A whole, butterflied chicken is pressed and seared in a skillet to make the skin extra crispy before it’s roasted with potatoes in a flavorful marinade. In Italian, this simple yet amazing roast chicken recipe is called “Pollo al Mattone”, which just means Chicken Under a Brick. The goal for this Italian baked chicken recipe is simple: Create the crispiest skin possible on a roast chicken. And we’ll accomplish that nicely by spatchcocking the chicken so that it’s thin and flat, and then searing it, breast side down, in a hot skillet while the chicken is weighed down. It is common for home cooks in Italy to own a tool called a mattone, which is usually a heavy, round clay press used expressly for weighing meat down while grilling or searing it. Since I don’t have one of those, I’m using one of my heavy cast iron dutch ovens as my weight. You can also use a literal brick, or even a 5 lb weight from your exercise set up! Just be sure to wrap it with foil to keep things clean. I’ll show you exactly how to butterfly or spatchcock a chicken, so you can use that skill to make chicken using multiple methods. Other than this brick chicken method, I also often grill spatchcock chicken, and sometimes I simply roast spatchcock chicken, skipping the brick part.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Key Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make this Chicken Under a Brick Recipe:
A Whole Chicken – This recipe will work best with a smaller chicken, so look for one that is about 1.5 pounds. You need it to be able to fit in your skillet! If your chicken is frozen, be sure to safely and fully thaw it before starting this recipe. Potatoes and Onions – I love that we decided to cook the potatoes with the chicken here. Halved baby potatoes take on the wonderful flavor of the marinade, and get nice and crispy in the oven. Marinade – The marinade we’re using for this Italian baked chicken includes olive oil, fresh garlic, thyme, and lemon juice Smoked paprika adds warm color and flavor to the chicken as well.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How to Butterfly a Whole Chicken
This method, also called “spatchcocking” is the best way to cook a whole chicken quickly and evenly. The basic idea is that we will remove the backbone from the bird, and then flatten it out. If you’d rather leave the whole chicken un-butterflied, try my recipe for Dutch Oven Roast Chicken with potatoes. It’s easy and also delicious!
How To Make Chicken Under a Brick
While you’re preparing the chicken, heat an oven-safe non-stick pan over medium heat on the stove with a touch of oil. You can also preheat the oven at 375°F (190°C).
Recipe Tips
30 minutes before roasting the chicken, remove it from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature. This step will help the chicken cook more quickly and evenly. Use a meat thermometer to check to be sure that the chicken is fully cooked. The internal temperature of the meat should be 165°F/74°C. Allow the chicken to rest for at least 20 minutes before carving into it. This will let the juices from the meat redistribute, keeping the chicken from drying out. The marinade for this recipe isn’t used like a traditional marinade. We add it to the chicken after the initial weighted searing is complete. This way, the aromatics don’t burn in the skillet and their flavors will soak into the meat as it roasts in the oven.
Storing Tips
Leftover brick chicken can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container. You can also freeze the cooked chicken for up to 3 months. Pull off the meat to put in the freezer, and then use the carcass to make a delicious pot of chicken noodle soup!
What To Serve With Chicken Under a Brick
This recipe is pretty close to a full meal already, with chicken, potatoes, and some veggies in the form of onions already included! I think that you will enjoy making a healthy salad to go with this hearty meal. My Olive Garden Salad is pretty amazing, and you can’t go wrong with a classic Caesar Salad. Bring a bit of Italy into your dessert too! My easy Tiramisu Recipe will be perfect. Chicken Under A Brick is such a fun and easy recipe once you get the hang of it, and with this recipe, you’ll be serving up the most delicious crispy-skinned whole chicken for dinner in under an hour! Be sure to save the recipe! © Little Sunny Kitchen
