Juicy, oven-roasted spatchcock chicken in one pan and flavor through the roof! Crispy oven chicken meets tangy Alabama white sauce — and yes, we dunk!
This spatchcock chicken is the definition of easy comfort food — roasted flat so it cooks fast, stays juicy, and turns out golden all over. No grill, no smoker, no fuss. Just one pan, a hot oven, and a creamy Alabama white sauce that’s made for dunking, drizzling, or straight-up spooning.
If your weeknight dinners need a glow-up, this is how you do it — crispy skin, tender meat, and a sauce with attitude! Let's get started!
Jump to:
- 5-Star Review
- Pull Up A Chair And Let's Chat!
- What Goes In It and Why
- Tools You'll Need: You Need This One Thing
- The Two-Minute Spatchcock
- Make It Your Way
- How Not To Mess It Up
- How Long to Cook a Spatchcock Chicken
- Spatchcock Chicken Recipe
- Reheat, Reuse, Rejoice: Storage Instructions
- You Asked, I Answered
- Who's Stirring the Pot?
- More Winner-Winner Chicken Dinners
5-Star Review
"Easiest recipe, with minimal dirty dishes! My husband, 6yr old, and 3yr old ate lots! The Alabama white sauce was the deal maker; I could drink that stuff. Get your shears, cut without fears, slap on that butter and relax. Super recipe!" - Leah H.
Pull Up A Chair And Let's Chat!
Flattening a chicken means faster cook time, crispier skin, and juicy meat from wing to thigh — no dry spots, no waiting forever. The spatchcock method gives you rotisserie-level results right from your own oven.
Then there’s the Alabama white sauce — creamy, tangy, a little spicy, and good on literally everything. It brings the acid and fat balance that turns simple roast chicken into something that will win you a medal with the family and friends.
No special tools, no overnight marinating, no stress. Just a golden, juicy bird and a sauce that makes you look like you know exactly what you’re doing.
What Goes In It and Why
Compound Butter
- Butter (salted) — For that golden, crispy skin and rich flavor.
- Avocado oil — Helps the butter spread easily and promotes crisping.
- Fresh chives (minced) — Adds a mild oniony/chive hit under the skin.
- Garlic (grated) — Because duh, garlic makes everything better.
- Kosher salt & fresh-ground pepper — Simple seasoning base.
- Lemon juice & zest — Brightens the butter and balances the richness.
Chicken + Veggies
- Whole fresh chicken (butterflied/spatchcocked) — The star of the show.
- Large yellow onion (thick slices) — Roasts beneath the chicken and absorbs flavor.
- Red potatoes (quartered) — One-pan side, lazy-parent friendly.
- Kosher salt & fresh-ground pepper (to taste) — Let the bird and veggies speak.
Alabama White Sauce
- Maple syrup or honey (optional) — For a touch of sweet if you like things mellow.
- Mayonnaise — Creamy base for dunking and drizzling.
- Apple-cider vinegar — Tang and brightness; it cuts the richness.
- Prepared horseradish — Peppery kick without needing five spices.
- Whole grain mustard — Texture + flavor depth.
- Lemon juice — Ties into the butter’s freshness, links the dish.
- Worcestershire sauce — Umami boost to make the sauce sing.
- Kosher salt & fresh-ground pepper — Seasoning build-up, keep it simple.
- Granulated garlic & onion — Adds mild flavor without fresh veggie mess.
Tools You'll Need: You Need This One Thing
You don't need much in the way of equipment for this spatchcock chicken recipe, but you will need some heavy-duty, spring-loaded, kitchen shears. You cannot spatchcock a chicken with regular scissors. You can try, but it will be really hard and you'll run the risk of hurting yourself. No one needs a trip to the emergency room due to an spatchcock incident. No one.
You'll use them often and you can thank me later.
Buy Now → The Two-Minute Spatchcock
This part’s easy — “spatchcock” is just chef-speak for butterfly a chicken. Don’t let it scare you; it takes about two minutes.
Place the chicken breast-side down and, using heavy-duty kitchen shears, cut along both sides of the backbone to remove it (save it for broth!). Flip the bird, press firmly on the breastbone until it lays flat, and voilà — even roasting guaranteed.
Gently loosen the skin over the breasts, thighs, and drumsticks so you can tuck in that compound butter later. Operation Spatchcock: complete.
