What does spatchcock mean?
A spatchcock is a bird, most commonly a chicken, that has been split through the backbone and pressed flat so that it can be cooked evenly. The word can also be used as a verb: to spatchcock a chicken means to prepare it in this manner. Spatchcocking is particularly associated with grilling, roasting, broiling, and barbecuing because the flattened bird exposes more surface area to heat and allows both sides to cook at roughly the same rate. It is also a practical method for preparing a whole bird when a grill is too small or when faster, more even cooking is wanted. Although the word is sometimes used loosely for other flattened or butterflied cuts, its central meaning is a split, flattened bird prepared for cooking.
A bird, especially a chicken, split open and flattened for cooking.
"The spatchcock was seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic before roasting."
The word usually names the prepared bird itself and is most often used with chicken.
To split a bird, especially a chicken, open and flatten it for cooking.
"To ensure even cooking, she spatchcocked the chicken and roasted it."
Usually transitive; the object is the bird being prepared.
The plural is used when referring to multiple prepared birds or individual examples of this dish.
"The restaurant serves spatchcocks with lemon, herbs, and roasted garlic."
A spatchcock is chicken prepared flat, making it especially useful for grilling, roasting, or broiling.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does spatchcock come from?
The origin of the word is uncertain. It was already established in English by the seventeenth century, but its precise development from an earlier form or foreign source is not securely known.
Related word forms
How spatchcock is actually used
The term is most often used with chicken, though it can refer to other birds. As a verb, it is transitive and takes a bird as its object. The culinary sense is established in both British and American English.