Transform Your Dinner Game with this Spatchcock Heroine Chicken Recipe!
If you’ve followed us for a while, you won’t be at all surprised to hear that our Heroine Chicken is one of the most-loved Whole30 recipes we have! And maybe you even already know it got its name because you’re a hero every time you make it. That’s because our roasted spatchcock chicken with a zesty lemon marinade is beyond delicious, and it’s one of my all-time favorite recipes. Ready to make it? Let’s go!!
I was delighted to discover, during my first Whole 30, that this Spatchcock chicken recipe happens to be naturally compatible. This is also a recipe that is compliant if you’re looking for recipes that are Keto or Paleo.
Beyond that, it is quite frankly, the best Spatchcock chicken recipe ever! People worldwide love this dish that I’ve been making for my family for more than 25 years. If you want to develop a “signature dish,” this one would be an excellent choice.
What’s unique about my Spatchcock Heroine Chicken recipe?
This recipe is perfect for meal prep because if you’re lucky enough to have a grocery store with a butcher, you can have the butcher Spatchcock the chicken, then prepare the marinade on Sunday, place the marinating chicken into the fridge, and after work on Tuesday just pop it into the oven. And you can certainly get a pair of shears and Spatchcock it yourself. It’s a great life skill to learn!
What does it mean to ‘Spatchcock’ a chicken?
Spatchcock, also known as “butterflied,” is a culinary technique used to prepare poultry, most commonly chicken, for faster and more even cooking.
To spatchcock a chicken, the backbone is removed, allowing the chicken to be flattened out before being cooked. This not only reduces the cooking time significantly but also ensures that the breast and thighs cook evenly. The technique results in a beautifully browned and crispy skin while the meat remains tender and juicy, making spatchcocking a popular method among home cooks and professional chefs alike.
Marinating your chicken 48 hours in a few simple ingredients is key!
Marinating the chicken for 48 hours in a few simple ingredients creates a certain alchemy that amplifies the flavors so that 2+2 equals an unequivocal 10. I often add extra wings and drumsticks to the marinade, because who doesn’t love delicious leftovers? It’s also a fantastic dish to take to a new mother!
Baste like your Spatchcock chicken depends on it, because it does!
Another key to this recipe: baste, baste, baste! I begin to baste when the skin starts to become brown, and I baste again every 15 minutes. Basting the chicken in its own juices and fat is the difference between good and spectacular. It’s worth every second you spend basting, because you will absolutely taste the difference!
What to make with leftover Heroine Chicken.
Clearly, I think this recipe for Heroine Chicken is delicious just as it is, but it makes spectacular leftovers too!!! Below are some of my favorite ways to dish up any leftovers I have on hand.
Whole30 Cobb Salad
This Cobb Salad will surely be an instant classic in your house when served with Heroine Chicken and Marinated Red Onions. A delicious classic – Whole30 style!
Pistachio Pesto Chicken Salad
Whether you are doing Whole30 or not, this is the perfect chicken salad to make with Heroine Chicken.
Whole30 Lettuce Wrap with Chicken
This Whole30 Lettuce Wrap with chicken is a perfect lunch on the go! It’s easy to whip together, and is satisfying without feeling too heavy.
If you try this fabulous Spatchcock Heroine Chicken recipe, please rate it and leave a comment below. I love to know how it turned out! Plus, always follow along on Instagram and Pinterest.
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Whole30 Spatchcock Heroine Chicken
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Marinating Time: Overnight
- Cook Time: 1 hr
- Total Time: 1 hr 10 min
- Yield: 4-6 servings
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Whole30
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This roasted spatchcock chicken has a zesty lemon marinade that will have your taste buds dancing with every bite.
Ingredients
- 1 chicken, prepared spatchcock or butterflied
- 2 tbsp kosher salt
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp peppercorns, crushed into good-sized pieces
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 6 cloves of garlic, chopped fine
- A couple of handfuls of chopped flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
- Butterfly the chicken or have the butcher do it for you. Salt the chicken well with kosher salt — make sure every crevice is covered.
- In a bowl mix lemon, peppercorn, olive oil and garlic. (Important: make sure the peppercorns are crushed into large pieces.)
- Place the chicken in a 24-40 cup container with lid. Make sure that the container is deep enough (I use a 16? ish x 10? ish x 5?ish deep) This recipe is all about the marinade so it’s important that the container fits the chicken or you will lose marinade.