Make It Your Way
This recipe plays nice with whatever’s hanging out in your fridge. Here’s how to tweak it without losing that crispy-juicy magic:
- Roasting Veggies: Use what you love — Brussels sprouts, carrots, parsnips, turnips, even chunks of sweet potato. If it roasts, it works.
- No Compound Butter? No Problem: Go classic with just butter, salt, and pepper. Simple still wins.
- Spice It Up: Add a few dashes of hot sauce to your Alabama white sauce or a pinch of cayenne/red pepper flakes to the butter for a subtle kick.
- Herb It Out: Mix in rosemary, thyme, or dill for a different flavor lane — they all love chicken.
- Citrus Swap: Try orange or lime instead of lemon if that’s what you’ve got. Different zip, same brightness.
- Sauce Remix: Thin the white sauce with a splash of milk for drizzling or keep it thick for dunking — you do you, boo.
How Not To Mess It Up
A few small moves make a big difference when it comes to juicy meat and crispy skin. Here’s how to nail it every time:
- Make the Sauce First: Give it time to chill out and let the flavors marry — it tastes better when it’s had a little “me time.”
- Bring the Chicken to Room Temp: Pull it from the fridge at least 30 minutes before roasting. Cold bird = uneven cook.
- Roast Breast Side Up: Let the butter and fat work their magic, basting the meat as it cooks.
- Hands Off: Don’t flip the chicken mid-roast. It’s unnecessary, messy, and possibly hazardous to your forearms.
- Trust the Thermometer: Stop guessing — you want 160°F before resting. The temp will rise another 5–10 degrees after it’s out.
- Crisp The Skin: Put the bird under the broiler for just a couple minutes to get an even crisper skin.
How Long to Cook a Spatchcock Chicken
It depends on the size of your bird, but plan for about 50–60 minutes at 425°F for a 5 to 5½-pound chicken. The real tip? Don’t trust the clock — trust your thermometer.
You’re looking for 165°F in the thickest part of the thigh, avoiding the bone. If the breast is thicker, double-check there too. Once it hits temp, pull it out — it’ll rise another 5–10 degrees as it rests.
Buy Now → 
Spatchcock Chicken Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Compound Butter
- 6 tablespoon butter softened and I prefer salted
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil plus more to drizzle
- 2-3 tablespoon fresh chives minced
- 3-4 cloves garlic grated
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- juice and zest of ½ a lemon
Chicken and Veggies
- 1 whole fresh chicken see note below about size and cooking time
- 1 large yellow onion cut into thick slices
- 1½-2 lbs red potatoes quartered
- kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Alabama White Sauce
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
- 2 teaspoon whole grain mustard
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- ½ teaspoon granulated garlic
- ½ teaspoon granulated onion
- 1-2 tablespoon maple syrup or honey optional and per your taste
Instructions
Spatchcock the Chicken
- Flip the bird over and press down firmly on the breast bone so that chicken lays completely flat.
- Separate the skin from the chicken's breast, thighs, and drumsticks.
The Compound Butter and Veggies
- Season the chicken with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper all over.
- Mix the compound butter ingredients together and insert ⅔ of it under the skin of the chicken in the breast, thigh, and leg areas. Rub it around to make sure it is evenly distributed.
- Place the chicken, breast side up onto a sheet pan. Toss the remaining compound butter with the onions and potatoes and add those to the sheet pan as well, nestling some under the chicken. Drizzle everything with a little extra avocado oil.
- Roast, uncovered, in a preheated 425˚ oven for at 45 minutes - 1 hour, depending on the size of your chicken. After roasting, remove from oven and rest, uncovered for about 10 minutes. See note below.
Alabama White Sauce
- While the chicken roasts, combine ingredients for the sauce in a small mixing bowl and store in the fridge until ready to serve.
Finish and Serving
- After the chicken has rested, quarter and slice it. Serve with the Alabama White Sauce for dipping or drizzling.
Notes
Nutrition
And, if you're looking for a recipe for the leftover chicken, my Southern Chicken Salad is the perfect solution! It's light and savory and has a fun kick to it!
Reheat, Reuse, Rejoice: Storage Instructions
Leftovers keep up to 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
Want to freeze it? Stick to the chicken — the veggies won’t thaw well. Pull the meat off the bone, seal it in a freezer-safe bag, and store for up to 3 months.
