Best Butterflied Chicken Recipes

BUTTERFLIED CHICKEN WITH THYME, LEMON AND GARLIC

Steps:

• Whisk together the oil, 2 tablespoons of the garlic, 2 tablespoons of the thyme, 1 tablespoon of the lemon zest and 1 tablespoon of onion in a large baking dish. Add the chicken and turn to coat in the oil. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours.
• Preheat the grill to medium. Remove the chicken from the marinade and season both sides with salt and pepper. Place the chicken on the grill, skin side down and slowly grill until the fat renders and the skin becomes golden brown and crisp, about 15 minutes. Turn the chicken over, close the cover and continue grilling until just cooked through, about 20 minutes longer. Remove from the grill, loosely tent with foil and let rest 10 minutes before cutting.
• Mix together the remaining garlic, thyme and 1 tablespoon of lemon zest and sprinkle over the cut chicken.

NIF'S BUTTERFLIED GRILLED WHOLE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat both sides of barbeque to high heat. While it is heating up, prepare chicken:.
• Place whole chicken on a baking sheet, breast side down. With kitchen shears, cut down each side of back bone and discard. Rinse chicken with cool water and place back on baking sheet, again breast side down.
• Sprinkle your desired amount of rub on the inside of the chicken and massage into the meat. Flip over, press the chicken down if it's not laying flat, and repeat the rub. Make sure you have coated the whole chicken.
• On BBQ, turn one side of grill off. Place chicken on the turned off side, breast side down. By doing that, you will get beautiful grill marks without the flare-ups and it will cook in indirect heat. BBQ for 15 minutes.
• Flip over in same area on grill and cook for another 25 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 180°F.
• Remove from grill onto a clean baking sheet or plate. Tent with tin foil for at least 10 minutes before cutting up chicken.

BUTTERFLIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Mix the chopped rosemary, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together in a small bowl to make a paste.
• Place the chickens on a sheet pan, skin side up, and loosen the skin from the meat with your fingers. Place 1/2 of the paste under the skin of each chicken. Rub any remaining paste on the outside and underside of the chickens.
• Turn the chicken skin side down and scatter the lemon slices and sprigs of rosemary over each chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Roll each chicken up, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Heat a grill with coals. Spread the coals out in 1 dense layer and brush the grill with oil. Unroll the chickens, place them on the grill and cook for 12 minutes on each side.

BROILED, BUTTERFLIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Position the oven rack 8 inches from the flame/coil and turn broiler to high. Crack peppercorns with a mortar and pestle until coarsely ground. Add garlic and salt and work well. Add lemon zest and work just until you can smell lemon. Add just enough oil to form a paste.
• Check out your refrigerator for onions, carrots and celery that are a little past their prime. Cut vegetables into pieces and place in a deep roasting pan.
• Place chicken on a plastic cutting board breast-side down. Using kitchen shears, cut ribs down one side of back bone and then the other and remove. Open chicken like a book and remove the keel bone separating the breast halves by slicing through the thin membrane covering it, then by placing two fingers underneath the bone and levering it out. Turn chicken breast-side up and spread out like a butterfly by pressing down on the breast and pulling the legs towards you. Loosen the skin at the neck and the edges of the thighs. Evenly distribute the garlic mixture under the skin, saving 2 teaspoons for the jus. Drizzle the skin with oil and rub in, being sure to cover the bird evenly. Drizzle oil on bone side of chicken as well.
• Arrange bird in roasting pan, breast up, atop vegetables.
• Place pan in oven being sure to leave the oven door ajar. Check bird in 10 minutes. If the skin is a dark mahogany, hold the drumstick ends with paper towels and flip bone-side up. Cook 12 to 15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Juices must run clear. Remove and place chicken into a deep bowl and cover loosely with foil.
• Tilt pan so that any fat will pool at corner. Siphon this off with a bulb baster. (This fat is great in vinaigrettes). Set pan over 2 burners set on high. Deglaze pan with a few shots of red wine and scrape brown bits from bottom using a carrot chunk held with tongs. Add chicken stock, thyme, the remaining garlic paste and reduce briefly to make a jus. Strain out vegetables and discard. Slice chicken onto plates or serve in quarters. Sauce lightly with jus and serve.

