This dry brine spatchcock chicken has tons of flavor and is roasted to juicy perfection. Butterflying the bird ensures even cooking and a crisp, golden skin in less time than a whole roast.
Jessica’s Recipe Science
- Dry brining enhances flavor and moisture retention by breaking down muscle proteins and seasoning the meat throughout.
- Spatchcock chicken cooks faster with more even cooking, crispier skin, and breasts and thighs that finish at the same time.
- Roasting the chicken on a wire rack promotes better air circulation and crispier skin.
Featured Comment 11
“This was so easy and hands down the best roast chicken I’ve ever made! I’m going to make it again tonight!”—Carol
Why It Works
Nothing beats the aroma of roasted chicken filling your kitchen—it’s comforting, nostalgic, and always a crowd-pleaser. This spatchcock chicken recipe is perfect for when you want a flavorful, juicy bird with crisp golden skin, whether it’s a casual Sunday dinner or a smaller holiday gathering. I’m using two powerful techniques—dry brining and spatchcocking, to take the results to the next level.
Dry brining seasons the meat all the way through while drawing out moisture that gets reabsorbed, helping to break down muscle proteins for a more tender texture. Meanwhile, spatchcocking (or butterflying) the chicken flattens it out so it roasts more evenly and faster than a whole bird. No more dry breasts and undercooked thighs! This method is ideal for busy cooks who still want that rich roasted flavor without the long wait.
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Ingredients You’ll Need
- Chicken: Select around a 5-pound whole chicken to roast. Its size allows for more uniform heat transfer when spatchcocked. If using a smaller chicken, it will cook even faster, so reduce the roasting time and check doneness with an instant read thermometer.
- Salt: I season the chicken with ¼ cup of kosher salt for a dry brine, which initially pulls moisture to the surface. As it rests for 24 hours, that moisture is reabsorbed, carrying salt deep into the meat and helping to tenderize the proteins for a more flavorful, juicy result.
- Herbs & Spices: The dried oregano and thyme add aromatic, earthy notes that infuse onto the skin as it roasts. Black pepper gives gentle heat and depth, while crumbled bay leaves contribute a subtle, savory complexity.
- Oil: Rubbing olive oil on the skin promotes browning and help the skin crisp up beautifully in the oven.
See the recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements (US and metric).
Ingredient Substitutions
This spatchcock chicken recipe is easy to customize! Try these tasty options:
- Salt Swaps: Use other types of salt, like sea salt or table salt. If you’re using finer table salt instead of coarse kosher salt, reduce the amount to 3 tablespoons to avoid over-salting.
- Herbs: Add dried rosemary, basil, or Italian seasoning for a blend of herbs.
- Spices: Add sweet or smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, chipotle or cayenne, garlic powder, or onion powder. Try my Cajun seasoning for a kick!
- Oil Options: Instead of olive oil, try other high smoke point oil like avocado oil, vegetable oil, coconut oil, or ghee.
How to Make Spatchcock Chicken
Step 1: Make the Dry Brine
After testing different brining methods, I chose a salt-herb dry brine for deeper flavor. To make the dry brine, mix together kosher salt, oregano, thyme, black pepper, and finely crumbled bay leaves.
Step 2: Season the Chicken
Pat the outside and inside of the chicken dry with paper towels to help the salt adhere better. Evenly sprinkle the salt mixture over the entire bird—use about 2 tablespoons inside the cavity and the rest over the skin to ensure thorough seasoning and effective dry brining.
Ingredient Chemistry: When salt is applied to the surface of the chicken, it first pulls out moisture through osmosis. That moisture dissolves the salt, then gets reabsorbed into the meat, seasoning it from within. This creates a more concentrated, savory flavor compared to wet brines, which can dilute the taste.
Step 3: Brine the Chicken
There are many benefits of brining chicken. It loosens muscle fibers and reduces protein contraction during cooking, helping the meat retain more moisture for a juicier result. Over 24 hours, the salt breaks down muscle proteins and enhancing juiciness and flavor. Wrapping the chicken helps the salt stay in contact with the surface. Before roasting, rinse off excess salt and dry thoroughly for crispy skin.
Pro Tip: For crispier skin, let the brined chicken air-dry uncovered in the fridge for up to 24 hours before roasting. You don’t need to rinse, but it will be saltier.
Step 4: Butterfly the Chicken
Spatchcocking, or butterflying, involves using sharp kitchen shears to cut along the left and right sides of the backbone, from neck to tail, to remove it. Discard the backbone, then flip the chicken skin-side up and press firmly on the breast bone to flatten it. This technique opens up the bird so it roasts more evenly, cooking the breasts and thighs at the same rate. You can even spatchcock a turkey!
Step 5: Heat the Oven
Set the rack to the upper-middle position. Placing the chicken higher in the oven exposes the skin to more radiant heat, which helps render the fat and create a crisp, golden surface. At 400°F, the heat is hot enough to promote Maillard browning for flavor development, while still allowing the meat to cook through gently without drying out.
Step 6: Roast
Place the chicken on a wire rack set over a foil-lined baking sheet. I rub olive oil over the entire surface to promote even browning and crispy chicken skin. A light sprinkle of black pepper adds subtle heat and aromatic depth. Roast for 45 to 60 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken.