- Pour half of the marinade evenly over the bird. Sprinkle with half of the parsley, about a handful. Flip the chicken over and evenly cover the other side of the chicken with the rest of the marinade. Then sprinkle the remaining parsley. Marinate overnight or up to 48 hours.
- When the chicken is done marinating, wipe off the excess marinade and parsley. Then, roast the chicken skin side up in a 375°F oven for about 45 minutes. As quickly as you can, baste with the chicken fat, close the oven and bake for another 15 minutes.
- If the chicken is not brown enough, baste again, turn up to 425° and bake for 5 more minutes. If the wing tips are getting too brown, cover them up with foil.
Notes
I recommend making some extra wings and thighs for leftover lunch to-go tomorrow. If you want to do more than 4 wings and thighs, just double the marinade. Make sure that you put them in a large enough container so that everything is covered with the marinade.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 168
- Sugar: 1.2 g
- Sodium: 1264.5 mg
- Fat: 14.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 5.9 g
- Protein: 6.7 g
- Cholesterol: 17.5 mg
Keywords: Heroine chicken, Spatchcock chicken, chicken, roasted hcicken,
Side dishes to serve with my viral recipe for Heroine Chicken.
Chances are, if you are making this recipe for my Whole30 Heroine Chicken, you are also looking for a few fabulous side dishes too. Below are a few of my favorite recipes that complement this chicken recipe perfectly.
Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Creamy Chive Dressing
These roasted sweet potatoes are the perfect side dish! They are Whole30, packed with nutrients, and so satisfying and delicious.
Grilled Vegetable Summer Salad
This Grilled Vegetable Summer Salad is perfect for a delicious lunch or for a total crowd-pleaser at any summer BBQ!
French Green Beans with Garlic and Pepitas
I love French Green Beans. They are the perfect side dish for chicken! These would also be delicious with my Garlic Tahini Avocado Dressing!
Vegan Pesto Grilled Vegetable Salad
This Whole30 & vegan grilled vegetable salad is perfect for summer! It’s unbelievably delicious, and you won’t even realize it’s vegan!
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Should I even bother if I can only marinate for 12 hours? Or, just wait for another occasion when I have 48 hours as directed?
Whats your time / temperature recommendation for larger chickens? 5-7 lbs?
Hi- thanks for the recipe! My fridge runs cold. If the oil in the marinade congeals- is the meat still marinating? Thanks!
Hi Sue, My oil always partly solidifies, it is still okay and if you want you can scoop it up and smear on the chicken, like you would a herbed butter. I do that when I go to flip the bird half way through. My opinion is that, yes, it is still marinating even if your oil congeals, it is still on the bird 🙂
Yes that’s absolutely fine to do that and of course Olive Oil always congeals in the fridge
It congeals probably for most people, be sure to flip the chicken in the middle of the marinating time.
That’s totally normal. That is what oil does in the refrigerator. No need to scoop any out. Just be sure to flip in the middle of the marinating. Once it gets in the pan to roast, it will all come together
★★★★★
Can this be made without the garlic due to an allergy to it. Thank you
Not for this recipe, But check the blog for grapefruit chicken
That would be a different recipe and would not work for my Heroine Chicken. Feel free to try my Grapefruit Chicken and then leave off any garlic on that one. Let me know how it goes for you.
This was so delicious! How can I be a tuse the juices from baking? Do you have a special magic elixir from this specifically?
Delicious in everything, including pasta, rice, in Minestrone Soup… Anywhere you want delicious flavor.
Hi Teri,
This sounds delicious!
What size chicken do you use?
Thanks!
Sara
I made this tonight for the first time and it was seriously so good. I cant wait to make it again. My 3 year old loved it!
Can you marinate the chicken in a large ziplock bag?
We did that and are cooking tonight (for the first time). I’ll let you know how it goes.
How did it go, young whippersnapper? VZ
That’s the only way I do it. And both time I received rave reviews from different people!
Hi! Can I bake potatoes in the pan with the chicken as it’s baking? Thanks!
Oh my gosh! This chicken is amazing! So juicy and tasty! I was a little worried about butterfly cutting a chicken open, but I DID IT! And marinaded it for 48 hours as instructed, and it was seriously delicious. My 6 year old ate like a mountain man and my 4 year old had his FILL as well! Juicy, tasty, worth the wait!