CRISP-SKIN HIGH-ROAST BUTTERFLIED CHICKEN WITH POTATOES

Steps:

• Dissolve salt and sugar in 2 quarts cold water in large container. Immerse chicken and refrigerate until fully seasoned, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 500°.
• Line bottom of broiler pan with foil and spray with nonstick vegetable cooking spray. Remove chicken from brine and rinse thoroughly under cold running water. Following illustrations 1 through 6, butterfly chicken, flatten breastbone, apply flavored butter (if using), and position chicken on broiler pan rack; thoroughly pat dry with paper towels.
• Toss potatoes with 1 tablespoon oil, salt and pepper to taste in medium bowl. Spread potatoes in even layer in foil-lined broiler pan bottom. Place broiler pan rack with chicken on top. Rub chicken with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil and sprinkle with pepper.
• Roast chicken until spotty brown, about 20 minutes. Rotate pan and continue to roast until skin has crisped and turned a deep brown and an instant-read internal thermometer registers 160° in thickest part of breast, 20 to 25 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to cutting board. With potholders, remove broiler pan rack; soak up excess grease from potatoes with several sheets paper towels. Remove foil liner with potatoes from broiler pan bottom and invert foil and potatoes onto cookie sheet or second cutting board. Carefully peel back foil, using a metal spatula to help scrape potatoes off foil as needed. With additional paper towels, pat off remaining grease.

BUTTERFLIED CHICKEN WITH LEMON, GARLIC AND BASIL

Steps:

• Mix together the olive oil, garlic and lemon juice in a large shallow pan or baking dish. Add the chickens and turn to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to 4 hours. Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to medium high. Remove each chicken from the marinade and shake off any excess (discard the used marinade). Loosen the skin around the breast, and place 1 lemon slice and 4 basil leaves on each breast. Stretch the skin over them, and secure with toothpicks if too loose. Season the chickens with salt and pepper. Grill skin-side down until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn over and continue grilling until cooked through, turning occasionally, 15 to 20 minutes. Place on a large serving platter.
• NOTE: To butterfly a chicken, split it down the backbone with a sharp knife, and open it out flat.

BUTTERFLIED CHICKEN WITH CRACKED SPICES

Steps:

• Light a grill or set your broiler on high and give it a 15-minute head start.
• Butterfly (or spatchcock) the chicken: Cut out the chicken's backbone with poultry shears, a cleaver or a sharp, heavy chef's knife (or ask a butcher to do this). If you think you will make stock at some point, by all means tightly wrap the backbone in plastic and put it in the freezer. Place the chicken skin side up in a roasting pan and press firmly on the breast with the heels of your hands until it cracks and flattens. Position the legs so they lie flat and the drumsticks point out. Tuck the wingtips over the tops of the wings to hold them in place, or cut them off. Rub the bird with the oil. (Don't worry about any extra oil that may fall onto the pan.) Now wash your hands.
• Coarsely grind the fennel, coriander, peppercorns and cumin with a mortar and pestle or with 8 or 9 pulses in a spice grinder. Mix in the salt and paprika or pimentón and sprinkle this rub on both sides of the bird, with the emphasis on the skin.
• Set the chicken skin side down on a grill or skin side up on a broiler rack positioned so the highest point of the bird is about 10 inches from the flame. When the skin begins to brown after 6 or 7 minutes, flip the chicken over. (The easiest way is to grab the knobby ends of both drumsticks with several layers of paper towels if you are in the kitchen, or with clean oven mitts if you are grilling.)
• After about 10 minutes, when the bony side is browned, lower the heat to medium-high (400 if you're using an oven), flip the chicken again and cook another 10 minutes, or until the skin is very crisp and brown and the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165 degrees when checked with a meat thermometer. Let it rest about 5 minutes before carving. (If you are grilling, set it on a platter.)
• Spoon any juices that have collected in the broiler pan or the platter over the chicken. Serve with lemon. In springtime, try to serve this with tender young bitter greens - like arugula, watercress or baby dandelions - tossed in a sharp vinaigrette.

