• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The Sassy Foodie
  • Game Day
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Game Day
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Game Day
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
×

The Sassy Foodie » Recipes » Chicken

Air Fryer Salsa Verde Spatchcock Chicken

Published: Nov 21, 2022 by Sunena Anand · This post contains affiliate links. I make a commission from sales. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. · Leave a Comment

  • Share
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Looking for the best way to cook an entire chicken fast without losing quality and flavor? This air fryer herbed spatchcock chicken recipe is it! Tangy garlic and capers combined with the freshness of parsley, dill and basil make for a delicious, bright salsa verde that'll leave the whole family licking their lips for more.

Cooked chicken arranged on a platter, dressed with herb sauce and lemons.

I love spatchcocking chicken. It cuts down the cooking time and allows every part of the chicken to cook nice and even. The results? A flavorful whole chicken that's ready to serve at any potluck, dinner party, or special occasion! Can't get enough of this tasty chicken recipe? Try my cast iron spatchcock chicken, Tuscan skillet chicken cacciatore, or my Afghani malai chicken tikka!

Jump to:
  • 👩🏽‍🍳Why This Recipe Works
  • 🥘Ingredients
  • 📖Substitutions
  •  🔪Variations
  • ⏲️ Step-by-Step Instructions
  • 💭 Expert Tips
  • 🍽 Storing Leftovers
  • ⭐ Recipe FAQs
  • 📝More Chicken Recipes
  • Air Fryer Herbed Spatchcock Chicken
  • 💬 Comments

👩🏽‍🍳Why This Recipe Works

Quicker method: Air fryer spatchcock chicken takes half the time it would take to roast a whole bird, making for an easy, no-fuss meal!

Loads of flavor: This delicious chicken recipe uses a tasty salsa verde herb sauce a simple spice blend to create the most flavorful chicken.

Perfectly crispy skin: The best part about a full roasted chicken is that crisp, delicious skin. This air fryer chicken delivers that desired crispy skin every time, with no effort!

🥘Ingredients

Recipe ingredients, labelled on a sheet tray.
  • Whole chicken: Using an entire chicken is a cost-effective option and provides a good mix of white and dark meat, making it ideal for family dinners or entertaining. Be sure to use a chicken that will easily fit in your air fryer basket. You can often purchase chickens that are already spatchcocked with the bone removed.
  • Capers: Capers have a briny, salty flavor, which gives this herb sauce its distinct savory flavor. I recommend draining your capers from the briny solution they are packed in to eliminate the extra salt. The capers are salty enough on their own and do not need the added brine.
  • Flat leaf parsley: Flat leaf parsley has a more robust, grassy flavor that works well in salsa verde-type dressings.
  • Fresh lemon: Fresh lemon is the way to go for this recipe, as you get the use of the zest as well as the juice. Bottled lemon juice can have a muted, metallic flavor that will overpower the taste of the herbs in the salsa verde.
  • Salted butter: Butter creates another opportunity to add a layer of seasoning and flavor, which is always good when seasoning a whole chicken. I always recommend using salted butter unless you are making baked goods.

A full list of ingredients with measurements is located on the recipe card, below.

📖Substitutions

  • Whole chicken: You can skip the spatchcocked method and make this recipe with bone-in chicken breasts or bone-in chicken thighs.
  • Capers: Green olives work well in place of capers as they provide a similar taste. 
  • Salted butter: Unsalted butter will work fine, but be sure to compensate for the lack of salt!
  • Flat leaf parsley: Don't have flat leaf parsley? You can always use curly parsley in a pinch.

 🔪Variations

  • BBQ Style: Make your chicken sweet and sticky by brushing it with your favorite barbecue sauce! You can also use my barbecue inspired all purpose chicken rub to amplify the flavor!
  • Cajun Style: Go cajun with your seasoning mix instead for a zestier, spicier spatchcock chicken.
  • Spiced Yogurt: Marinate your spatchcock chicken in yogurt, coconut, and spices for a tangy, spicy, and unique flavor.

⏲️ Step-by-Step Instructions

Prep Work Before Cooking

Collecting all your ingredients - This will make cooking so much easier. Gather all the spices you will need, and keep them nearby. 

