Recipe courtesy of Alex Guarnaschelli
Recipe courtesy of Alex Guarnaschelli
Watch how to make this recipe.
Spatchcocked Chicken with Bacon, Tomatoes and Basil
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- Level: Easy
- Total: 1 hr 30 min (includes resting time)
- Active: 30 min
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 6 servings
- Calories
- 627
- Total Fat
- 47 g
- Saturated Fat
- 14 g
- Carbohydrates
- 8 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 3 g
- Protein
- 42 g
- Cholesterol
- 170 mg
- Sodium
- 971 mg
High-heat roasting a spatchcocked chicken allows a lot of the surface area to be exposed to the direct heat of the oven. This recipe combines this great technique with the nostalgia of one of my mom’s recipes. My mother would wrap a whole chicken in bacon and roast it in the oven at such a high temperature that the paint would peel off the walls. The bacon formed almost a second skin on the chicken. I imagine this bacony chicken on a sandwich (a great idea for the leftovers), like a BLT sandwich with fresh tomatoes and basil serving as the bright companion to the roasted chicken. I use a balsamic glaze with the tomatoes because I love the almost candy-like sweetness it brings. That said, balsamic vinegar is also great here.
- Level: Easy
- Total: 1 hr 30 min (includes resting time)
- Active: 30 min
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 6 servings
- Calories
- 627
- Total Fat
- 47 g
- Saturated Fat
- 14 g
- Carbohydrates
- 8 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 3 g
- Protein
- 42 g
- Cholesterol
- 170 mg
- Sodium
- 971 mg
Ingredients
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Directions
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 475 degrees F.
- Spatchcock the chicken: Place the whole chicken breast-side down on a flat surface. Place a kitchen towel underneath the bird to prevent the chicken from sliding around. Find the backbone running down the center. Use a pair of sharp poultry shears or scissors to remove the backbone. Cut around the backbone on one side and then cut up on the other side; you want to remove about 2 to 3 inches straight down the middle. Discard the backbone or save it for stock. Flip the bird over so it’s breast-side up. Press gently down on the breast to open the chicken up and flatten it. The breastbone will break as you press.
- Prepare the chicken: Place the chicken, breast-side down, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Season with salt and pepper. Flip and season with salt and pepper on the other side. Toss the garlic cloves with 1 teaspoon olive oil and arrange them underneath the chicken. Arrange the strips of bacon, each one slightly overlapping, over the entire chicken, starting at the top and going down to the legs. You can wrap bacon around the chicken legs. If your bacon is thicker, “stretch” each piece gently as you layer it on. The bacon should cover breasts, thighs and most of the legs.
- Cook: Place the baking sheet in the center of the oven and cook undisturbed for 20 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 400 degrees F and cook for an additional 30 to 35 minutes. The chicken is ready when an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the bird registers 165 degrees F and the juices run clear, not pink.
- The tomatoes: In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, a generous pinch of salt, some black pepper, the basil and balsamic glaze.
- Rest and cut the chicken: Remove the chicken from the oven and allow it to rest for at least 10 to 15 minutes before transferring it to a cutting board for slicing. I like to cut the pieces up with my poultry shears or scissors. I also use a serrated knife to “saw” through the bacon and keep it as intact as possible. Don’t worry if the bacon falls apart a little. It’s so delicious people won’t care. Season the meat again with salt. Take all the drippings (and scrape up any bits of meat/skin too!) from the roasting pan and add them to the tomato-balsamic mixture. Pour the chicken drippings into the tomato mixture along with the roasted garlic cloves. You can smash the garlic and mix to have it better incorporated into the tomato mixture.
- Serve: Squeeze the lemon over top of the chicken. Spoon the tomato mix over everything.
My Private Notes
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