SMOKY GRILLED BUTTERFLIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Combine vinegar, oil, garlic, paprika, and salt in a nonreactive baking dish or large resealable plastic bag.
• Remove backbone from chicken using kitchen shears. Place chicken, breast side up, on cutting board, with legs extended on both sides. Press firmly on breastbone to break it and flatten chicken. Add to marinade. Cover dish or seal bag, and refrigerate at least 4 hours (or overnight), turning occasionally.
• Preheat grill to medium. (If you are using a charcoal grill, coals are ready when you can hold your hand 5 inches above grill for just 5 or 6 seconds.) Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Place chicken, skin side down, on grill. Close cover, and grill 15 minutes. Flip chicken, and close cover. Grill until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of the breast registers 165 degrees, about 20 minutes more.

AIR FRIED BUTTERFLIED STUFFED CHICKEN BREAST

Steps:

• 1. Using a very sharp knife, butterfly the chicken breasts by starting to cut at one side but don't cut the entire way through. Open the butterflied chicken (like a book).
• 2. Sprinkle a little salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Montreal Steak seasoning on both sides of the butterflied chicken, but don't overdo it.
• 3. On the right half, put a layer of the shredded cheese. On top of the cheese, put a layer of the broccoli florets, laying them tightly together, side by side. On top of the broccoli florets, put a light layer of the shredded cheese.
• 4. Carefully lift the left side of the butterflied chicken and cover the right side with the left side (as though you were closing a book.)
• 5. Using 5 or 6 toothpicks, "skewer" the chicken breasts through the upper layer of chicken down through the lower layer of chicken, all around the edges, to close them nice and tight.
• 6. Lightly season (to taste) the top of each chicken bundle with a little more salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Montreal Steak seasoning.
• 7. Roll each bundle of chicken, both top and bottom in a little flour, just enough to coat it. Then spray each side with olive oil cooking spray.
• 8. Place the chicken bundles inside the air fryer basket. Set the temperature to 356 (or as close to that as yours allows) and set it for 25 minutes. Press "start." At the halfway point, open the air fryer and turn the bundles over to the other side and resume cooking.
• 9. (I did remove mine from the air fryer when it had 2 minutes left on the timer because I felt that they were completely done at that point, but you can let it go the entire time.)
• 10. Remove chicken from the air fryer and place on the plate, remove toothpicks. Drizzle just a little ranch dressing over top of each bundle and enjoy!!!
• 11. ***Tip: Be careful how you season the outside of this recipe. This recipe is to be seasoned from the inside "out" rather than from the outside "in". So, go easy on the outer seasonings.

BUTTERFLIED CHICKEN GREEK STYLE

Steps:

• Preheat grill to medium. If using hardwood or other charcoal, move over to 1 side of grill; if using gas, leave 1 section off.
• Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper, and drizzle well with canola oil. Place on the grill skin side down over direct heat, cooking until golden brown and slightly charred. Open and close the grill, as necessary, to maintain the heat without letting the skin burn. When skin is nicely charred and blistered, flip over and move to indirect heat, close lid and continue cooking until just cooked through, about 17 minutes longer, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the chicken registers 155 degrees F. Remove from the grill and let rest 10 minutes before cutting.
• While the chicken is cooking, brush tomatoes, lemons and onion slices with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Grill lemons cut side down until golden brown, and tomatoes cut side down until slightly charred. Grill onion slices, flipping once, until softened and slightly charred.
• Make the vinaigrette by whisking the vinegar and mustard until smooth. Slowly whisk in the olive oil, then whisk in the oregano and season with salt and pepper.
• To serve, carve the chicken into 6 to 8 serving pieces and arrange in a large shallow serving bowl. Arrange the tomatoes and onions, all but 1 of the lemon halves, and the cucumbers over and around the chicken. Scatter the olives and feta cheese over, then drizzle with vinaigrette. Tear the basil leaves over the dish, and then dollop the yogurt in the center.