Dry the skin of the chicken using a paper towel and place the chicken breast-side down. With sharp kitchen shears, make a cut on each side of the spine and pull it out. Flip the chicken over, pressing down on the breastbone to flatten the chicken. [photos 2 & 3]

Stir together the seasoning mixture in a small bowl. Sprinkle half of the seasoning mixture onto the inside of the chicken, and flip the chicken over. Add the remaining spice mixture to the melted butter, and combine. [photos 1 & 4]

Nestle the chicken into the air fryer basket with the skin side facing up. Drizzle half of the seasoned butter mixture onto the chicken, and coat the exterior evenly. [photo 5]

Air fry the chicken at 375°F for 1 hour. Periodically baste the chicken with the remaining seasoned butter mixture until it is finished. If the chicken skin becomes deeply browned, you can cover it with foil for the remainder of the cooking time. 

While the chicken is cooking, make the herb sauce by grinding down the garlic, capers, and herbs with olive oil and lemon juice. You can make the sauce as chunky or smooth as you prefer by grinding the ingredients more or less. Set the sauce aside until the chicken is cooked. [photo 6]

Using a meat thermometer, check the internal temperature of the chicken in the thickest part of the thigh without touching the bone. The internal temperature of the chicken should read 165°F. 

Once the chicken has reached 165°F, remove it from the air fryer and tent the chicken with foil. Allow the chicken to rest for 10-15 minutes before carving. Serve with herb sauce drizzled over the chicken.

💭 Expert Tips

  • Use a meat thermometer: Meat thermometers are essential for moist, juicy chicken that is not underdone. 
  • Be liberal with the butter: Be sure to cover the skin with butter. Keeping the skin moist will help it crisp up to a golden brown instead of burning straight away. 
  • Keep basting your chicken: Do not forget to baste the skin. As the chicken cooks, the skin will dry out. To keep everything nice, moist, and crisp, keep basting with butter.

🍽 Storing Leftovers

  • Store leftovers in an airtight container. Then place your chicken in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
  • To reheat, cook in the air fryer, microwave, or oven until warmed through.
Cooked chicken with a mortar and pestle with green herb sauce.

⭐ Recipe FAQs

What is spatchcocked chicken?

A spatchcocked chicken is the result of removing a whole chicken's backbone so it can be completely opened and flat. It's an excellent method for reducing cooking time and allows you to cook the chicken in many easy ways.

Why does spatchcock cook faster?

Spatchcocking a chicken will cook in half the time that it takes to roast it. This is because a spatchcocked chicken lays flat, allowing the heat to circulate more evenly.

📝More Chicken Recipes

  • Homemade Panera Thai Chicken Soup
  • Chicken Florentine Soup {With Orzo!}
  • Flat lay photo of a bowl with Korean Glazed Chicken Meatballs with rice, and topped with edamame
    Korean Glazed Chicken Meatballs
  • Buffalo Chicken Pretzel Bites stacked on top of each other on a wooden board lined with parchment paper
    Buffalo Chicken Pretzel Bites

Looking for more meal inspiration? Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly recipe roundups, straight to your inbox! Follow us on our socials, on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook! If you try one of our recipes, let us know how it was by rating and commenting!

Air Fryer Herbed Spatchcock Chicken

Looking for the best way to cook a whole chicken fast without losing quality and flavor? This air fryer spatchcock chicken recipe is it!
No ratings yet
Print Pin Rate Save Saved!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Resting Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 4 Servings
Estimated Calories: 879kcal
Author: Sunena Anand

Ingredients

  • 1 Whole chicken Approx. 4 lbs
  • ½ cup Salted butter melted
  • 2 teaspoon Sea salt
  • 2 teaspoon Ground pepper
  • 2 teaspoon Garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoon Onion powder
  • 2 teaspoon Smoked paprika

For the Herb Sauce

  • ¼ cup Flat leaf parsley roughly chopped
  • ¼ cup Fresh Dill roughly chopped
  • ¼ cup Fresh basil roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoon Capers
  • 1 Lemon zested and juiced
  • ½ cup Olive oil
  • 2 cloves Garlic peeled
  • Sea salt to taste

