Greek Spatchcock Chicken with Lemon & Garlic

Greek Spatchcock Lemon chicken in red cast iron pan with potatoes.

Greek Spatchcock Chicken with Lemon & Garlic

A rustic Greek spatchcock chicken with lemon and garlic, roasted over potatoes in a fragrant marinade of olive oil, citrus, herbs, mustard, and honey for juicy meat, crisp skin, and a deeply flavorful pan sauce.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Greek

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1 15

Total Time 2 15

Servings people

Calories 730kcal

Author by Jenny Skrapaliori Graves

Equipment

large pan to marinate chicken
large oven-proof skillet

Ingredients

4 lbs whole chicken Like a medium free range chicken
6 potatoes cut in wedges

For the marinade

4-5 thyme sprigs just the leaves and soft sprigs
5 fresh oregano sprigs
7-8 sage leaves
2 tablespoons dry oregano
¼ cup olive oil extra virgin
2 lemons juiced and zested
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons mustard
6 garlic cloves
1 cup water

Seasonings

freshly ground pepper
sea salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 390°F / 200°C

Spatchcock the chicken

Cut along the backbone. Place the chicken breast-side down on a cutting board. Using poultry shears, cut along one side of the backbone, starting at the tail and cutting all the way up past the neck.
Remove the backbone. Repeat on the other side to fully remove the backbone and neck. Set aside for stock if desired.
Flatten the chicken. Open the chicken and place it cavity-side up. Near the neck, make a shallow cut (about ¼ inch deep) along the center of the breastbone. Press down firmly on the wings until the chicken flattens.
Flip and tuck. Turn the chicken skin-side up. Tuck the wing tips underneath the breasts to prevent burning and ensure even cooking.

Make the marinade

Add the water, olive oil, bouillon cube, the dry oregano, fresh herbs, mustard, lemon juice and lemon zest and honey in your food processor. Pulse until everything is well mixed and garlic is fully minced.
Pour marinade all over chicken. Make sure it gets everywhere, in any nook and crany.

Prepare the potatoes

Heat 4 tbsp olive in a large pan (I used a large cast iron pan)
Add the potatoes, season with salt pepper, a generous pinch of dry oregano. Add a couple of thyme sprigs in the pan.
Cook potatoes until they are golden. Remove from heat and set aside.

Prepare for oven

Add the potatoes in the baking pan of your choice. I used the same large cast iron so I left potatoes as they were.
Place spatchcocked chicken on top of the potatoes. Pour left over marinade all over.
Cover with alumimum foil and cook in the oven for 45 min.
Uncover and cook for another 20 min or so. Keep basting the chicken with the marinade juices from the pan. Cook until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear.

Notes

If this is your first time spatchcocking a chicken, don’t overthink it. Poultry shears do most of the work, and the breastbone doesn’t need to be fully cut through, just loosened enough so the bird can lie flat.
You can cook the chicken right away or let it marinate for a day in the fridge. The longer you leave the marinade on the juicier the chicken will be. Don't marinate longer than two days.

Nutritional Info – Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided is only an estimate and can vary based on products used.

Nutrition