I haven’t roasted a whole chicken in a while, but my go to was absolutely dry brine and then spatchcock for the best crisped skin. One celebrity chef had suggested a wet brine with kombu (can’t remember whose recipe - Wolfgang Puck?) and I remember that came out pretty flavorful, but I just can’t see myself going back to wet brines for practical reasons.
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I’ve never spatchcocked a chicken if you can believe it! I really should give it a go sometime…
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It gets easier as you go. And if you’re already used to breaking down a whole chicken, you’re already 3/4 of the way there.
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I am not 
>hangs head in shame<.
I almost exclusively use BISO thighs and breasts when I roast chicken, or just leave the whole chicken intact.
But Trader Joe’s sells spatchcocked chickens, so I may just be lazy and get one of those next time.
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No shame there. I still buy parts if I can get a good deal or for cuts I cook in bulk (thighs and wings in particular). I’m not buying 3 whole chickens because I need 6 thighs. I learned from watching the Jacques Pepin video, and once you get the hang of it, it’s oddly satisfying to break down the parts now. Some like ASMR sound videos; for me breaking down a chicken cleanly is strangely soothing. 
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Sometimes I use the Turned Roasted Chicken recipe from Joy… short version is to put it in a Vshaped rack and roast at 375 - first on one side for 25 min, then flip it on the other side for 25 minutes, then turn breast side up and roast for 25-30 min or til done.
The skin gets golden and crispy and the meat stays succulent
Lately its been a smaller bird on the rotisserie setting of my countertop convection/air fryer
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Anyone ever try making Cornell chicken? How did it turn out? I’ve seen the recipe around forever but never made it.
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I’m a fan of Marcella’s 2 Lemon Chicken listed above. I’m also a fan of Rao’s Lemon Chicken from Saveur magazine. Another favorite is NYT’s herby roasted chicken and potatoes (gift link).
I also give a vote for grilling them spatchcocked over coals - with or without a marinade, brine, or sauce - if you’re so inclined.
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Yes. Absolutely yes. A spatchcocked 4-pounder (more or less) fits just right on the grill of my Smokey Joe mini kettle. Skin-side down at first (known in the BBQ world as “swimcapped”, because the skin curls and contains the juices like a swimming cap might), then finished bone-side down. Perfect with just about any marinade, or with simple S&P.
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Ever since we raised a few backyard chickens for eggs and pets, I don’t even really care for the site of a roasted chicken. So mr mr gets one at Costco and I look at it and think I’m glad I don’t have to do that, thank heavens for Costco.
If I am just doing a basic chicken, I spatchcock it and roast with carrots, onions, and potatoes at 400F until the thigh juices run clear. Seems to work pretty well. While the chicken rests, I might put the vegetables back in if it looks like they need more time (sometimes the ones directly under the bird are only partially cooked).
I really like Rick Bayless’s Roadside Chicken recipe (which I also tend to do in the oven with potatoes and the knob onions (or regular ones or scallions) under it). Come serving time, in addition to the tomatillo salsa called for, I also serve salsa macha and tortillas.
For braised, I like either of these two Nigella recipes (because pasta that is saturated in chicken drippings and broth are always a good thing):
And, finally, for straight up excellent poached chicken and resulting broth, I have made this Kylie Kwong recipes for years:
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Beer can chicken on the Big Green Egg
Welcome! You might be interested in this thread: Beer Can Chicken on the Grill? - #104 by kaleokahu
For years I turned up my nose at BBC, but @kaleokahu took one for the team and did a lot of research.
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I just made Cornell chicken for the first time after a neighbor made it at a bbq. It was definitely somewhat fussy but the results are soooooo good. I used Meathead’s adapted recipe (will post) and the skin came out crispy and browned, and the meat perfectly cooked. I made a huge batch so there’s plenty leftover. Will definitely make again.
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Looks scrumptious!
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Thanks for the report. I’ll have to make it but have to find the right time, reason given it sounds semi involved. Large crowd sounds like a good reason. The results look excellent.
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Yes. One would think from the amount I made that we are having a crowd for dinner, but my husband accidentally got a huge pack of chicken thighs at Wegmans and I just thought I’d do all of them at once so we could have leftovers. I left them marinating for much longer than the recipe said (probably like 48 hours) to no ill effect; in fact, I wonder if it was even better. The flipping every five minutes thing as well as the basting is a lot more tending that I usually do for chicken, and I also found it a challenge to keep the temperature in my grill consistent as I tried to keep the heat indirect. Well worth it though!
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Sounds like a forgiving recipe. Maybe I’ll try it for camping meal…with thighs, so no cutting chicken.
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I’ll be interested to hear how the spatchcock works for you. I’ve have yet to do it bc any time I’ve had one cut/crunched like that in a resto, it was mid at best. I should say, I’ve never had a good spatchocked chicken in the US. In S. America they do it for good reason. In Ecuador they do just like what most Americans call Peruvian chicken. I adore that meal.