Equipment

  • Mixing Bowl
  • Air Fryer
  • Mortar and Pestle

Instructions

  • Using a paper towel, dry the skin of the chicken. Place the chicken breast-side down. Using sharp kitchen shears, cut the back bone out of the chicken. Make a cut on each side of the back bone, and pull it out.
    1 Whole chicken
  • Flip the chicken over, and press down on the breast bone to flatten the chicken.
  • Mix together the seasoning mixture in a small mixing bowl. Sprinkle half of the seasoning mixture onto the inside of the chicken, and flip the chicken over. Add the remaining spice mixture to the melted butter, and combine.
    2 teaspoon Sea salt, 2 teaspoon Ground pepper, 2 teaspoon Garlic powder, 2 teaspoon Onion powder, 2 teaspoon Smoked paprika, ½ cup Salted butter
  • Nestle the chicken into the air fryer basket with the skin side facing up. Drizzle half of the seasoned butter mixture on to the chicken, and coat the exterior evenly.
  • Air fry the chicken at 375°F for 1 hour. Periodically baste the chicken with the remaining seasoned butter mixture, until it is finished. If the chicken skin is become deeply browned, you can cover it with foil for the remainder of the cook time.
  • While the chicken is cooking, make the herb sauce by grinding down the garlic, capers, and herbs with olive oil and lemon juice. You can make the sauce as chunky or as smooth as you prefer, by grinding the ingredients more or less. Set the sauce aside until the chicken is cooked.
    ¼ cup Flat leaf parsley, ¼ cup Fresh Dill, ¼ cup Fresh basil, 2 tablespoon Capers, 1 Lemon, ½ cup Olive oil, Sea salt, 2 cloves Garlic
  • Using a meat thermometer, check the internal temperature of the chicken in the thickest part of the thigh, without touching the bone. The internal temperature of the chicken should read 165°F.
  • Once the chicken has reached 165°F, remove from the air fryer and tent the chicken with foil. Allow the chicken to rest for 10-15 minutes before carving. Serve with herb sauce drizzled over the chicken.

Notes

  • Use a meat thermometer: Meat thermometers are essential for moist, juicy chicken that is not underdone. 
  • Be liberal with the butter: Be sure to cover the skin with butter. Keeping the skin moist will help it crisp up to a golden brown instead of burning straight away. 
  • Keep basting your chicken: Do not forget to baste the skin. As the chicken cooks, the skin will dry out. To keep everything nice, moist, and crisp, keep basting with butter.

Estimated Nutrition

Calories: 879kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 79g | Saturated Fat: 27g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 38g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 204mg | Sodium: 1597mg | Potassium: 523mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 2107IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 3mg
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Have You Tried This Recipe?Don’t forget to leave a comment and rate the recipe! Take a picture and tag @the.sassy.foodie on Instagram for a chance to be featured on our socials!
« Roasted Hot Honey Glazed Carrots
Skillet Green Bean Casserole {No Soup!} »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Hi, I'm Sunena! I am a law student by day, and a homecook with a passion for food, by night! Welcome to my online kitchen, where I make easy, quick recipes that are tried and true family favourites!

  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest

More about me →

Game Day Recipes

  • Spicy Harissa Pepper Hummus {Cava Copycat}
  • Close-up shot of baked antojito pinwheels in a mini skillet.
    Jalapeno Cream Cheese Pinwheels {Montana's Antojito Copycat}
  • Loaded Greek Feta Fries
  • Loaded Air Fryer Chaat Fries
  • Aloo Tikki Chaat
  • Grilled Onion Cheddar Sliders {Chili's Copycat}

Popular Recipes

  • Greek Style Potatoes [Spicy Tomato Sauce!]
  • Easy Creamy Lemon Caper Pasta
  • Yellow Shawarma Rice {Halal Cart Copycat}
  • La Scala Copycat Salami Chopped Salad
  • Red Lobster Copycat Brussel Sprouts {Air Fryer}
  • Roasted Eggplant Dip (No Tahini!)

Footer

↑ back to top

Resources

  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Accessibility Policy

Connect

  • Subscribe
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • Facebook

Contact

  • Contact
  • Collaborate

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2022 The Sassy Foodie