Pesto Spatchcocked Chicken
A whole chicken, flattened and roasted with basil pesto brushed on twice. Crispy skin, herb-crusted, and feeds a crowd.
Ingredients
- ●1 whole chicken (4-5 lbs)
- ●Basil pesto (see Playbook)
- ●Olive oil
- ●Kosher salt
- ●Black pepper
- ●Garlic powder
- ●Onion powder
- ●Smoked paprika
Assembly
- 1.Spatchcock the chicken: use kitchen shears to cut along both sides of the backbone and remove it. Flip the chicken over and press down firmly on the breastbone to flatten it. (See the Techniques section in Fundamentals for a full guide.)
- 2.Dry the chicken thoroughly with paper towels — all sides, all crevices, inside and out. This is critical for crispy skin.
- 3.Season generously with the base five seasoning on both sides.
- 4.Preheat oven to 425°F (or set up a grill with indirect heat).
- 5.Place the chicken skin-side down on a sheet pan or on the cool side of the grill.
- 6.Cook for about 30 minutes, then flip so skin-side is up.
- 7.About 20 minutes before it's done (around the 40-minute mark), brush the skin generously with basil pesto.
- 8.Continue cooking until the breast reaches 160°F — about 1 hour total.
- 9.Remove and brush with another coat of pesto immediately.
- 10.Let it rest for 10-15 minutes before carving.
Photo coming soon
The Story
“Spatchcocking a chicken sounds intimidating but it's just removing the backbone with kitchen shears and pressing it flat — we cover the full technique in the Fundamentals section. The flattened bird cooks faster and more evenly than a traditional roast chicken. Dry it really well with paper towels on all sides and in every crevice before seasoning — moisture is the enemy of crispy skin. Start skin-side down, flip halfway, then brush with basil pesto from the Playbook twice — once about 20 minutes before it's done, and again right when you pull it out. The pesto forms an incredible herb crust on the skin. You can swap the pesto for any rub or sauce.”
