How to Spatchcock a Chicken

The skill is a handy one to have in your back pocket! It works equally well on Cornish game hens and turkeys as it does on a chicken! Spatchcocking, or butterflying a chicken allows it to get better seasoning coating on the inside, and it allows it to cook faster and more evenly! Boom! Winner, winner!

Step #1

1. Place a whole chicken on the cutting board, breast side down and legs facing away from you.

2. Using heavy duty, sharp kitchen shears, cut along both sides of the backbone, and take it out. You might have to wiggle the shears around a bit as you get near the tail area, as the back bones flair outward...can't go through, gotta go around.

Step #3

5. Once the bone is loosened up, run your finger around each side to pull it away and then pull the keel bone out.

Step #2

3. Open the chicken out and expose the keel bone. This is the chicken's breastbone...it need to comes out.

4. Take the sharp end of your boning knife and slide it gently up one side of keel bone being careful not to cut the meat. This is done to disconnect the keel bone from the breast.

Step #4

6. Flip chicken over and press to flatten.

It's ready for seasoning and the grill or oven, now!