Marinated Spatchcock Chicken in Cast Iron

4.47 from 15 votes

Dinner doesn't get any better than spatchcock chicken in a cast iron skillet with a garlicky, lemony marinade. Great with or without gravy.

Prep Time10

Cook Time40

Total Time50

Course: Chicken

Cuisine: American

Keyword: spatchcock chicken cast iron, spatchcock chicken marinade

Servings:

Calories: 479kcal

Author: Carolyn Gratzer Cope

Preheat oven to 425°F with a rack in the center.
To make the. marinade, lace the olive oil, garlic, herbs, salt, and pepper into a mortar. Zest the lemon directly into the mortar, and add the lemon juice.
Bash the mixture with the pestle, crushing the garlic against the sides and bottom, to form a rough, chunky marinade.
Dry the chicken well with paper towels and place it skin-side-up in a 12-inch cast iron skillet.
Pour the marinade overtop and use your hands to distribute it evenly over the chicken.
At this point you can roast right away or leave the chicken to marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
Roast for about 40 minutes depending on size, until the juices run clear when you insert a knife between a leg and thigh, and breast meat reads 150°F on an instant thermometer.
Let the chicken rest or at least 10 minutes before carving.
If you'd like to make gravy, set the skillet over medium heat while the chicken rests. Whisk the flour into the pan drippings.
When incorporated, pour in the broth and whisk until smooth.
Bring to a boil, them simmer for five minutes until thickened. (You can adjust the amount of broth to suit your preference.)
Whisk in the soy sauce and marmite and serve.

You'll start with a good-quality whole chicken that's been spatchcocked. Buy it that way, ask your butcher to do it for you, or do it yourself. (You can easily find videos on YouTube to show you how.)
I love herbes de Provence — a beautiful blend that typically includes thyme, basil, rosemary, tarragon, savory, marjoram, oregano, and/or bay leaf. It quickly elevates a simple recipe. You can type it into the search bar to find more ways to use it.
I've pictured my favorite herb salt, but you can use good old kosher or fine sea salt.
When buying lemons to zest, look for ones that haven't been painted or waxed if possible, and wash them well.
If you don't have a mortar and pestle, no worries. You can pulse the marinade in a small food processor or blender, or simply use a chef's knife to smash the chopped garlic together with the salt until it forms a rough paste and then stir it into the remaining ingredients.
For a gluten-free gravy, use a 1:1 GF flour blend, tamari or another gluten-free soy sauce, and omit the marmite.
You can roast the chicken and even make the gravy in advance. Leftovers will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Reheat the gravy in the microwave or on the stovetop, adding a little extra broth if necessary.