RoastAmerican
Sheet-pan roast chicken
Spatchcocked in the oven when the patio is frozen. High heat, dry skin, two numbers: breast 160, thigh 175.
Made it?
1 hr 15 min · 20 min hands-on · pull 160°F · rest 15 min
Ingredients
4.5 lb on the fire · ~2.9 lb to the table · 6 plates at 8 oz
- whole chicken, backbone removed4 1/2 lb
- kosher salt1 tbsp
- black pepper1 tsp
- oil1 tbsp
- chopped thyme, or 4 sprigs1 tbsp
- chopped rosemary1 tsp
Method
- 1
Spatchcock. Salt overnight uncovered if you can. Heat the oven to 425°F with a rack over a sheet pan.
- 2
Oil, thyme, rosemary. Roast skin-up until breast is 157–160°F and thigh is 175°F, 40–55 minutes.
- 3
Rest 15 minutes. If the breast hits first, tent it and give the legs a few more minutes.
If you don’t have it
- Whole bird → Leg quarters plus a bone-in breast. Easier to stagger. Same two numbers.
- Oven → The smoked spatchcock in the library. Same bird, patio. Pull temps do not change.
Same cook, different day
Herb butter under the skin
Sunday. Thyme and lemon zest in butter, slid under the breast skin.
High-heat only
You skipped the overnight dry. 425°F still works. Skin will be less crisp. Dry it as best you can.
Pan gravy
You want sauce. Deglaze the sheet with stock while the bird rests. Do not drown the skin.
On the plate
With this, try
- With this dish, try making petite roasted potatoes.
Same pan as a roast or chicken. Or a sheet next to chops. Halve, oil, salt, rosemary. 425°F cut-side down until the faces brown. Toss in the meat drippings at the end.
40 min
- With this dish, try making grilled asparagus.
When the meat comes off to rest. Thick spears, oil, salt. Hot grate 2–3 minutes, roll, another minute. Lemon. Pencil spears go in a hot skillet, not on the bars.
10 min
- With this dish, try making roasted carrots.
Same oven as a roast. Last 30 minutes. Whole thin carrots or big ones halved. Oil, salt, thyme, 425°F, honey in the last 5.
35 min