Best Butterfly Chicken With Lemon And Thyme Recipes

ROASTED SPATCHCOCK CHICKEN (BUTTERFLIED CHICKEN)

Steps:

• Pat dry the whole chicken completely dry with a paper towel before adding seasoning. This helps create extra crispy skin when roasting.
• Place chicken breast-side down on a clean and dry chopping board (wearing disposable gloves helps with easy handling).
• Cut along the backbone in the middle with kitchen scissors and remove the backbone, which is about 1-inch wide.
• Make a small cut with a knife along the white cartilage that connects the breastbone and remove the breastbone by pulling it out through the cut.
• Turn the chicken over with the breast-side up and flatten it out . Tuck the wings under the chicken breasts.
• Pat dry the spatchcock chicken again to remove any excess liquid.
• In a small bowl, stir together one tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper, until combined.
• Generously smear the seasoning mixture over the whole chicken inside and out and let it rest on a clean plate for at least 15 minutes. Make sure the seasoning covers the entire whole chicken including the inside cavity.
• Preheat the oven to 450F.
• Heat a cast-iron skillet on the stove for 5 minutes over medium high heat (or preheat the iron skillet in the oven for 5 minutes). Once the skillet is sizzling hot, sear the chicken by placing chicken breast side down in the hot skillet for 3-5 minutes, until skin gets a little crispy.
• Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake the chicken for 30 minutes until the skin on the breasts turns brown. You can add an oven-safe weight over the chicken such as a Dutch oven lid to promote browning.
• Remove the skillet from the oven and turn the chicken over with the breast side up. Tuck whole garlic cloves and sprigs of rosemary and thyme underneath the chicken to add flavour.
• Combine the remaining oil, chopped thyme and minced garlic in a small bowl and brush the seasoning mixture over the chicken breasts.
• Transfer the skillet back into the oven and continue to bake the chicken for another 10 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165F.
• Remove the chicken from oven and place it on a large plate. Let the chicken rest for 15 minutes. Then, carve and serve.

BUTTERFLIED ROAST CHICKEN WITH LEMON AND ROSEMARY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a rimmed baking pan with aluminum foil. Place a rack on top of foil.
• Rub olive oil on both sides of chicken and generously season with salt and black pepper. Arrange lemon slices and rosemary on the rack and place chicken, skin-side up, onto the rack.
• Roast in the preheated oven until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, 45 to 55 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
• Transfer chicken to a serving platter and tent a piece of aluminum foil over it. Discard lemon and rosemary and remove rack.
• Pour wine into the baking pan and gently loosen the bits of food in the pan with a wooden spoon, being careful not to tear the foil. Strain pan juices into a saucepan and bring to a boil; cook until sauce is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Spoon sauce over chicken.

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 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.

FLATTENED CHICKEN THIGHS WITH ROASTED LEMON SLICES

Steps:

• Make the marinade: Use a vegetable peeler to shave 9 large strips of peel from the lemons, taking care to cut into only the brightest yellow outer layer. Put strips in a large bowl or container and add thyme or oregano, sage, parsley, garlic, red chile flakes and olive oil.
• Prepare the chicken: Pat each piece dry with paper towels. Using your fingers, gently separate the skin of each piece from the flesh, taking care to leave the skin attached at one end, to create a deep pocket between the skin and the flesh. Tuck 2 sage leaves and 2 garlic slices under the skin. Put the thigh in the bowl with the marinade and repeat with remaining thighs, sage and garlic. Turn the thighs gently to coat with the marinade. Cover bowl and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
• When ready to cook, remove thighs from marinade and place them skin side up on a baking sheet. (Reserve garlic cloves and lemon peel from the marinade; discard the liquid.) Sprinkle 2 teaspoons salt over the chicken, then turn over and sprinkle with remaining 2 teaspoons salt.
• Transfer 5 chicken thighs, skin side down, to a 10- or 12-inch cast-iron skillet. Put it over high heat and weigh down the chicken with the bottom of another cast-iron skillet. (Or, use a lighter skillet weighed down with a large full can, a brick or another heavy object. Make sure the bottom of the skillet is clean, or place a sheet of parchment paper between the chicken and the top skillet.)
• Once chicken is sizzling loudly, reduce heat to medium and cook without moving for 10 to 12 minutes, until skin is brown and crisp. To check for doneness, gently lift the corner of a chicken thigh with a metal spatula. The skin will come away cleanly from the bottom of the pan when it is done. If it is still stuck, do not pull but let it cook a little longer.
• When thighs are done, remove the weight and lift the chicken out of the pan, taking care to keep the skin attached to the thighs as you lift them. Transfer the thighs, skin side up, to a clean baking sheet or plate. Cook the remaining 4 chicken thighs in the same way. Pour off most of the fat from the skillet.
• Meanwhile, heat oven to 450 degrees. Cut lemons in half and squeeze gently to remove some of the juice. Cut crosswise into 1/8-inch slices and lay on paper towels to absorb more juice.
• Place a layer of lemon slices in the skillet. Return all the browned chicken to the skillet on top of the lemons, skin side up. Tuck reserved lemon peel and garlic cloves down between the pieces.
• Transfer skillet to oven for 20 to 30 minutes. To test, remove a thigh, pierce it on the flesh side with a knife, and check that the juices are clear and there is no redness near the bone. Remove pan from oven and let thighs rest in the pan 5 to 10 minutes. Tuck thyme or oregano sprigs around the thighs and serve from the pan at the table, with roasted lemon slices and garlic cloves.

GRIDDLED CHICKEN WITH LEMON & THYME

Steps:

• Mix the chicken breasts with the lemon zest, 2 tbsp lemon juice, the olive oil, garlic and thyme.
• Season, then cook on a heated griddle or on a barbecue for 4-5 mins each side. Serve the chicken with a generous dollop of hummus, a drizzle of olive oil, plus the olives and lemon wedges.

LEMON & THYME ROASTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Mix minced thyme, salt, garlic powder and pepper. Place chicken on a rack in a shallow roasting pan, breast side up. Tuck wings under chicken; tie drumsticks together. Squeeze juice from lemon halves over chicken; sprinkle with thyme mixture., Loosely stuff chicken with squeezed lemon halves, onion, thyme sprigs and garlic. Roast 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until a thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh reads 170°-175°. (Cover loosely with foil if chicken browns too quickly.), Remove chicken from oven; tent with foil. Let stand 15 minutes before carving. Serve with lemon wedges.