Dry brine spatchcock chicken dinner is a whole roasted chicken that is juicy, flavorful and tender. Roast this chicken on a sheet pan with braised baby bok choy and green beans for a complete meal.
Clean room in the fridge for a full sheet tray. Take out a sheet tray and oven safe cooking rack before starting.
Take the chicken from the packaging, drain any juices and remove anything in the cavity. Place on your sheet tray and pat dry with paper towels. Arrange the chicken so that the backbone is facing you.
Using sharp kitchen shears, remove the wingtips at the joint and save for stock. Starting at the bottom (where the legs are) make 1 cut on 1 side of the backbone. You’re going to cut through the ribcage but keep going towards the wings. Repeat on the other side of the spine until it’s removed. Save for stock!
Open up the chicken and flip it over so the skin is on top. Press down on the top of the breast to break the breast bone, making the bird lay down flatter.
Dry Brine the Chicken
Loosen skin from meat using your fingers or a spoon. Try to keep the skin intact as much as possible.
Generously salt the entire chicken all over the meat and skin, you don’t want to skimp here at all as most of the salt will dissolve into the meat. Arrange the chicken so the breast is up and the legs and thighs are exposed on the oven safe cooking rack on a sheet tray.
Allow to sit in the fridge, uncovered for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight but up to 48 hours. If you don’t have time to allow it to dry brine, you can proceed to the next section.
Roasting the Chicken and Vegetables
When you’re ready to cook the chicken, preheat the oven to 450 F and place a rack in the middle of the oven.
Cut all the baby bok choy in half lengthwise and wash well in water. Add to a large mixing bowl. Trim all green beans and add to the same large mixing bowl.
Add 2 teaspoons of canola oil to the vegetable, toss and lightly salt to taste with kosher salt.
Take the chicken out of the fridge on the sheet tray and cooking rack. Remove the cooking rack and chicken from the sheet tray and set aside. The chicken skin should look dried out, this is exactly what you want. If you see any moisture on the chicken, pat dry with a paper towel.
Next, add the greens to the sheet tray that you used to dry brine the chicken, trying to keep the baby bok choy cut side down and arrange in a single layer.
Add the cooking rack (with the chicken) on top of the vegetables so the chicken sits above the vegetables.
Take the remaining amount of canola oil and generously rub the chicken skin with it, getting into all the nooks and crannies. This will help you get well browned chicken skin.
If using, insert your alarm thermometer probe into the breast. Make sure you aren’t hitting any bone and the thermometer is deep into the breast. Set the temperature alarm to 155 F.
Place the entire sheet tray into the oven, with the thighs and legs toward the back (this part of the oven is hotter). Carefully, add 1 ½ cups of chicken stock to the vegetables, just covering the bottom of the tray and cook for 25 minutes.
After about 25 minutes, check the level of chicken stock and add ½ cup of the chicken stock if it has evaporated.
Cook the chicken until the alarm sounds or for about 15-20 minutes more (40-45 minutes total). Check the internal temperature for the breast to be around 155 F and the thighs to be about 175 F. If you’re not using a thermometer, skin should be brown and the thigh/leg should very easily pull away from the chicken. Cook in 5 minute increments until the leg falls off easily.
The vegetables are done when tender and most of the chicken stock should be evaporated, if not allow them to cook for 5-10 minutes or until tender while the chicken rests.
Allow the chicken to rest for at least 10 minutes after it has finished cooking before carving.
Making the Gravy (Optional)
While the chicken is resting, it is a great time to make the chicken gravy. In a medium saucepan, over medium low, melt the butter until foamy. Add in garlic and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute until fragrant, be sure to keep stirring so it doesn’t burn.
To the butter and garlic mixture, add the flour and whisk together. Cook for 1-2 minutes while constantly stirring.
Slowly add in about 1 cup of chicken stock while continuing to whisk until smooth and incorporated.
Allow the gravy to simmer on medium low and thicken for about 5 minutes. Season to taste with kosher salt, pepper and juice from ½ of a lemon. (Add more salt if it isn’t flavorful!)
Serving
Carve roasted chicken into pieces as desired (breast, thighs, legs) and plate.
Serve vegetables and any juices left over on the side.
Serve roasted chicken pieces with gravy if desired.
Notes
Ideally you should dry brine at least overnight but you can skip it, do 4 hours or up to 48 hours.
Dry brine chicken uncovered on an oven safe cooking rack and sheet tray.
Use an oven safe cooking rack that keeps the chicken above the vegetables.
A meat thermometer is the best way to tell if a whole chicken is done cooking.
If you’re checking the doneness of the chicken without a meat thermometer, look to see if the thigh pulls away easily with little resistance and the skin is golden
Allow chicken to rest for at least 10 minutes before carving to keep it juicy.