Roasted Spatchcock Chicken with Root Vegetables
During the colder months of the year nothing is cozier than a roast chicken dinner. My Roasted Spatchcock Chicken with Root Vegetables is perfect for an intimate dinner party, a small holiday meal, or a self-care night in! Roasting the root vegetables in the same pan as the chicken adds an extra layer of tastiness and technically makes it a one-pan meal. The leftover drippings get put to work to make a delicious, buttery pan sauce to smother your roasted chicken and veg in.
Table of Contents
- Ingredients to Make Roasted Spatchcock Chicken with Root Vegetables
- Step 1—Spatchcock and Dry Brine the Chicken
- Step 2—Prepare the Root Vegetables for Roasting
- Step 3—Sear the Chicken and Shallots
- Step 4—Roast the Chicken and Root Vegetables
- Step 5—Prepare the Pan Sauce
- Step 6—Serve!
- More Cozy Dinner Recipes
Ingredients to Make Roasted Spatchcock Chicken with Root Vegetables
To make this recipe, you will need the following ingredients:
- 4 lb whole chicken
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 6 large shallots, halved
- 2 large garlic cloves
- 300 grams carrots (approximately 3 carrots)
- 400 grams potatoes (approximately one large potato)
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- Fresh thyme and rosemary, leaves picked
- 50 grams salted butter
- 1 cup chicken broth
- Sea salt and fresh black pepper
Step 1—Spatchcock and Dry Brine the Chicken
How to Spatchcock a Chicken
Step 1: Place the chicken on a clean cutting board and flip it so the backbone is facing up. Using a sharp chef’s knife or kitchen shears, remove the backbone by making a cut along either side of the spine. Discard the backbone or save it in the freezer to use for making chicken stock.
Step 2: Flip the chicken over so the breast is facing up. Place your hands in the center of the breast and press until you hear a gentle pop.
Dry Brining Guidelines
When dry brining a chicken, I like to follow the salting guidelines set out by Samin Nosrat in her book Salt Fat Acid Heat, which recommends salting your bone-in chicken with 1.5% of its weight worth of salt. For a 4-pound chicken, that would be approximately 27 grams of salt, or roughly 3 tablespoons.
Pat the spatchcocked chicken dry with paper towels, then sprinkle the salt all over the bird. Use your hands to rub the salt into and under the skin. Place the salted bird on a baking sheet and transfer it to the fridge overnight to dry brine in the salt.
When you take your chicken out to roast the next day, the skin will appear dry and taut—like the picture above. Dry brining tenderizes the meat and leads to a crispier and more flavourful skin with little extra effort on the part of the chef.
Step 2—Prepare the Root Vegetables for Roasting
The next day, preheat the oven to 425°F.
Nothing goes more perfectly with a roasted chicken than roasted vegetables (IMO). To prepare the vegetables, start by peeling the carrots and the shallots. Slice the peeled shallots in half lengthwise and set aside. Chop the peeled carrots on the diagonal into large pieces. Lastly, scrub the potato, and then, leaving the skin on, chop it into large cubes.
Step 3—Sear the Chicken and Shallots
Remove the dry-brined chicken from the fridge and pat it all over with clean paper towels to remove any moisture. Season the front and back of the bird with some salt and fresh black pepper.
Heat a large cast iron pan over medium heat. Once it is hot, add a tablespoon of olive oil and swirl the pan around to coat. Place the chicken in the hot pan breast-side-down. Sear for 5 minutes. Flip the chicken and sear the back for a further 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
Now, we aren’t going to let all these good chicken drippings go to waste! Add the halved shallots to the pan cut-side-down. Sear for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the cut sides of the shallots are golden brown.
Step 4—Roast the Chicken and Root Vegetables
Add the carrots, potatoes, fresh thyme, and fresh rosemary to the pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Season with salt and fresh black pepper, then toss the vegetables well to coat. Place the seared chicken back into the pan on top of the vegetables.
Roast the chicken and vegetables in the oven for about 40 to 45 minutes, or until the internal temperature reads 155°F. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and the roasted vegetables to a serving dish. Allow the chicken to rest at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before carving and serving.
Step 5—Prepare the Pan Sauce
While the chicken is resting, make the pan sauce.
