Roasting a whole chicken has an undeserved reputation for being difficult — dry breasts and underdone thighs can make it feel like you’re wrestling with the poultry rather than just cooking it for consumption. The preparation method of spatchcocking — which can be done with any bird you want to roast — solves most of those problems in one decisive move. By removing the backbone and flattening the bird, you expose more surface area to heat, which means faster and much more even cooking.
Thankfully, spatchcocking isn’t complicated, specialized, or reserved for professionals. It requires just a couple tools you likely already have and a willingness to make a few confident cuts. There’s no delicate knife work, no anatomical expertise, and no need to worry about perfection. Chickens are tougher than they look and the process is far more forgiving than it appears at first glance.
Once you’ve done it a single time, spatchcocking becomes less of a stressful technique and more of a default three-minute job. It shortens cook times, improves consistency whether you’re roasting or grilling, and even makes carving easier. Use the guide above to dramatically improve your chicken roasting confidence.
