Easy Weeknight Roast Chicken
We've got the secret to cooking this dish in half the time
Weekends are perfect for tackling those recipes that take a little extra time to prepare, like smoked brisket or boeuf bourguignon. With free time during the week hard to come by, the name of the game is getting dinner on the table as quickly as possible without sacrificing quality. If you think that means saying goodbye to legit meals, think again. This one easy trick will allow you to make delicious roast chicken in about half the time.
To significantly reduce the cooking time, spatchcock the chicken and cook it on high heat.
This easy technique involves kitchen shears. First, cut and remove the backbone (which you can save to make chicken stock). Then, flip the bird over and press firmly down to break the breast bone, flattening the chicken. From there, the chicken can either be cooked in a skillet, on a sheet tray or on the grill, and will be ready in roughly 40 minutes compared to fully roasting the chicken, which will take an hour or more. Also, bumping the heat up about 50 degrees to 450 or 475 degrees allows it to cook faster. In the end, you'll spend less time cooking and more time checking your email relaxing.
If you're looking for other quick and easy dinner ideas, check out our collection of one-pan meals.