GRILLED BUTTERFLIED BBQ CHICKEN WITH MACARONI SALAD

Steps:

• For the macaroni salad: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the macaroni in the boiling water until al dente according to the package instructions. Drain and let cool.
• Toss the macaroni with the tomatoes, radishes, bell peppers, scallions and cucumbers in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise with the vinegar, mustard, sugar and garlic salt. Add the dressing to the macaroni and vegetables and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until serving.
• For the chicken: Heat a grill to medium-high heat.
• To butterfly the chicken, first remove the giblets and discard. Put the chicken on a cutting board breast-side down. Use kitchen shears to cut along each side of the backbone to remove. Trim any excess fat and discard. Flip the chicken breast-side up and firmly press each breast to break the bone and flatten.
• In a small bowl, combine the chili powder, salt, garlic powder and black pepper. Season both sides of the chicken with the spice mixture. Use a pastry brush to brush the chicken with the canola oil.
• Place the chicken skin-side down on the grill. Cover and let cook 10 minutes. Flip the chicken and reduce the heat to medium low. Cover and cook another 10 minutes. Flip the chicken again for 10 more minutes, then flip again and cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, an additional 10 minutes.
• Use a pastry brush to coat each side of the chicken with the barbecue sauce and cook just to let the sauce caramelize, about 2 minutes per side. Tent with foil and let stand 5 minutes. Cut the chicken into pieces--it will be falling apart by this time! Serve with more barbecue sauce on the side and the lime wedges.

GRILLED GARLIC, LEMON AND PEPPER BUTTERFLIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Place chicken, breast side down, on cutting board. With kitchen scissors (or sharp knife), cut along one side of backbone from neck to tail, then cut along other side of backbone and remove bone.
• Turn chicken breast side up, and place flat with legs and wings to the sides. Press down on breast bone with palm of hand to flatten chicken.
• In large resealable food-storage plastic bag, mix remaining ingredients. Place chicken, breast side down, in bag; seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight to marinate, turning once or twice.
• Heat gas or charcoal grill on high heat at least 15 minutes before adding chicken.
• Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Reduce grill heat to medium. Place chicken, breast side up, on grill. Cover grill; cook 20 minutes. Turn chicken, breast side down. Cover grill; cook 10 to 15 minutes longer or until brown and juice of chicken is clear when thickest piece is cut to bone (170°F for breasts; 180°F for thighs and drumsticks). Cut chicken into 4 quarters to serve.

SWEET GLAZED BUTTERFLIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Allow to rest on the counter for up to 2 hours to come to room temperature.
• Heat a large oven-safe pan (such as a cast-iron skillet) over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Right as the oil begins to smoke, add the chicken, skin side down. Press gently while cooking and allow to sear until a peek beneath reveals golden brown skin, about 10 minutes. Using tongs, flip the bird over so that the skin is on top and place the pan in the oven. Be gentle with the tongs, they could rip the skin; try gripping the legs to flip. Place the pan in the oven and roast about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a saucepot on medium heat, add the butter and melt. Add the onions, garlic and allspice, and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and a grind of pepper. Sweat the onions for a few minutes, but do not brown. Add the brown sugar, mustard, hot sauce and vinegar. Cook a bit more to bring the flavors together, and then remove from the heat.
• When the chicken is around the 140 degree F mark, about 30 minutes in, remove from the oven and brush on the glaze. Return to the oven and continue to cook until an instant-read thermometer reads 165 degrees F, about 15 minutes more. Let the chicken rest 10 minutes before serving. Cut off the legs, and then slice the breast off and cut into portions.

