Sous Vide Spatchcock Chicken

Get PERFECT chicken with this simple yet flavorful Sous Vide Spatchcock Chicken Recipe. You've heard of sous vide chicken breasts, thighs, legs and more...but what about the whole chicken? Spatchcocking your chicken makes it super easy to sous vide.

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword sous vide chicken, sous vide spatchcock chicken

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 6 30

Total Time 6 40

Servings

Calories 1344kcal

Author Katie Cooksey

Equipment

Sous Vide
Vacuum Sealer optional

Ingredients

5-6 lb chicken whole, spatchcocked
2 tbsp coarse kosher salt divided
1/4 cup butter softened
2 lemons zested + sliced
6 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp black pepper
few sprigs rosemary half chopped/half left whole
few sprigs thyme half chopped/half left whole

Instructions

prepare chicken

Remove spatchcocked chicken from packaging and blot dry with paper towels. Using two fingers, gently separate the skin from the meat on breast, legs and back, being careful no to tear the skin.
Place chicken in a baking dish or roasting pan and liberally sprinkle entire exterior with 1 tbsp of coarse kosher salt. You can do this the day before and place in fridge uncovered overnight for a beautiful dry brine, or do this while you wait for water to heat.

preheat water

Fill sous vide container with water and set machine to 145° F. This can take about 30 minutes, depending on the temperature of your water to begin with.

make garlic butter herb mixture + season chicken

In small bowl, add softened butter, minced garlic, lemon zest, chopped rosemary and thyme, black pepper and remaining salt. Mix well until completely combined.
Using your fingers, spread the garlic butter mixture evenly in between the skin and the meat AND all over the top of the skin.*
Place some of the lemon slices inside the chicken breasts and thighs.

vacuum seal

Carefully place whole chicken inside of a sealed on one side vacuum seal bag.
Place remaining lemon slices along with a few sprigs of the rosemary and thyme outside of the chicken breasts and thighs.

time to sous vide

Once water has come to temperature, place vacuum sealed chicken into the container, ensuring it is completely emerged under water and set timer for 5 hours**.

roast in oven

Preheat oven to 450° F.
Remove chicken from the sous vide bag. Reserve liquid for later*** or discard. Discard lemons and large pieces of herbs on outside of chicken.
Place in a roasting dish and bake for 30-40 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165° F and skin is browned and crispy. If skin is not brown but it is cooked to temperature, simply turn the broiler on for a minute or two (watching carefully so it doesn't burn).
Remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes before carving and serving.

Notes

*This is much easier to do with a room temperature bird. If the chicken is too cold, the butter will harden, making it difficult to spread evenly.

**5 hours is for a 5-6 pound chicken. If yours is larger, you'll want to go longer (up to 8 hours).

***I like to pour the liquid in a saucepan and simmer on the stove until it's reduced to at least half, then pour it over the finished chicken.

Nutrition