Let’s make dinner! Does cooking a whole chicken intimidate you? Or do you want to cook one, but you don’t have time to roast it for 2 hours?
Also, let’s agree that slow cooker (and Instant Pot) chicken is great, but never tastes as good a golden brown, crispy skinned, oven roasted chicken.
You don’t need an Instant Pot or any special appliance to cook this chicken.
(But here is how the Instant Pot DOES save us money on real food!)
Cook A Whole Chicken in Under One Hour
All you need is:
- 1 whole chicken, thawed (4-6 lbs)
- Spices (garlic, paprika, salt, pepper)
- A sharp knife
Spatchcock Chicken
The secret is to spatchock the chicken – a sentence I can’t say without snickering like a fourteen-year-old boy.
Spatchcocking sounds intimidating – or possibly horrifying – but it is almost as easy as slicing a pizza. 1-2 quick cuts, a sprinkle of seasoning, and you’re ready for the oven.
Dinner for a Dollar
Get the full recipe for Spatchcock Chicken in my cookbook, Dinner for a Dollar: Real food recipes for less than $1 a serving. It’s only $2.99 cents in the Kindle store!
The Perfect Drinking Game
Side note: this video makes the perfect drinking game. Count how many times I ask, “Okay?” ;D
It’s totally embarrassing. Extra points if you leave a comment telling me the number.
Also, I DID wash my hands before touching the Greek Seasoning :-). And I did NOT get chicken guts all over my white shirt. This is a splash-free recipe. I thought you should know.
Get the Greek seasoning recipe here.
My kids interrupted the video, so there are some weird breaks, but as always – despite my failings – I hope this video helps you save money and eat healthy. Thanks for visiting my kitchen!
More Chicken Recipes:
Sharp knife is key here!
Yes!
This recipe is an example of using your animal fats. We wont even save them and have to store them but put them into the meal … and a future meal!
Using a sheet pan and under that lovely spatchcocked poultry, put 2lbs tubers, in chunks. Can be potatoes, rutabagas, turnips, parsnips, winter squash or a combo of any. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp salt and grind pepper over. Lay 1-3cl minced garlic and 2T parsley over and then 1pt cherry tomatoes; toss all well. Put any tomatoes needed back on the tubers. The poultry will baste the vegs, the juices in the pan bottom will be so flavorful but you won’t need the gravy you make from them at this meal. Save it for a plain veggie night and dress up some cauliflower that night – or boiled potatoes or even pasta or rice/kasha.
Great idea!
Thought of you tonight!
Heres another cheap meal w/tubers flavored by the meat…,well several meals actually, all cooked at once.
IP Carnitas — Easy and Fast
1/2 large onion, chunked
2 st celery, chunked
2cl garlic, sliced
Lay on bottom, keep garlic on onion so it doesnt stick and burn. IP wont come to pressure if anything burns.
2.5 lb pork butt, cut in half
1tsp oregano, salt, chili powder
1/2tsp pepper
2T vinegar
After cooked:
1tsp s&p
2.5-3lb medium-small pieces starchy vegs/whole brussel sprouts (I used butternut squash, potatoes, turnips)
Rub meat with dry and set the halves on the aromatics.
Manual 90 min. NR 20 min, QR. Use a lg slotted spoon to take out meat to a plate. Break up meat w/2 forks and stir in liquid left in pot, the vinegar, s&p. Stir in starchy vegs and or brussels then add back meat. Manual 8 min. NR 10 min, QR. Serve in corn tortillas w/salad stuffed into o or on bed of salad.
Awesome! Sounds really delicious!