Thank you Teri for sharing!
★★★★★
Thank you so much…
I was so intimidated to cook a whole chicken. No idea why. This was my first whole chicken recipe. Followed the instructions exactly and it was perfect!!! I ate it by itself and it was wonderful. Had leftovers on salad, so delicious!! Highly highly recommend!
★★★★★
Thank you so much… I would be thrilled if you would write the recipe
Oops… I meant to say rate the recipe…If you have time I would be delighted
Best Chicken Recipe EVER!! I would upload a picture, but what you’d see now is an empty plate!
★★★★★
yay ?
This chicken is AH MAZE ING. I don’t know what kind of magic goes into it but we have made it several times now and my entire family always throws down. I don’t know what kind of magic happens with the marinade but it’s the best and easiest chicken I’ve ever made.
★★★★★
There really is a bit of magic in it… It’s one of those things that it’s not just 1+1 = 2 it’s like 2+2 is 55… Thank you so much
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I made this for an outdoor gathering with friends and had rave reviews. They all asked for the recipe and asked that I make it again! I grilled the chicken using the serious eats butterfly chicken method and used a probe thermometer. Juicy, flavorful and delicious. This will definitely be on rotation.
★★★★★
I’ve made this many times over the past few years and I always forget how delicious it is! Today I cooked 2, 1 the conventional way and 1 in my pellet smoker. I cooked it in 375 in a cast iron skillet in the smoker and OMG it’s amazing! Cooking it either way you won’t be disappointed.
★★★★★
Simply the best roast chicken you could make or eat. I have made this several times and it never disappoints. I often make this for new moms, or for a meal to drop off when a friend is in need of a comforting meal. Delicious!
★★★★★
Hey Teri! This is one of my FAVES (no surprise). I’d love to try using wings and was curious about the adjusted cooking time if we use all chicken wings (about 3 lbs from Butcher Box, yum! so they will be smaller than their GMO cousins in the big box stores). Any advice on adjusted temp, time or method (like covering in foil at any point)?
★★★★★
You don’t need to adjust much I think it takes a full hour to do wings
Thanks for sharing your recipe and video. I love the video, because sometimes I just need to see it! I love all the recipes I’ve made from your cookbook. I feel excited to cook again. They are are all good!
Delicious! Moist and flavorful chicken- well worth the wait while it marinates.
★★★★★
Made this for lunch today and 10/10 recommend! So easy to follow, perfect chicken. Even my toddler who doesn’t eat chicken had THREE helpings.
★★★★★
Absolutely fantastic! Best roast chicken I’ve ever made — and I’ve made many. Huge hit. Thank you, Terri, for this spectacular recipe!!!
★★★★★
??????So glad you like it
If I wanted to do this with just chicken breasts – would you recommend the same marinade time? I want to try this but don’t have a whole chicken on hand!
Thank you!
i would say dont. use the recipe for Sizzling every day roast chicken breast on the blog
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The only way to roast a chicken!
★★★★★
I have made this recipe so many times and it’s been amazing. I’m having a large event this Saturday and wanted to make 40 lbs of quartered chicken thighs. Any recommendation on how to make this recipe for a huge event?
BEST whole chicken in the oven recipe ever! Guest approved and young adult son approved.
We “cheat” and do two of these at a time and freeze them – after they are cooked – so that we can push the easy button during a busy week!
Thank you, Terri!!!
★★★★★
Hadn’t made this chicken or much of anything in awhile. Came across this recipe and remembered how amazing it it. Will make again soon when my kids come
Would you recommend this recipe using a whole turkey? I have a turkey my freezer and am looking for a good recipe.
Thanks!
No, I think classic turkey with poultry seasoning and butter is better for that.
I roast whole chickens frequently and have numerous recipes that are keepers. So I was disappointed, given the recipe name and 2 day marinate, that this recipe was not as special as I’d hoped. I followed the recipe to the letter, including the sumac included as optional in an earlier published version. It was good and looked beautiful – but it was not amazing. In fact, I found it to be less flavorful than, for example, Ina Garten’s chicken roasted with lemons in the cavity that requires practically no prep and zero days marinating in the fridge. Sorry to disagree with most of the comments but it just will not be an addiction for me.
★★★★
I’m so impressed with how you’ve made this recipe so easy and quick. It’s perfect for my busy lifestyle.