| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 1 hr 35 min |
| Prep: | 5 min |
| Inactive: | 30 min |
| Cook: | 1 hr |
| Yield: | 4 to 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 (5 pound) chicken
- 5 medium serrano chiles, seeded and finely chopped
- 5 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- 5 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated lime zest
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400 degrees F and arrange a rack in the middle. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Remove necks and any innards from the cavities and discard.
- To spatchcock, use a sharp pair of poultry shears or kitchen scissors to cut along the backbone; remove and discard. Place chicken, breast-side up, and press down to flatten it to it is lying completely flat.
- Combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl and mix until evenly combined. Season and adjust flavor as desired. Loosen the skin from the breast and legs of the chicken and, using your clean hands, spread 1/2 of the mixture underneath. Rub the remaining mixture all over the outside of the chicken. Set aside while oven heats up, at least 20 minutes.
- Lay chicken in a roasting pan or baking dish fitted with a rack and roast until cooked an instant read thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 165 degrees F, about 50 to 60 minutes; let sit at least 10 minutes before carving. Serve with pan juices.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 580 |
| Total Fat | 41 g |
| Saturated Fat | 11 g |
| Carbohydrates | 2 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 g |
| Sugar | 0 g |
| Protein | 48 g |
| Cholesterol | 193 mg |
| Sodium | 916 mg |
Reviews
The best!
This was excellent. The Chicken was very juicy and tons of flavor. I only cooked for 40 minutes as I like my chicken a little pink. My husband loved it and wants me to make it for our next party.
Thank sto all who previously reviewed this recipe I did not decrease the number of chiles and I’m so glad I didn’t! The chicken turned out juicy with just the right amount of flavor and not too much spice. I received rave reviews and requests to make this chicken again.
This recipe was so tasty. I only had skinless, boneless chicken breasts on hand but they turned out wonderfully. We had fettuccini with some butter and parmesean on it as a side and put some of the excess sauce from the chicken on it and it was incredible. Hubs wants it all the time now.
OK so I did make some small changes, but this is such a great recipe. I listened to everyone and did not cut back on the peppers, it wasn’t spicy at all. Next time I think i will add some of the seeds so its spicier. I did however cut back on the salt I only used 3 instead of the 5 it called for, I would not add anymore salt then that. I added a little cumin and mexican chili powder to the mix and grilled it and I tell you what this was the best chicken I’ve ever grilled.
I have made this several times and the chicken is always moist, tender and flavorful. Don’t skimp on the salt, it is essential to balancing the ingredients. This is not a hot dish, even though there are 5 serranos. My family loves it and it’s a quick way to cook a whole chicken. Don’t forget to save all the backbones. You’ll have enough for soup in no time at all!
Served this with Ina Garten’s Guacamole Salad and yellow rice. The meal was a big hit with my friends and I would highly recommend. I brined the chicken overnight, so will probably cut the salt in the rub a little bit in the future to compensate for the salt in the brine. Go for it with the peppers…it’s not too spicy, and the flavors in the guacamole salad were very complementary to the dish. Dinner party worthy!
I spatchcocked two Cornish game hens and grilled them over hot coals. The result was amazingly moist and flavorful hens that had my husband thinking I was a genuis.
I used 2 bone-in skin-on chicken breasts. It was so easy to make & flavorfull!! I did only use 4 tsp salt, was still a little salty but not enough to ruin the dish. My only regret was using 2 peppers. Should’ve used more. I also added lemon & orange juice & zest to mixture. AWESOME! Definitely will make again.
My husband does not like really spicey food so he was reluctant to try this. But, I marinated it for about 4 hours and put it on the grill. He loved it!!!!! So we made it for our friends who are chicken officianados. They loved it also. Even the pickiest of eater will love this recipe. Makes me want to watch your shows even more to pick up other hidden gems!!! Thank you for the wonderful recipe.