Kevin's 45-Minute Herb Butter Spatchcock Chicken

Kevin the Bacon took a classic roast chicken and turned it up to 11 — spatchcocked, packed with a rosemary-thyme herb butter under every inch of skin, dusted with fennel and seasoning, and blasted hot for a golden, juicy bird in well under an hour.

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Ingredients

• •1 whole chicken (~4.5-5 lb), preferably all-natural
• •1 stick butter, softened
• •1 tbsp fresh rosemary, minced
• •1 tbsp fresh thyme, minced
• •2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• •1 tsp better than bouillon (chicken)
• •1-2 tbsp fresh fennel seed, freshly ground
• •salt, to taste
• •black pepper, to taste

Steps

1. Spatchcock the chicken: Using kitchen shears, snip along both sides of the spine and remove it, then pull out the insides.
2. Set the bird: Press firmly with your palm on the breastbone to flatten the chicken out.
3. Make channels: Slide your fingers between the meat and the skin over the breast, legs, and thighs to create channels for the butter.
4. Make the herb butter: Mix the softened butter with the minced rosemary, minced thyme, garlic, and better than bouillon.
5. Butter under the skin: Pipe the herb butter into the channels and work it around so the breast, legs, and thighs are fully covered underneath the skin.
6. Dust with fennel: Dust the outside of the chicken with the freshly ground fennel.
7. Dust with seasoning: Dust the chicken all over with salt and pepper.
8. Roast: Roast at 425°F for 45 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temp of 160-162°F.
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9. Rest: Let the chicken rest until it climbs to 165-167°F in the thickest part of the breast — check the thigh meat near the bone too.
10. Serve: Let the chicken sit in its own juices for a few minutes before carving to really bolster the flavor.