Spatchcocking isn’t just a fun-to-say word—it’s one of the best things you can do to a whole chicken.

Cut out the backbone with kitchen shears, flip the bird over and press down hard until you hear the wishbone crack. Satisfying. Now everything’s flat and on the same level, which means the thighs and breasts actually finish at the same time: White meat stays juicy while dark meat cooks through perfectly.

But the real reason to do this? A flat chicken means almost every bit of skin is exposed to direct heat. More exposure equals more browning equals more of that deep golden crispness we’re actually after. And when you loosen the skin to tuck seasoned butter underneath, you’re creating little pockets where it can melt right into the meat as it roasts, essentially self-basting from the inside. Rubbing stuff on top only gets you so far.

This is how you get flavor—and crispness—all the way through.

Ari Smolin

Ari Smolin writes and edits for Milk Street’s magazine and cookbooks. Before joining the team, she baked her way from Brooklyn to Los Angeles—laminating croissants before dawn, shepherding sourdough loaves by the hundreds, and discovering that stone-milled flour plus seasonal fruit is her happy place. She writes about whole-grain baking as well, most recently co-authoring “Morning Baker: Recipes and Rituals for Breakfast and Beyond.” You can find her fruit-and-grain escapades on Instagram @Ari.Smolin. Want to talk flour? Drop her a line at ari.smolin@gmail.com.