How to Butterfly (Spatchcock) a Whole Turkey or Chicken
If you’ve ever wished your roast chicken or turkey would cook faster (and more evenly), spatchcocking is your secret weapon. Butterflying a whole bird cuts the roasting time in half and delivers golden, crispy skin every time – perfect for everything from Sunday dinners to Thanksgiving or Christmas dinners. Follow along for all the detailed steps on How to Butterfly (spatchcock) a Whole Turkey or Chicken.
Table of contents
What is spatchcock?
Spatchcock (also called butterflying) is a cooking term that means removing the backbone of a whole bird (like a chicken or turkey) so you can flatten it out before cooking.
Here’s why people do it:
- Faster cooking: a spatchcocked bird roasts in about half the time.
- Even cooking: the breast and thighs cook at the same rate.
- Crispier skin: more of the skin is exposed to heat. If you like to enjoy crispy chicken skin (or turkey) like I do, this for you.
Spatchcock name
The word spatchcock likely comes from 17th-century Ireland, short for “dispatch the cock,” meaning to quickly prepare a chicken for roasting or grilling.
How to butterfly (spatchcock) a whole turkey or chicken – step by step
Step 1 – The tools
You only need 3 items. sturdy cutting board, a sharp pairing knife and sharp kitchen shears.
Step 2 – Backbone removal
With the bird breast-side down and the open end of the bird closest to you, grab the end of the spine. Using the shears, cut down either side of the backbone and remove. This step is easier with a chicken’s backbone, as it is smaller than a turkey’s.
Step 3 – Open up the chicken
Once the backbone is removed, open up the chicken with the legs closest to you (sorry, it’s not the prettiest of pictures). Exposing the inner bones and ribs.
Step 4 – Remove the breast bone
There’s a soft, white, almost transparent piece of cartilage down the center that joins a bone. The best way to remove this is to cut either side so you can grab a hold of it and then cut around it. Just keep cutting away fat around it and pulling.
Step 5 – Flatten the bird
Flip the bird over (breast side up) and with the palm of your hand, press down on the center to flatten the bird. You may hear a pop.
Step 6 – Half the chicken (optional step)
You can cook the chicken whole, or cut the bird in half to portion it out (see more on this below). To do this, use a large chef’s knife and cut down the center.
Spatchcocked chicken and turkey recipes
Spatchcock Sheet Pan Roast Chicken with Vegetables is one of those spatchcock chicken recipes I make on repeat. Perfect for two, I halve the whole chicken. Then, lay it on a roasting pan, and roast it over a mix of potatoes, carrots, fennel, and onion. Additionally, this butterfly chicken method makes it easier to portion out if your family only likes chicken breasts, wings, or thighs.
Sheet Pan Roasted Chicken & Vegetables
Spatchcock Cranberry Orange Glazed Turkey, is a great time saver for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. For another time-saving tip, roast the turkey over vegetables and brush the skin with a spiced cranberry-orange glaze that boosts flavor and makes the skin extra crispy. Again, great for guest who may only prefer breast meat or thigh meat.
How to Butterfly (Spatchcock) a Whole Chicken
Video
Ingredients
- 1 whole turkey or chicken
Instructions
- You can refer to the pictures above for visual help.
- With the bird breast-side down and the open end of the bird closest to you, grab the end of the spine. Using the shears, cut down either side of the backbone and remove. This step is easier with a chicken's backbone, as it is smaller than a turkey’s.
- Once the backbone is removed, open up the chicken with the legs closest to you (sorry, it’s not the prettiest of pictures). Exposing the inner bones and ribs.
- There’s a soft, white, almost transparent piece of cartilage down the center that joins a bone. The best way to remove this is to cut either side so you can grab a hold of it and then cut around it. Just keep cutting away fat around it and pulling.
- Flip the bird over (breast side up) and with the palm of your hand, press down on the center to flatten the bird. You may hear a pop.
- The chicken is ready to be cooked whole, but if you want, you can cut the bird in half to portion it out. To do this, use a large chef’s knife and cut down the center.
I’m not a fan of handling raw meat, but I gave this a try and it was so easy. You definitely need a very sharp knife or good kitchen shears and I love how fast it roasts. using this method again
Good for you, thanks for sharing 🙂
This looks beautiful. Now I know how to deal with the whole CHICKEN. I used to use a big knife to cut the chicken, I would like to try the way you use, thank you for the information.
Hi Tiana, thank you for the great feedback and you’ll love how it roasts in half the time 🙂
My son did this a yr ago with a turkey. Came out juicy and crispy. Time needed to cook was decreased by a lot.
I love that it speeds up the cooking. Thanks for stopping by.
I used this method with Cornish Hens for Thanksgiving.They turned out perfectly and roasted so quickly. thanks
This sounds like a delicious Thanksgiving dinner, I love your idea.
I’ve used this method many times. Great on the grill. And it cooks quickly! Easy!
Considering the price of a whole hen compared to cut pieces it’s cheaper to the butterfly process, thanks very much for the wonderful instructions
You’re welcome Frankie and thank you for stopping by with your nice comment.
I followed these directions. Not hard at all. Mine worked perfectly.
That’s great! Thank you for the feedback Susan 🙂
In 5 minutes, my chicken was butterflied and ready for seasoning. This was a simple to the point instructional! Thank you!!
I’m so happy, you have made my day. Thank you Valerie 🙂
I have been wanting to prepare a whole chicken in this manner, so I really appreciate this step-by-step tutorial. Thanks, Janette!
What a great tutorial Janette! I always ask the butcher at Whole Foods to butterfly my chickens, but now I’m determined to try this myself!
I’ve still never spatchcocked anything, but I want to try. This will give me the confidence I need to give it a whirl!
This is a great tutorial! I pretty much only use butterflied chickens for roasting—so perfectly, evenly cooked and crispy!
I had no idea it could be that easy. Thank you for the great tutorial 🙂
I think it’s a lost art, we are all so used to just picking up chicken at the grocery store. Great step by step!
LOVE this post; we are big fans of grilled chicken and look forward to using this technique for our birds!
I have never had to Butterfly a chicken, but, if I ever need to in the future, I know where to go for instructions. You explain the process very well.