock your chicken.
Marinade
- In a small bowl mix the oil with the lemon juice, oregano, garlic and fresh chilli.
- Put the chicken in a dish big enough to hold it, pour over the marinade, turn the chicken over in it, cover with cling film and put it in the fridge for an hour.
Chilli rub
- Preheat the oven to 200C/190C fan. In a pestle and mortar (or just crush on a work surface) crush the pepper, chilli flakes and chopped rosemary. Rub this all over the bird and season with salt.
- Put the chicken into a roasting tin on top of the rosemary sprigs.Cook for 30 – 40 mins, then check it. Using the point of a knife in between a leg and the rest of the body of the bird, check if the juices that run out are clear, with no trace of pink. If the juice is a little pink put it back in the oven.
- Cut the chicken into joints, put on to a warm serving plate, pour the cooking juices over the top and serve with wedges of lemon.
Notes
2. Homemade Peri Peri Chicken aka a Nandos Fakeaway
I defy you to not like Nandos!
I know it’s just a chicken takeaway.
But it’s the only takeaway food that doesn’t make you feel guilty or a bit ‘dirty’ once you’ve had it.
Spicy chicken, grilled over flames.
ohh, yes, I do enjoy the odd Nando’s.
But now, I’ve discovered the homemade version!
Homemade Peri Peri Chicken aka a Nandos Fakeaway
Ingredients
Peri peri sauce
- 2 red peppers sliced into large pieces
- 2 red onions peeled and chopped into large chunks
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil, divided
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 dried Jalapeno, deseeded and sliced in half (or red serrano chillies)
- 10 dried Thai peppers (or African birds eye chillies)
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1 lemon – zest and juice
- 1/4 dried rosemary
- 4 tbsp red wine vinegar
Spatchcock chicken
- 1 whole chicken, spatchcocked (ask your butcher or see link below in 'Notes', for my simple guide)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
Peri Peri sauce
- Preheat your oven to 180C/350F.
- Roughly, cut the peppers and red onion up and then place on a baking tray.Drizzle approx 2 tbsp of the vegetable oil over them and sprinkle on the paprika, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper and 1 tsp of the salt and mix altogether.Cook in the oven for 20 minutes.
- Next, add the garlic and jalapeno chillies and toss together again, then place in the oven for another 10 minutes. Take out of the oven and into a blender (pour in all the juices from the tray as well). Now, add the dried thai chillies, white pepper, lemon zest and juice and the dried rosemary. Blend until smooth. Add the remaining vegetable oil and the red wine vinegar and blend again.
- On a baking tray, place your spatchcock chicken and pour over 1/3 of the sauce, then sprinkle with ½ tsp salt and black pepper. Put in the oven (at 180C/350F) for 45 minutes. Baste the chicken and spoon over 2 more tablespoons of the sauce after 45mins and then put back in the oven for a further 10-15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
- Remove and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Serve with the leftover sauce.
Notes
3. Warm spicy spatchcock chicken
I chose a fiery little number with the flavours of Spain.
A lovely mix of smoked paprika, fennel seeds (I love, love fennel seeds), some herbs and lemon zest.
These flavours on a succulent chicken with the skin nice and crispy… heaven.
Warm spicy spatchcock chicken
Ingredients
- 1.7 kg spatchcock chicken (approx weight) (see my post for link to how to do yourself or ask your butcher to spatchcock it)
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds
- 2 garlic gloves, grated
- 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- a handful of flatleaf parsley (leaves only)
- sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp cold water
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 180°C/ Fan 160°C
- Make sure your chicken is at room temperature and spatchcock your chicken (see post for link to 'How to…') and place on a baking tray
- Make your marinade: In a pestle and mortar, crush your fennel seeds. Then, grate in your garlic, lemon zest and add the oregano, smoked paprika and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Lastly add in the oil and water and mix well
- Pour over the marinade and rub all overCover the chicken with foil and pop in the oven for 45 mins.Then, remove the foil, baste the meat and return to the oven, uncovered, for 15 mins or until nice and golden and crispyThe chicken is cooked when it reaches 71 C on a meat thermometer or if you insert a skewer or knife into the thickest part of a thigh and its juices run clear(If not, return the chicken to the oven for a further 5-15 mins before checking again)
- When you're happy it's cooked, transfer to a serving plate and rest for 20 mins covered, loosely, with foil.Sprinkle chopped parsley leaves and the lemon wedges.
How to spatchcock a chicken
Learning how to spatchcock a chicken will mean you always have options when it comes to cooking.
Equipment
- Knife or large kitchen scissors
Learn this simple technique to jazz up your chicken repertoire
It’s pretty simple really.
It’s removing the backbone so your chicken can lie completely flat.
This means the cooking time reduces significantly and can be cooked under a grill or pan frying as well
Method
Before you begin prepping the chicken.
Remove any neck parts and gizzards and keep to freeze for homemade stock.
Place the chicken, breast-side down, on a cutting board.
Step 1: Cutting along the backbone
Cut along the right of the backbone from the tail to the neck.
Step 2: Cut the other side
Remove the backbone and freeze this future chicken stock (or discard).
Step 3: Breaking the breastbone
Flatten the bird by pressing down on each of the wings, at the same time until the bone cracks.
Step 4 (optional): Removing the wing tips
Snip the tips of the wings off and add to your stock bones for the freezer.
The only reason to snip the ends off is that they often burn.
Step 5: Et voila, spatchcock chicken!
Now season and cook – check out my Peri Peri chicken recipe this Thursday.
This is a super simple skill and a great way to mix up some chicken recipes to keep the family happy.