BUTTERFLIED CHICKEN WITH THYME, LEMON AND GARLIC

Steps:

• Whisk together oil, 2 tablespoons of the garli, 2 tablespoons of the thyme, 1 tablespoon of the lemon zest and 1 tablespoon of onion in a large baking dish. Add the chicken and turn to coat in the oil. Cover and let marinade in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours.
• Preheat the grill to medium. Remove the chicken from the marinade and season both sides with salt and pepper. Place the chicken on the grill, skin side down and slowly grill until the fat renders and the skin becomes golden brown and crisp, about 15 minutes. Turn thechicken over, close the cover and continue grilling until just cooked through, about 20 minutes longer. Remove from the grill, loosely tent with foil and let rest 10 minutes before cutting.
• Mix together the remaining garlic, thyme and 1 tablespoon of lemon zest and sprinkle over the cut chicken.

BUTTERFLIED GRILLED CHICKEN WITH CURRY AND CUMIN

Steps:

• Rinse split chicken and pat dry, lay on cutting board skin side up and push on breastbone to flatten.
• Combine the curry, cumin and salt and rub half of it over both sides of the chicken.
• Start at the neck and insert you finger to separate skin from flesh, then season the flesh under the skin with the rest of the mixture.
• Let chicken absorb flavors for 45 minutes before cooking.
• Grill chicken until internal temperature reaches 165°.
• Chicken can alternatively be broiled or baked.

BUTTERFLIED CHICKEN WITH HERBS AND STICKY LEMON

Steps:

• Sprinkle the chicken with kosher salt and pepper.
• On a cookie sheet, place rosemary sprigs, thyme sprigs and garlic. Arrange flattened chicken on top and sprinkle with olive oil. Place chicken in 400° F oven for 20 minutes. Pour sherry vinegar over chicken and cook additional 15 minutes. Place lemon slices over chicken.
• In a small bowl, mix together the honey and chipotle sauce. Brush over lemon slices. Bake chicken additional 10-15 minutes, brushing with honey sauce (use foil to cover chicken if it starts to burn).
• Test for doneness by inserting an instant read thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh. It should register 180°F
• Remove chicken to platter and sprinkle with almonds and parsley. Enjoy!

SWEET GLAZED BUTTERFLIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Allow to rest on the counter for up to 2 hours to come to room temperature.
• Heat a large oven-safe pan (such as a cast-iron skillet) over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Right as the oil begins to smoke, add the chicken, skin side down. Press gently while cooking and allow to sear until a peek beneath reveals golden brown skin, about 10 minutes. Using tongs, flip the bird over so that the skin is on top and place the pan in the oven. Be gentle with the tongs, they could rip the skin; try gripping the legs to flip. Place the pan in the oven and roast about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a saucepot on medium heat, add the butter and melt. Add the onions, garlic and allspice, and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and a grind of pepper. Sweat the onions for a few minutes, but do not brown. Add the brown sugar, mustard, hot sauce and vinegar. Cook a bit more to bring the flavors together, and then remove from the heat.
• When the chicken is around the 140 degree F mark, about 30 minutes in, remove from the oven and brush on the glaze. Return to the oven and continue to cook until an instant-read thermometer reads 165 degrees F, about 15 minutes more. Let the chicken rest 10 minutes before serving. Cut off the legs, and then slice the breast off and cut into portions.

