Butterflying or spatchcocking a chicken are two ways you can spice up your cooking. But do you really know the difference between the two?
While they are almost similar, a butterflied chicken differs slightly from a spatchcock. This is because its cuts are thinner, reducing the cooking time. In this article, we’ll look at how to butterfly and spatchcock chicken.
How to spatchcock chicken
A spatchcocked chicken basically means it’s a whole chicken split lengthways down the back, then pressed on the breast to flatten it out. Removing the backbone allows it to be completely open and cooked in different ways, including smoking, frying, grilling, etc.
Spatchcocking can be done for various reasons, including:
Speeding up the cooking time
Unlike cooking it whole, cutting your chicken and flattening it out gives you much more control of the cooking process. This makes it even quicker for heat to penetrate and redistribute, reducing the required food smoking time.
When you don’t want your chicken extra dry
Spatchcocked chicken is less likely to dry out during cooking, leaving you with a delicious, moist, fine-textured meal. This is because the thighs are exposed to more heat, making sure it remains juicy.
Additionally, spatchcock chicken takes up less room on the grill or food smoker as it’s flattened with no backbone.
Easy to marinate
Opening up your chicken makes it easier to add your marinade. It also helps ensure every ingredient is fully absorbed, enriching your flavor.
Extra crispy skin
With spatchcocking, your chicken is exposed to enough heat during cooking, enabling it to develop an extra crispy skin.
Directions
Compared to butterflying, spatchcocking is relatively easy and does not take too much time.
How to go about it:
- On a flat surface or cutting board, lie your chicken breast side down.
- Using a large sharp knife, cut along both sides of the backbone of the chicken to remove it. This should be done slowly and carefully.
- Turn the chicken back over—the breast facing upwards and the back of the chicken on the bottom.
- Press firmly on the chicken breast to flatten the chicken out.
Butterflying a chicken breast
This involves cutting a boneless chicken breast horizontally. It’s done almost all the way through, providing a uniform thickness.
Why you should butterfly your chicken before cooking
Chicken breast fillets are shaped thicker in some areas than others. This means cooking time might vary, and some parts may end up overcooked. To avoid this, butterflying your chicken helps you create thin and even cuts.
Butterflying also helps speed up the cooking time and creates spaces to stuff with ingredients when baking.
How to butterfly chicken
What you will need:
- A sharp knife
- Cutting board
- Clean plate or bowl
Steps to follow
- Place your chicken fillet on the cutting board.
- Using one hand, firmly hold the chicken breast in place, keep your hand out of the way. It’s equally important to check that the cutting board is placed on a firm surface.
- Start cutting horizontally through the chicken fillet, dividing it in half.
- Ensure not to cut all the way through. Stop after about a half-inch from the opposite side, opening your chicken like a book so that it lies flat.
- You can now add the stuffing if you want to smoke or bake your chicken breasts.
- Cover your chicken breast with plastic wrap and use the flat side to flatten to the desired thickens. This helps you check evenness.
Smoking butterflied or spatchcock chicken
Ingredients:
- A whole chicken
- Food smoker
- Large cutting board
Preparation
- Preheat your food smoker to a temperature of 225 °F (107 °C).
- Season your chicken.
- Place your butterflied or spatchcock chicken in your food smoker and let it cook for a few hours, depending on the method used and how you like your chicken.
One of the smoking techniques you can use is the fast approach, where you have your chicken smoking for about an hour at a high temperature. The other method is the low and slow approach, which takes around 3–4 hours, and smoking is done at lower temperatures.
While the fast approach takes less time and is quicker, we recommend constantly checking the temperature to ensure that your meat is not overcooked when using this method.
Final thoughts
Cooking is an art, and there are various techniques. Just like how dancing is about knowing the moves, practicing the different methods is one of the best ways to improve your cooking. There’s also no limit to what you can do, giving you the freedom to tweak recipes and create one that fits your taste buds and brings out the best cooking experience.
Interested in learning more about smoked chicken? Check the articles below:
How To Break Down A Whole Chicken
How To Prevent Your Smoked Chicken Skin From Becoming Rubbery
3 Homemade Rubs to take Your Smoked Chicken to the Next Level
For more great ideas on how to get the most of your Bradley Smoker, check out the awesome articles on our Bradley Smoker Food Smoking Blog for more tips & tricks.
