A Meal Prepping Essential!!
Have you ever heard of a 'spatchcock' chicken?!? I myself hadn't even heard of it until recently, and let me tell you, I don't think I'll ever go back to roasting chickens whole again.. The main reason why is that in roasting whole chickens, the legs always get done first, then dry out, then there's the issue of the soggy skin under the chicken that never gets browned.. to the excess amount of time it takes to roast a whole chicken! This literally takes half the time and ensures even cooking. It's a wonderful technique!
Spatchcock Chicken:
A spatchcock chicken is a chicken with the backbone removed and cut so that it will lay flat when cooking. This allows the chicken to be spread out or opened up like a nook so that it makes cooking quicker and evenly.
It's actually super easy to remove the backbone of the chicken with kitchen shears, then when you flip it back over, you can flatten the chicken more by cutting the breast bone cartilage OR by simply applying pressure with your hands until the breastbone cartilage separates. Here's a quick 3 min video on Youtube to reference if you need it. Spatchcock However, you can actually have your local butcher spatchcock a chicken for you, if there's not already one pre-packaged already. I happened to pick this one up at the supermarket that was already spatchcocked, packaged, and had a lovely citrus marinade.
If you're seasoning your bird yourself, now is the time to have some fun with it and play around with different flavors! Ex lemon pepper and garlic, savory thyme and sage, a sweet and spicy cajon rub, honey mustard.. the options are limitless! **Be sure to liberally season your chicken with salt and pepper if your seasonings don't already have salt in them.
Keto Meal Prepping Ideas:
- Roasted chicken with a creamy lemon dill sauce with roasted veggies
- Chicken quinoa bowl with tahini and English cucumbers
- Shredded chicken fajitas(zucchini boats) with sautéd red onion and peppers
- Bone broth chicken and veggie soup
- Roasted chicken salad with lots of fresh greens and veggies
- Chicken salad dip made with sour cream, eaten with lettuce cups
Alongside roasting the chicken, I also recommend roasting a whole array of fresh vegetables. This way, the bulk of your cooking is already done and you can play around with different and creative ways to eat your protein and veggies for the week.
Directions:
- Take your chicken out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature. This will ensure even cooking temps from the start. (I recommend 20mins or so depending on where you live).
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Prepare your bird. Spatchcock it if it isn't already.
- Season the chicken to your liking.
- Place the chicken on a sheet pan and put in the oven and roast for about 45 mins. (A 4.25 lb chicken takes about 45mins)
- Internal temp needs to register 165 degrees. I suggest placing a meat thermometer into the breast to get an accurate reading.
- Let the chicken rest 10mins before serving. **The chicken juice needs to be clear. If the juice is pink, this is an indicator your chicken isn't cooked long enough.
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