Add 50 grams of butter to the chicken’s roasting pan. Heat over medium-low heat until melted. Add 1 cup of chicken broth to the pan and stir. Bring to a boil, then reduce the temperature to a simmer. Allow the sauce to reduce for about 10 minutes.
In a small bowl, whisk together 1 teaspoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water to create a slurry to help thicken the sauce. Pour the slurry into the sauce, stirring continuously. Cook for a further minute or two until the sauce has thickened. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
Step 6—Serve!
Carve the rested chicken and serve it with the roasted root vegetables and the delicious, buttery pan sauce.
This dish is perfect for a cozy winter dinner party, a small holiday gathering, or just for a night in of self-care.
More Cozy Dinner Recipes
If you loved my roasted spatchcock chicken recipe, be sure to try these other cozy dinner ideas:
- Bonnemaman’s Chicken Cutlets
- Honeynut Squash Rigatoni
- Lemon and Herb Spatchcock Chicken
- Tomato and Lentil Stew with Harissa
If you make this recipe, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! I love to see what you all are making.
Feel free to leave any questions, comments, or reviews below. I love to hear from you!
Roasted Spatchcock Chicken with Root Vegetables
Equipment
- Large cast iron pan
Ingredients
- 4 lb whole chicken
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 6 large shallots, halved
- 2 large garlic cloves
- 300 grams carrots (about 3 carrots)
- 400 grams potato (about 1 large potato)
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- Fresh thyme and rosemary
- Sea salt and fresh black pepper
Buttery Pan Sauce
- 50 grams salted butter
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- The night before you plan to roast the chicken, place the chicken on a clean cutting board and flip it so the backbone is facing up. Using a sharp chef’s knife or kitchen shears, remove the backbone by making a cut along either side of the spine. Discard the backbone or save it in the freezer to use for making chicken stock. Flip the chicken over so the breast is facing up. Place your hands in the center of the breast and press until you hear a gentle pop.
- Pat the spatchcocked chicken dry with paper towels, then sprinkle salt all over the bird (see notes for salting guidelines). Use your hands to rub the salt into and under the skin. Place the salted bird on a baking sheet and transfer it to the fridge overnight to dry brine in the salt.
- The next day, preheat the oven to 425°F. Peel the carrots and the shallots. Slice the peeled shallots in half lengthwise and set aside. Chop the peeled carrots on the diagonal into large pieces. Lastly, scrub the potato, and then, leaving the skin on, chop it into large cubes.
- Remove the dry-brined chicken from the fridge and pat it all over with clean paper towels to remove any moisture. Season the front and back of the bird with some salt and fresh black pepper.
- Heat a large cast iron pan over medium heat. Once it is hot, add a tablespoon of olive oil and swirl the pan around to coat. Place the chicken in the hot pan breast-side-down. Sear for 5 minutes. Flip the chicken and sear for a further 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Add the halved shallots to the pan cut-side-down. Sear for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the cut sides of the shallots are golden brown.
- Add the carrots, potatoes, fresh thyme, and fresh rosemary to the pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Season with salt and fresh black pepper, then toss the vegetables well to coat. Place the seared chicken back into the pan on top of the vegetables.
- Roast the chicken and vegetables in the oven for about 40 to 45 minutes, or until the internal temperature reads 155°F. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and the roasted vegetables to a serving dish. Allow the chicken to rest at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before carving and serving.
- While the chicken is resting, make the pan sauce. Add 50 grams of butter to the chicken's roasting pan. Heat over medium-low heat until melted. Add 1 cup of chicken broth to the pan and stir. Bring to a boil, then reduce the temperature to a simmer. Allow the sauce to reduce for about 10 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together 1 teaspoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water to create a slurry to help thicken the sauce. Pour the slurry into the sauce, stirring continuously. Cook for a further minute or two until the sauce has thickened. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
- Serve the chicken and roasted root vegetables warm with the buttery pan sauce.
Notes
- When dry brining a chicken, I like to follow the salting guidelines set out by Samin Nosrat in her book Salt Fat Acid Heat, which recommends salting your bone-in chicken with 1.5% of its weight worth of salt. For a 4-pound chicken, that would be approximately 27 grams of salt, or roughly 3 tablespoons.
