What does spatchcocking mean?
Spatchcocking is a cooking technique in which a bird, most often a chicken, is cut through or along the backbone and flattened open. Removing the backbone allows the bird to lie flat, giving it a larger surface area and helping the meat cook more quickly and evenly. The method is particularly useful for grilling, roasting, and broiling, since the flattened bird exposes both sides to the heat and allows the skin to become crisp. Spatchcocking can refer either to this preparation method or to the act of preparing the bird in this way. The related noun “spatchcock” can describe the flattened bird itself. Although the technique is associated especially with chicken, it may also be applied to other birds, including duck, quail, and small game birds. It is most closely comparable to butterflying a cut of meat, but its traditional application is to a whole bird.
verbTo cut a bird, especially a chicken, along its backbone and flatten it for cooking. The term can also refer to the cutting and flattening process itself.
- To cut a bird along its backbone and flatten it, usually so that it cooks more quickly and evenly.
- The act or process of cutting and flattening a bird in this way.
"She spatchcocked the chicken so that it would cook evenly on the grill."
"The chef spatchcocked the chicken before marinating it."
"Spatchcocking the bird allowed it to cook evenly over charcoal."
Spatchcocking is the culinary equivalent of flattening a book open: the backbone is removed and the bird is spread out to expose more surface area.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does spatchcocking come from?
The precise origin of the word is uncertain. It became established in English as a culinary term for a bird cut open and flattened, and its form developed through usage in recipes and descriptions of cooking.
Related word forms
How spatchcocking is actually used
The term is chiefly culinary and is especially associated with grilling or roasting chicken. The related noun “spatchcock” names the flattened bird and, by extension, the preparation method.