Spatchcock Chicken with Garlic Herb Butter
The Story
Removing the backbone flattens the bird so dark and white meat finish at the same time. No more dry breast while you wait on the thighs. Gunner's sage and thyme melt into the butter under the skin, perfuming the meat from the inside out.
Instructions
- The Herb Butter. Mix softened butter with Gunner Blend, minced garlic, thyme, sage, and lemon zest until combined. Slide your fingers under the breast and thigh skin to create pockets, then press the herb butter in generously. Rub the outside with olive oil and a light dusting of Gunner.
- The Cook. Set your grill for indirect heat at 375°F with a small chunk of apple or cherry wood. Place the spatchcocked bird skin-side up on the indirect side. Cook for 60–70 minutes. In the final 10 minutes, move directly over the coals for a hard sear on the skin. Pull at 165°F internal in the thigh.
- Rest and Serve. Rest on a cutting board for 15 minutes before breaking down. Squeeze the halved lemon over the carved bird. Serve with roasted root vegetables tossed in the same Gunner butter that pools in the pan.
Pro Tips
- The crackle of the skin is non-negotiable. Get it. Don't pull early.
01The Look▼
Mahogany skin, crackling and pulling at the edges, rendered fat pooling in the pan — the colour of a well-kept cast iron
02The Nose▼
Sage and thyme rise first, then roasted garlic and caramelized chicken skin, a whisper of lemon underneath
03The Layer▼
The butter dissolves into the breast meat, each bite carrying herb warmth that blooms mid-palate and lingers
04The Touch▼
Skin shatters on contact; the breast yields cleanly with gentle pressure, never pulling away dry
05The Legacy▼
The spatchcock method is grandmother's Sunday chicken brought to the fire — this is the version she'd have made if she'd had the blend