Spatchcock Greek Lemon Chicken
on Nov 21, 2023
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Are you looking for an easy and delicious one-pot meal 🥘 that requires minimal effort and prep? Look no further than my Spatchcock Greek Lemon Chicken recipe! If you’ve always wanted to try spatchocking a chicken but were afraid to do so, I’m here to teach you an easy and fool-proof method.
All you need are some kitchen shears ✂️ and your best amateur chiropractor skills, and you’ll have a mouthwatering meal in no time!
Why You’ll Love Spatchcock Lemon Chicken
Spatchcocking is a process that helps the chicken cook faster and more evenly, resulting in tender, juicy meat with crispy skin 🍗. Who doesn’t love that, right?
The beauty of a one-pot meal like this is that it simplifies the cooking process and minimizes cleanup, making it perfect for busy weeknights. Once you’ve flattened the chicken, the rest of the process is a breeze!
And trust me, you won’t be compromising on taste. Baking all the ingredients in one pot allows all the beautiful flavours to meld together, yielding a perfectly citrusy and savory dish that just melts in your mouth 🤤.
How to Prepare Spatchcock Greek Lemon Chicken
🐔 Pat dry a whole chicken.
🦴 Put the chicken on its back, and use kitchen or poultry sheers to cut along both sides of the spine, and remove the backbone (save for making a stock if you like).
⭐ Flip the chicken, flatten it, and rearrange the legs, then place the spatchcocked chicken in a baking dish.
🥔 Add wedged potatoes around the chicken.
🌿 Mix olive oil, salt, pepper, oregano, honey Dijon mustard, and lemon juice. Then, massage the chicken and potatoes with the mixture.
🍋 Add lemon halves and unpeeled garlic cloves.
💦 Pour 1 cup of water (or broth) into the dish and then cover it with parchment paper or foil.
🔥 Bake covered for 45 minutes, then uncover to brown the skin.
♨️ Optional: Use broil for the last few minutes to crisp up the skin.
Nonna’s Tip
The baking time will vary based on the size of the chicken and potatoes. If you bake it uncovered for 15-60 minutes, the potatoes may not be fully cooked unless you cube them into smaller pieces.
Variations and Substitutions
- Instead of honey Dijon mustard, try whole grain mustard, regular Dijon mustard, or another type of flavored mustard.
- Experiment with different 🌿 herbs and spices like rosemary, thyme, paprika, or cumin.
- Use a variety of vegetables like carrots, bell peppers, onions, or sweet potatoes instead of or in addition to potatoes.
- Replace lemon juice with lime juice or orange juice for a different citrus flavor.
- Adjust the amount of black pepper or add red pepper flakes for some 🔥 heat.
- Use maple syrup, agave nectar, or balsamic glaze instead of honey for sweetness.
- You can also create a herb butter mixture and rub it under the skin for added flavor.
Other Greek Recipes
Greek Lemon Soup
1 hr 10 mins
Greek Lemon Potatoes
1 hr 30 mins
Greek Salad Feta Board
10 mins
Easy Greek Bowl
15 mins
Greek Bruschetta
5 mins
Best Served With
Common Questions
Yes, you can adapt this recipe to use other cuts of chicken, but keep in mind that cooking times may vary. Adjust the cooking time based on the specific cuts you choose, and use a meat thermometer to ensure they reach a safe internal temperature.
Leaving garlic unpeeled improves the flavor and helps keep the chicken moist during cooking.
Instead of water, you can use unsalted veggie broth, chicken broth, beef broth, or make your own broth at home using Chicken Bouillon Cubes.
I love any broths by Kettle and Fire, so click HERE and use my code THEMODERNNONNA for 20% off!
If you don’t feel confident, you can most definitely use a meat thermometer to check. The chicken is safe to eat when the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C).
I use Redmond Real Salt. Please note that depending on the salt you use, your dish may be less or more salty. Salt is always to taste. Always taste and adjust as you cook.
| Product Image | Description | Product Name / Primary Rating / Price | Primary Button |
|---|---|---|---|
|
My Favorite Parchment Paper
|
|
|
|
|
Best Measuring Set
|
|
|
|
|
Nonna Approved
|
|
|
|
|
Favorite Salt
|
|
|
|
|
Kitchen Must Have
|
|
|
This is the parchment paper that I use for all my recipes!
This is my favorite set. I have had mine for 10 years and need a new one. Highly recommend!
This is a great 9 by 13 inch baking dish that you can use for many of my recipes.
This is the salt that I have used for years in all my cooking!
The Kitchen Shears are perfect for anything around the kitchen, from slicing poultry to cutting pizza. They are also dishwasher-safe!
Spatchcock Greek Lemon Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 lbs whole chicken
- 2 lbs potatoes , 4 yellow potatoes (700 grams)
- ⅛ cup olive oil, measure with your heart
- 2 tablespoons honey dijon mustard
- 1.5 teaspoons salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon dry oregano
- 2 lemons, cut in half and squeezed
- 6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
- 1 cup water, or unsalted broth
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F
- Take a whole chicken and pat it dry with a paper towel.
- Flip the chicken over (breast side down).
- Take kitchen shears or poultry shears ✂, holding the neck in one hand, cut along one side of the chicken spine, separating it from the ribs. Cut closely to the spine so that you do not remove any excess meat. Continue to cut about ¾ along the spine on one side, then repeat on the other side of the spine.
- Remove the back bone (and save for stock).
- Flip the chicken over, press down on the breast to flatten it (pretend you’re a chiro and crack that back lol) and flip the legs the other way.
- Place the spatchcock chicken into a large baking dish (mine was 13-inch round).
- Peel and cut the potatoes into wedges and add them to the baking dish placing them around the chicken.
- Add the olive oil, salt, pepper, dry oregano, honey dijon mustard, and lemon juice.
- Massage the chicken and potatoes really well.
- Nestle in the squeezed out lemon halves and unpeeled garlic cloves.
- Add 1 cup of water (or broth) to the baking dish and cover with two pieces of parchment paper or foil
- Bake covered for 45 minutes and uncovered the rest of the time until golden or internal temperature is 165F.
- Feel free to put the chicken on BROIL (top broiler of the oven) for the last few minutes to crisp up the skin.
- Take it out of the oven, rest for 15 minutes and enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Chicken came out very juicy! I covered the dish for most part of the cooking time to cook the potatoes and then broiled the chicken. In hindisght, maybe I can first par cook the potatoes before putting the chicken in if I want the chicken cooked uncovered for about 30 mins!
Natasha it looks INCREDIBLE! Also potatoes can be absolutely par boiled as this will save a lot of time for sure 🙂
Love this recipe. Easy to make and the sauce is so tasty. I also add carrots and asparagus. Delicious!
Yum! Thank you, Florence! ❤️
What’s that sauce/liquid you add in the end once it’s cooked ?
The sauce that sits on the bottom of the tray which is the drippings 🙂