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Chicken under a brick in a large cast-iron skillet with golden crispy skin, whole garlic cloves, and fresh thyme sprigs after roasting

Chicken Under a Brick

A whole spatchcocked chicken pressed flat in a cast-iron skillet and roasted at 475°F with lemon, thyme, butter, and whole garlic cloves for crackling crispy skin and juicy meat.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Refrigerating and Resting Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours
Servings: 4 portions
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian
Calories: 450
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 3 lb whole chicken spatchcocked
  • 5 tsp olive oil divided: 1 tbsp for marinade, 2 tsp for pan
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice from about half a lemon
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 5 sprigs fresh thyme for roasting stage
  • kosher salt to taste, about 1.5 tsp recommended
  • ground black pepper to taste, about 1/4 tsp recommended
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 8 cloves garlic unpeeled

Equipment

  • Large cast-iron skillet
  • Second heavy cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven for weight
  • Kitchen shears for spatchcocking
  • Instant read meat thermometer
  • Thick oven mitts

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 475°F.
  2. Rinse the chicken and pat completely dry with paper towels. Place breast-side up on a cutting board and flatten by pressing down firmly with both hands.
  3. Mix 1 tablespoon olive oil with lemon juice and fresh thyme leaves. Brush over the entire surface of the chicken. Refrigerate uncovered for 1-2 hours.
  4. Remove chicken from fridge. Season the entire surface generously with kosher salt and black pepper on both sides.
  5. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil. Once shimmering, place the chicken breast-side down. Set a second heavy cast-iron skillet on top. Set a 3-minute timer, then transfer to the preheated oven.
  6. Roast for 30 minutes with the weight on. Carefully remove the top skillet using thick oven mitts. Flip the chicken breast-side up. Add butter, 5 thyme sprigs, and 8 unpeeled garlic cloves. Toss garlic in pan drippings and butter, then spoon the juices over the chicken skin.
  7. Move the skillet to the top rack and roast for another 20 minutes until skin is deeply golden and an instant-read thermometer reads 165°F at the thickest part of the thigh.
  8. Remove from oven and let chicken rest for 15 minutes before carving and serving.

Notes

Dry the chicken uncovered in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour for the crispiest skin. Season generously with about 1.5 tsp salt for a 3 lb chicken. Both cast-iron skillets will be extremely hot when removing from the oven — use thick oven mitts. Do not skip the 15-minute rest before carving. Squeeze roasted garlic cloves from their skins and serve alongside.