When roasting a chicken, do you want a bird that tastes good, is tender and juicy, and has perfectly crispy skin? Then spatchcocking a chicken is the right method for you.

Spatchcocking a chicken most basically means to split then flatten the bird, and there are many pros to this technique. First, the chicken cooks more evenly and faster because the breasts and thighs are flattened. Another positive is that all of the skin gets crispy and golden brown, not just the skin that is exposed to the oven circulation. And most importantly, it’s easy to cut and serve because separating the breasts and thighs becomes obvious when the bird is flattened.

I suggest spatchcocking a chicken for your first time and for a quick everyday meal. But once you master the technique, you can also spatchcock a fowl, guinea hen and turkey (talk about a quick Thanksgiving bird).

Click here to learn How To Spatchcock a Chicken, and then check out the recipe for Spatchcocked Chicken with Lemon and Thyme here on Coffee, Cabs and Bar Tabs. Pull out those kitchen shears and get cooking!