How to Butterfly a Chicken

I get asked all the time how I fit my chicken in a Dutch Oven. Either you need a really big oven, a 14 or 16 inch Dutch Oven or Butterfly the Chicken. I prefer to Butterfly mine, then I’ll brine it for about 4 hour prior to roasting or grilling.

Rinse and dry chicken. Position chicken, breast side down. With a pair of sharp poultry shears, starting just to the right of the tail and cut along the backbone. Do the same thing along the left side completely removing the backbone from the chicken. Discard backbone or save it for the stock pot. Turn chicken over and snip the breast bone making it easier to crack it. Lay out chicken, breast up and press down on chicken breast to crack breast bone. It should now lay flat.

When a chicken lays flat in this manner the cooking possibilities are endless. Barbecue, Grilling, Dutch Oven, Smoked, Baked etc. You get the idea.

To brine your chicken, dilute 1/3 cup of salt in one gallon of water. Make sure the chicken is covered and refrigerate for up to 12 hours. Other spices and flavors can be incorporated into the brine also. Just adjust the salt as needed.

More Recipes:
Dutch Oven Roasted Camp Chicken – Learn More Here

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