Easy Roasted Butterflied Chicken

Name: Easy Roasted Butterflied Chicken
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Yield: 4-6
Cuisine: Middle Eastern

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This easy roasted butterflied chicken is so easy to make and absolutely delicious! It’s cooked with roasted potatoes, making it a complete meal.

PREP TIME

20 minutes

COOK TIME

45 minutes

SERVES

4-6

About this recipe

Easy roasted Butterflied chicken really helps to reduce the cooking time and it cooks much more evenly than roasting a whole chicken. And more importantly, it is very hard to overcook the chicken breast before the thighs are cooked, so it’s a win-win. You’ll be surprised at how simple it is to butterfly a chicken and it only takes about 5 minutes in total. Go ahead and serve it with roasted potato and a lovely silverbeet sauce for a tasty and fragrant midweek meal idea. Also delicious with a side of brussels sprouts drizzled with creamy tahini

The easy roasted butterflied chicken recipe will blow you away with its delicious flavours and tenderness, this also makes the perfect Christmas main dish. Are you looking for the perfect Christmas Table, check my Step-By-Step Middle Eastern Christmas Lunch Menu

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Ingredients

Main Ingredients

Whole Chicken (1.8 kg)
3 large potatoes
juice of ½ lemon (approx 2-3 tablespoons)
4 sprigs of thyme
salt to season

Spice Rub

1 tablespoon salt
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon oregano
¼ teaspoon chili flakes
¼ teaspoon chipotle powder
¼ teaspoon coriander ground
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Garlic Butter

3 garlic cloves
50 grams butter softened
2 tablespoons parsley chopped

Notes from Rouba

Butterflied chicken is simply a whole chicken that has been pressed and flattened
When cutting the chicken, use a sharp knife so that you can prevent the chicken from slipping and cutting yourself.
Butterfly the chicken yourself as I show you or you can ask your butcher to do this for you.
What is chipotle spice
Cooking time will always depend on the size of your chicken. A smaller chicken can be ready in under an hour, while a larger one may need extra time. Ovens also vary, so use the colour of the skin and the juices running clear as your guide.

Method

Step 1.

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Combine the salt and spices and set aside.

Cut the potatoes into approximately 3 cm cubes, rinse well under cold water, strain, and season with salt. Add the lemon juice, toss and set aside.

Step 2.

Combine softened butter, parsley, and crushed garlic well. Set aside.

Step 3.

Place the chicken with the breast side facing down, and the legs facing you. Hold the chicken with one hand and with a sharp knife, cut between the two breasts, pressing down in the middle of the breastbone.

Lay the chicken flat and use your hands to press down firmly, flattening the chicken. You’ll hear a crack, and that means you’ve done it!

Step 4.

Use your hands to loosen and gently separate the chicken skin away from the breast and thigh meat to create pockets.

Massage most of the butter under the skin into the gaps, as far as you can reach. Rub the rest of the butter all over the outside of the chicken.

Place the thyme sprigs under the skin, inside the pockets.

Step 5.

Sprinkle the dry spice rub all over the chicken.

Place the chicken, skin side up a roasting tray. arrange the diced potatoes all around it.

Roast for approximately 55 minutes or until golden in colour and cooked through.

A Few Things You’ll Want to Know

My chicken didn’t cook in 55–60 minutes. Why did it take longer?
The cooking time always depends on the size of your chicken and the heat of your oven. A larger bird will naturally take more time, and every oven runs slightly differently. If it needs longer, just keep roasting until the thickest part of the thigh is cooked through and the juices run clear.

What can I serve it with?
Butterflied chicken goes with almost anything. I’ve linked my silverbeet sauce in the recipe because it’s one of my favourites. But if you don’t have silverbeet, you can swap it for baby spinach— even a simple handful mixed through tahini, lemon, and garlic works beautifully. Keep it simple.

How should I cut the potatoes?
I keep the potatoes on the smaller side because they aren’t in the oven for very long. Smaller pieces crisp up faster, soak in the butter and spices, and finish cooking at the same time as the chicken.

Do I have to use butter?
Yes—this recipe is all about the butter. It’s what gives the chicken its colour, flavour, and that glossy finish. You can reduce it slightly, but I wouldn’t skip it.

Can I change the spice rub?
Absolutely. Stick to similar measurements and swap the spices to suit what you like. The method stays the same, so it’s very flexible.