Elk Filet Mignon with Shallot Peppercorn Cream Sauce
January 13, 2025Orange Rosemary Spatchcock Whole Chicken
Serves
4-6 Servings
Prep time
10 Minutes
Cook time
1 Hour
Method
Oven Roasted
This isn’t your average roast chicken. Infused with bright citrus, fresh herbs, and roasted to golden perfection, our Orange Rosemary Spatchcock Chicken is a guaranteed showstopper. Using our pasture-raised whole chicken, this simple yet stunning recipe delivers juicy meat, crispy skin, and big flavor with minimal fuss. It’s the kind of meal that makes Sunday dinner feel like a celebration.
Recipe and photography by Essence Eats.
Ingredients
- 1 Honest Bison Pasture-Raised Whole Chicken (3-4 lbs)
- 2 oranges
- 4 tbsp butter (softened)
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp onion powder
- 7 rosemary sprigs (divided)
- 2 sprigs oregano
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 yellow onion (peeled and cut into large chunks)
- 1 head of garlic (cloves peeled and left whole)
Directions
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 450F.
Step 2
Zest both oranges. Cut one of the zested oranges into round slices and juice the other orange. Set aside the orange juice to add later.
Step 3
In a small bowl, combine the softened butter, orange zest, sea salt, garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder, and one teaspoon of the fresh rosemary finely chopped.
Step 4
Spatchcock the chicken: Place your chicken on a large, sturdy cutting board breast-side down, and pat it dry with paper towels. Use sharp poultry or kitchen shears to cut closely along both sides of the backbone. Remove the backbone and discard it or save it to make homemade stock!. Flip the chicken over so that it is skin-side and breast-side up, and firmly press down on the breast of the chicken to flatten it until you hear a small crack. This is the breast bone breaking, which will allow the chicken’s ribs to lie flat.
Step 5
Gently lift the skin and insert half of the orange rosemary butter underneath (touching the chicken meat). Rub the remaining butter on top of the skin, being sure to get all the crevices of the chicken. The chicken should be completely slathered in butter underneath and on top of the skin when finished.
Step 6
In a skillet, place the chopped yellow onion, remaining rosemary sprigs, oregano sprigs, whole peeled garlic cloves, chicken broth, and fresh orange juice.
Step 7
Lay your coated spatchcock chicken on top. Roast for about 1 hour, or until the internal temperature is 160F to 165F. To check the internal temperature, insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the breast and the innermost part of the thigh.
Step 8
Remove the skillet from the oven, place the chicken onto a cutting board, cover with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes.
Step 9
Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve with the sauce from the pan on top.
Serve with your favorite sides for a flavorful, nutritious meal.
- To store the leftovers, place chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- If you don't think you'll eat the chicken within 4 days, you can freeze it. Put it in a zip-top bag, removing as much air as possible before sealing. Frozen chicken can be kept for up to 4 months, but the flavor and texture may deteriorate over time.
- To reheat, add the sauce and leftover chicken in an oven-safe dish and tightly cover in foil. If there is no remaining sauce, add a splash of chicken broth. Bake in the oven at 350F for 15-20 minutes until the chicken is warm throughout.