BUTTERFLIED CHICKEN WITH HERBS AND CRACKED OLIVES

Steps:

• The night before you plan to grill the chickens, place them on a work surface, breast side up, and open them up against the surface as much as possible. Using your palms, press firmly on breastbone to flatten breast. You may hear a crack. This means you're doing it right. Set chickens, breast side up, on a large rimmed baking sheet. Season generously on both sides with salt and black pepper. Chill, uncovered, at least 8 hours and up to 2 days.
• Remove chickens from refrigerator and set out on your counter. Combine garlic, Aleppo-style pepper, rosemary, and 1/4 cup oil in a small bowl. Rub chickens all over with mixture and let sit until room temperature, 1-2 hours.Prepare a grill for medium-high, indirect heat (for a charcoal grill, bank coals on one side of grill; for a gas grill, leave one or two burners off). Set chickens, skin side down, on grate over indirect heat. Cover grill, placing cover vent (if your grill has one) over chickens so it draws heat up and over them. Grill, rotating chickens as needed so that they color evenly, until skins are lightly browned, 15-20 minutes.Turn chickens and continue to cook, covered, until skins are deep golden brown and crisp and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of breasts registers 160°F, 20-25 minutes. Transfer chickens to a cutting board and let rest at least 10 minutes before carving.Mix olives, lemon juice, oregano, chopped parsley, remaining 1/4 cup oil, and any accumulated juices from chicken on the cutting board in a medium bowl. Season with salt.To serve, arrange carved chickens on a platter and top with olive mixture and parsley leaves.

SWEET GLAZED BUTTERFLIED GRILLED CHICKEN

Steps:

• For the chicken: Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Rest on the counter for 2 hours to come to room temperature.
• Preheat a grill to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil the grill grates.
• Grill the chicken over indirect heat, rotating occasionally, until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F, about 50 minutes.
• For the glaze: While the chicken is grilling, melt the butter in a small pot. Add the onion, allspice, a pinch of salt and black pepper. Cook until the onion is tender, then add the garlic and cook until tender but not browned. Add the brown sugar, mustard, vinegar and hot sauce. Reduce about 5 minutes, then remove from the heat.
• When the chicken is nearly cooked through, brush on the glaze. Cover the grill and continue to cook until the glaze begins to color and the chicken is done. Cover the chicken loosely with foil and rest for 15 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute. Then cut into sections and serve.

BUTTERFLIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Position the oven rack 8 inches from the flame/coil and turn broiler to high.
• Crack peppercorns with a mortar and pestle until coarsely ground.
• Add garlic and salt and work well.
• Add lemon zest and just enough oil to form a paste.
• Cut vegetables into pieces and place in a deep roasting pan.
• Place chicken on a plastic cutting board breast-side down.
• Using kitchen shears, cut ribs down one side of back bone and then the other and remove.
• Open chicken like a book and remove the keel bone separating the breast halves by slicing through the thin membrane covering it, then by placing two fingers underneath the bone and levering it out.
• Turn chicken breast-side up and spread out like a butterfly by pressing down on the breast and pulling the legs towards you.
• Loosen the skin at the neck and the edges of the thighs.
• Evenly distribute the garlic mixture under the skin, saving 2 teaspoons for the jus.
• Drizzle the skin with oil and rub in, being sure to cover the bird evenly.
• Drizzle oil on bone side of chicken as well.
• Arrange bird in roasting pan, breast up, atop vegetables.
• Place pan in oven being sure to leave the oven door ajar.
• Check bird in 10 minutes.
• If the skin is a dark mahogany, hold the drumstick ends with paper towels and flip bone-side up.
• Cook 12-15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
• Juices must run clear.
• Remove and place chicken into a deep bowl and cover loosely with foil.
• Tilt pan so that any fat will pool at corner.
• Siphon this off with a bulb baster.
• (This fat is great in vinaigrettes).
• Set pan over 2 burners set on high.
• Deglaze pan with a few shots of red wine and scrape brown bits from bottom using a carrot chunk held with tongs.
• Add chicken stock, thyme, the remaining garlic paste and reduce briefly to make a jus.
• Strain out vegetables and discard.
• Slice chicken onto plates or serve in quarters.
• Sauce lightly with jus and serve.