Tips for Perfect Execution: Target an internal temperature of 150 to 165°F (66 to 74°C) for the breasts and 165 to 170°F (74 to 77°C) for the thighs on a meat thermometer.
Step 7: To Serve
Letting the chicken rest for at least 10 minutes is key to keeping it juicy. Resting allows the muscle fibers to relax and reabsorb some of that moisture. Pair this dry brined butterflied roasted chicken with your favorite side dishes like mashed potatoes, green bean almondine,sauteed brussels sprouts with bacon, or roasted veggies like onions and carrots. I like to serve with homemade gravy made with chicken stock, or a squeeze of lemon juice for a citrus flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can skip dry brining, but you’ll miss out on deeper flavor and juicier meat. Dry brining helps the salt penetrate and tenderize the meat while promoting crispier skin. If you’re short on time, make sure to season the chicken generously with salt and pepper right before roasting.
At 400ºF (204ºC), I roast a 5-pound spatchcock chicken for about 45 to 60 minutes. The flattened shape helps it cook more evenly and quickly—just be sure to check that the breast reaches 160–165ºF (71–74ºC) and the thighs hit 165–170ºF (74–77ºC).
I prefer roasting chicken at 400ºF (204ºC) instead of 350ºF (177ºC) because the higher heat promotes Maillard browning, which creates deeper flavor and crispier skin. It also reduces cook time, helping the meat retain more moisture. At 350ºF (177ºC), you’ll get a slower, gentler roast, but the skin won’t brown as well and the meat may dry out if left in too long.
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If you tried this Dry Brine Spatchcock Chicken, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Dry Brine Spatchcock Chicken
Ingredients
- ¼ cup kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 dried bay leaves, finely crumbled
- 5 pound whole chicken
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Make the Dry Brine – Combine salt, oregano, thyme, black pepper, and crumbled bay leaves.
- Season the Chicken – Dry the outside and inside of the chicken with paper towels. Sprinkle the salt mixture evenly over the chicken—about 2 tablespoons inside the cavity and the rest over the skin.
- Brine the Chicken – Wrap the chicken in plastic wrap, then place it in a large plastic bag. Refrigerate for 24 hours. After brining, remove the plastic, rinse the chicken inside and out, and pat it dry with paper towels.
- Butterfly the Chicken – Using sharp kitchen shears, cut along both sides of the spine from neck to tail to remove the backbone. Discard the backbone. Flip the chicken skin-side up on a cutting board and press firmly on the breastbone to flatten it. Place a wire rack on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Set the chicken on the rack with the breasts centered and the legs near the edges of the sheet. Let it stand at room temperature as the oven heats up.
- Heat the Oven – Set oven rack to upper-middle position and heat to 400°F (204ºC).
- Roast – Rub olive oil all over the chicken, ensuring all surfaces are evenly coated. Lightly season with black pepper. Roast the chicken until the thickest part of the breast reaches 160 to 165°F (71 to 74ºC) and the joint between the thighs and body reaches 165 to 170°F (74 to 77ºC), about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- To Serve – Let the chicken rest for at least 10 minutes before carving and serving.
Notes
- For a Crispier Skin: Refrigerate the butterflied chicken on a sheet pan on top of a wire rack uncovered, for 24 hours.
- Saltier Chicken: Butterfly the chicken first, then season with salt just on the surface of the skin (breast, thighs, and wings), but not on the cavity. Refrigerate uncovered on a sheet pan on top of a wire rack for 24 hours, then roast (do not rinse). You want to season generously, but not have a thick salt crust.
- Make It Whole30: Use extra-virgin olive oil, and use sea salt for kosher salt.
- Storing: Cool, store in an airtight container, then refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
Cody Jemes says
I did as instructed and while I got the crispy skin. The chicken itself was much to moist and it was about the quality of a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. It turned into a good chicken salad, but definitely not what I’d hoped for.
Kyle says
Great recipe, but would highly suggest saving the backbone to make a quick sauce to serve along side!
Jessica Gavin says
I love the idea of using the flavorful bone of the chicken to make a sauce. Bravo!
Nola says
Hi Jessica,
Thank you for the recipe you posted.
I have been using wet brine recipes for a couple of years. I had read about dry brine and your recipe was so simple. I chose to butterfly the chicken first. I also swapped the oregano to tarragon. The chicken was amazing so tender.
Thank You
Nola from Australia
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Nola! I’m so glad that you gave dry brining a try. It’s so much easier with less mess. I love that the salt flavor isn’t diluted. Happy cooking!
Carol says
This was so easy and hands down the best roast chicken I’ve ever made! I’m going to make it again tonight!
I’m looking forward to trying more of your recipes soon.
Thank you, Carol
Jessica Gavin says
Whoo hoo! Thank you for the feedback Carol!
mira says
I’ve never tried dry brining chicken/turkey, but after reading your wonderful recipe and suggestions, I’m definitely planning to try this soon. Happy Thanksgiving!
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Mira, I hope you get a chance to give it a try sometime! Give it a try with a chicken first to see if you like it 🙂 Happy thanksgiving!
Dahn says
oh yes! the whole house has a wonderful aroma when chicken is in the oven. This looks beautiful.
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you Dahn! I hope you get a chance to try the recipe 🙂