Pro Tip: Save those bones for broth! Toss them in the freezer and make a quick batch of Instant Pot Chicken Bone Broth later. It’s comfort food recycling at its finest.
You Asked, I Answered
Is this recipe gluten-free?
Yep! This spatchcock chicken recipe is naturally gluten-free — no swaps or special ingredients needed.
Why do you let the chicken rest after roasting?
Resting gives those flavorful juices time to settle back into the meat so every bite stays juicy. Skip it, and you’ll lose that magic. Pull the chicken from the oven around 160°F — it’ll rise about 5 more degrees as it rests, landing right in perfection territory.
Can I prep the chicken ahead of time?
Absolutely. You can spatchcock the chicken and make the compound butter a day in advance — just cover and refrigerate. Wait to prep the potatoes and onions until right before cooking, though; potatoes brown fast and onions will make your fridge smell like stinky feet.
Can I use chicken pieces instead of a whole bird?
You can, but you’ll lose what makes spatchcocking great — even cooking and that full crispy-skin payoff. If you’re short on time, use bone-in thighs and follow the same seasoning and sauce method.
Can I grill this instead of roasting?
Totally. Medium-high heat, indirect grilling for about 45–50 minutes. Just know your oven gives you more consistent results (and less babysitting).
Who's Stirring the Pot?
Hey there, I’m Ruth! — the voice, fork, and sauce-splattered apron behind Rufus for Real. Around here, I'm all about comfort food that doesn’t require a culinary degree or a panic attack. This spatchcock chicken is proof that “fancy-sounding” doesn’t mean hard — just flavorful, doable, and totally dunkable. If it smells like butter, garlic, and good intentions, you’re in the right kitchen.
You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, or Pinterest! I absolutely love to hear from you all and always do my best to respond to each and every one of your comments! And, as always, be kind. I’m only human.
Happy Cooking!
-Ruth aka Rufus
More Winner-Winner Chicken Dinners
Herb Roasted Chicken - A classic weeknight dinner idea. It's comfort food 101 and a true favorite around here!
Roasted Chicken Thighs - This is my weekly meal prep protein pick. They're so simple, but juicy and absolutely delicious!
Chicken and Couscous - A quick and easy one-pot wonder! As a family, and as the busy mom cooking for said family, we adore this one!
Chicken Quesadillas - This would be a perfect recipe to use the leftover spatchcock chicken for! These are super simple and so very good!
Virginia E says
I love the way the chicken came out! So juicy and flavorful when cooked this way and the veggies are a great side!
Leah H says
Easiest recipe, with minimal dirty dishes!
I prepared the chicken directly on the baking sheet to save a poultry cutting board. I cut up the potatoes and onions on the only board I used.
I accidentally melted my butter, but it still worked wonderfully, and poured over the veggies well.
My chicken was about 5.8lb and took 1hr 35mins to cook, but my oven is notorious for cooking slower than others (I think it's because it's fairly large ((and I kept opening the oven to smell the food)).
My husband, 6yr old, and 3yr old ate lots The Alabama white sauce was the deal maker; I could drink that stuff.
Get your shears, cut without fears, slap on that butter and relax. I had 1 pan, 1 cutting board, a pair of shears, a veggie knife, a glass measuring cup, and our dinner plates and silverware to wash. (I used my food scale to measure sauce ingredients into a bowl, so no utensils there).
Super recipe!
Rufus says
This is the most epic review I've ever seen. You've made my year. Thank you so much and I'm so glad you guys liked it!
Connie says
Delicious! I made two chickens on one sheet pan, doubled the recipe. My family is not fond of too “lemony” tasting chicken, therefore, I did add a tsp-ish of brown sugar to the butter compound. The flavours were brilliant and the lemon was still there but worked for my family. I had cut up carrots and onion rounds on bottom of sheet pan for chicken to sit upon, poured approximately 2-3 tbsp white wine around pan, not on top of chicken, and covered with tin foil for the baking. Removed to brown the skin the last 20 minutes. I am a nervous whole chicken or turkey cooker, I always cover with foil, to help with moisture. The chicken was super and even had a bit of gravy but the Alabama sauce was a winner. Thank you so much for this recipe, it will be made a lot in our house, everyone couldn’t stop saying how good it was!
Rufus says
Hi, Connie! I can't tell you how happy I am to hear this! So glad you guys liked it!