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Chimichurri Spatchcock Chicken

Are you looking for a tender and delicious chicken recipe for dinner? Look no further than this Chimichurri Spatchcock Chicken recipe. This recipe's star is the chimichurri marinated over this chicken. Chimichurri sauce is a refreshing and flavorful sauce made from parsley, olive garden, salt, pepper, onion, garlic, red pepper flakes and vinegar.

The Chimichurri Spatchcock Chicken recipe is a harmonious fusion of carefully selected ingredients, each contributing to the tapestry of flavors and textures that make this dish a culinary masterpiece. At its core is the vibrant chimichurri marinade, a blend of garlic, cilantro, parsley, jalapenos, onion and olive oil. This aromatic combination of seasonings brings fresh, herbaceous and slightly spicy notes to the recipe, creating a marinade that infuses the chicken with robust flavors and acts as a tenderizing agent, ensuring a succulent and tender outcome.

Spatchcocking the chicken, which removes the spine before cooking, ensures that it cooks evenly and is crispier, making it easier to turn the chicken when grilling. By removing the backbone and flattening the bird, the cooking process becomes more even, promoting faster and more efficient heat distribution. This method accelerates the cooking time and produces a crispy, golden-brown skin that encapsulates the juiciness, providing a delightful textural contrast.

Including butter and white wine during the searing and roasting stages introduces richness and depth to the dish. The butter contributes to the golden-brown color during the searing process, while the white wine imparts a subtle sweetness and acidity, elevating the overall flavor profile of the chicken.

The cast iron Dutch oven uses robust cooking to ensure even heat distribution and retention, allowing for optimal searing and roasting. This choice of cookware plays a pivotal role in achieving the desired crispy exterior and juicy interior of the spatchcocked chicken.

The vibrant chimichurri marinade infuses the chicken with lively herbaceous notes and serves a dual purpose as a tenderizer. Combined with the spatchcocking method, the result is a perfectly cooked, tender and delicious chicken with a crispy skin that encapsulates the rich flavors. This recipe beautifully demonstrates how thoughtful ingredient choices and cooking techniques can come together to create a dish that is both flavorful and visually appealing.

Prep Time:  15  minutes (plus 1 hour to marinate)   |    Cook Time:  55  minutes   |    Total Time:  1 hour, 10 minutes (plus 1 hour to marinate)   |    Servings:  4

Ingredients:

  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 bunch cilantro, with stems
  • 1 bunch parsley, with stems
  • 2 jalapenos, with seeds
  • 1/2 yellow onion
  • 1/2 cup  Simply Nature  Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1  Kirkwood  Fresh Whole Chicken
  • Ground  Stonemill  Sea Salt Grinder, to taste
  • Ground  Stonemill  Peppercorn Grinder, to taste
  • 2 tablespoons  Countryside Creamery  Unsalted Butter
  • 1/2 cup  Winking Owl  Chardonnay
  • 24 ounces Organic Sunburst Medley Baby Potatoes

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 425°.
  2. In a food processor, combine garlic, cilantro, parsley, jalapenos and onion. Process and gradually add olive oil. Reserve 1/3 cup.
  3. Place chicken on a cutting board breast side down. Using a pair of kitchen shears or a sharp knife, cut chicken along one side of the back bone and then along the other side of the back bone. Remove the back bone. Remove the skin from the entire chicken and discard. Season to taste with salt and pepper.  
  4. Transfer chicken to a large bowl and massage remaining marinade all over the chicken. Allow to marinate in refrigerator for a minimum of one hour.
  5. Over high heat, melt butter and add chicken to  Crofton  Cast Iron 6 Qt. Dutch Oven. Discard marinade. Sear the entire chicken until golden brown.  
  6. Place chicken breast side down, add wine and potatoes and cover with lid. Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove lid and roast for an additional 15 minutes. Pour reserved 1/3 cup marinade over cooked chicken and enjoy.

Recipe Courtesy of Chef Tricia, ALDI Test Kitchen