This Lemon Garlic Butter Butterfly Chicken and Veggies recipe is going to knock your socks off – even if you’re wearing shoes! An easy-to-make, full of flavor dish that is guaranteed to become one of your favorite recipes to serve and wow your family with time and again.

It’s Whole30, can be adjusted to fit any diet, and cooks on one sheet pan! Making for easy cleanup. It’s perfect for a weeknight meal and even meal prepping for the week. If you’re looking to make this keto, paleo, or low-carb, simply substitute the potatoes for a lower-carb vegetable, double up on the carrots and brussels sprouts, or omit!

LEMON GARLIC BUTTER BUTTERFLY CHICKEN AND VEGGIES

Perfectly baked chicken and veggies – all on one sheet pan! Learn how to not only butterfly, but also how to make perfectly crisp on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside whole chicken right on your sheet pan! This recipe will win over even the pickiest of eaters. 

If you’re unsure of how to butterfly a chicken – never fear. I have included step-by-step photos and directions below. Or if you’re looking to cut out those steps, most butcher shops or meat counters will butterfly a whole chicken for you. All you need to do is ask!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED:

Full recipe with directions are available in the printable recipe card below. Simply scroll down, but don’t forget to check out the step-by-step photos if you’re wanting to learn how to butterfly your own chicken!

• 1 whole chicken, approximately 4 lbs
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• Unsalted butter
• Olive oil
• Minced garlic
• 1 whole lemon
• Fresh parsley
• Vegetables: 2 large or 3-4 medium carrots, 8 ounces of Brussels sprouts, 1 1/2 lbs of red potatoes

That’s it! Just a short list of ingredients that create a super delicious, wow any picky eater recipe!

BUTTERFLIED CHICKEN

Butterflied chicken, also known as Spatchcocked Chicken, is simply chicken that has had the backbone removed and is cut in a way that allows it to lay flat. Which, in turn, allows the chicken to cook more quickly and evenly.

Whether baked, broiled or grilled, you will have a perfectly cooked chicken in much less time than if the chicken is cooked whole. With whole chicken, you take the risk of having tender, juicy thighs and wings, but overcooked and dry breasts.

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HOW TO BUTTERFLY/SPATCHCOCK CHICKEN:

1. To a cutting board or parchment paper, place the chicken breast-side down with the neck pointed towards you. Use kitchen shears to cut through the ribs alongside each side of the spine. Remove the spin and discard. Open the chicken wide. Using a chef’s knife, slice gently through the sternum.
2. Flip the chicken over so that it is breast-side up. Using the heel of your hand, gently push the chicken down to flatten it. The chicken needs to lay flat to ensure the entire chicken bakes evenly. 
3. Gently separate the skin from the chicken to create a pocket for the lemon garlic butter. If you can separate it from the thigh and drumsticks, do so.
4. In a small mixing bowl, combine the ingredients for the lemon garlic butter. Mix until no chunks of butter remain.
5. Spread approximately 2/3 of the mixture underneath the skin of the chicken, covering as much of the meat as you can. 
6. Spread the remaining mixture over the outside of the chicken.
    
7. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Transfer the chicken to a large prepared sheet pan. While the oven is preheating, prep the veggies. 
8. In a medium sized mixing bowl, add the sliced vegetables and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread the vegetables around the chicken on the sheet pan.
9. Bake, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes – or until an instant read meat thermometer reads 160 degrees F inserted into the thickest part of the breast. 
   Chicken should reach an internal temperature of a minimum of 165 degrees F for safe consumption. Keep in mind, once removed from the oven, the chicken will continue to cook. Thus reaching the needed 165 degrees F. 
10. Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes, as this will help the juices and flavors lock in, as well as for the chicken to continue cooking internally. Before slicing, recheck to make sure the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees F.

TIME TO DEVOUR!

Once ready to serve, I find it easiest to slice the breast of the chicken from the side and straight over, removing as much of the breast as possible. Then remove the wings, thighs and legs. Serve with freshly chopped parsley and a lemon wedge to truly wow your family and friends!

MORE DELICIOUS CHICKEN DISHES TO TRY!

1. Creamy Mushroom and Spinach Chicken
2. Firecracker Chicken
3. Grilled Bruschetta Chicken with Zoodles
4. Mexican Street Corn Chicken Tacos
5. Date Night Chicken Florentine

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Lemon Garlic Butter Butterflied Chicken and Veggies

4.50 from 2 votes

This Lemon Garlic Butter Butterfly Chicken and Veggies recipe is one that will knock your socks off even if you're still wearing shoes! Full of flavor, easy to make, and great for meal prep!

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Course: Do-It-Yourself, How-To, Main Dish, Meal Prep

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Butterflied Chicken, Meal Prep Recipes, Sheet Pan Recipes, Spatchcock Chicken

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 529kcal

Author: Samantha Buckner

Ingredients:

• ▢ 4 pound whole chicken, (patted dry)
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt, (more or less - to taste)
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, (more or less - to taste)

Lemon Garlic Butter:

• ▢ 1/4 cup unsalted butter, (softened at room temperature)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic, (2-3 cloves)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• ▢ 1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley, (or 1 teaspoon dried parsley)
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt, (more or less - to taste)

Vegetables: (see notes below)

• ▢ 2 large carrots, (or 3-4 medium, peeled and sliced in fours)
• ▢ 8 ounces brussels sprouts, (peeled and sliced in half)
• ▢ 1 1/2 pounds red potatoes, (scrubbed and quartered)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ salt and pepper, (to taste)

To Serve:

• ▢ lemon wedges
• ▢ freshly chopped parsley

Instructions:

• To a cutting board or large sheet of parchment paper, place the chicken breast-side down with the neck pointed towards you. I find that it is best to use kitchen shears for this first step. Use the shears to cut through the ribs alongside each side of the spine – from the neck down. Once you have removed the spine, either discard or save to make chicken broth/stock. Open the chicken wide. Using a chef’s knife, slice gently down the sternum. You only want to slice through this and not through the rest of the chicken.
• Flip the chicken over so that it is breast-side up. Using the heel of your hands, gently push the chicken down to flatten it. The chicken needs to lay flat to ensure the entire chicken bakes evenly.

  Season lightly with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Gently separate the skin from the chicken to create a pocket for the Lemon Garlic Butter. If you can separate it from the thigh and drumsticks, do so. If not, that’s ok!
• In a small mixing bowl, combine the softened butter, olive oil, minced garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and parsley. Mix to thoroughly combine until no chunks of butter remain.
• Using a spoon, spread approximately 2/3 of the lemon garlic butter mixture underneath the skin of the chicken, covering as much of the meat as you can. 
• Spread the remaining mixture over the outside of the chicken, covering the entire top. Spread/massage the mixture around with your fingers if need be.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Transfer the chicken to a large prepared sheet pan, lined with parchment paper. While the oven is preheating, prep the potatoes, brussels sprouts and carrots. 
• In a medium sized mixing bowl, add the prepared vegetables and toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper (both to taste). Spread the vegetables around the chicken on the sheet pan.

  SEE NOTES BELOW ON VEGETABLES.
• Bake, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes – or until an instant read meat thermometer reads 160 degrees F. When inserting, make sure that you insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the breast of the chicken to ensure it has cooked through.

  Chicken should reach an internal temperature of a minimum of 165 degrees F for safe consumption. Keep in mind, once removed from the oven, the chicken will continue to cook. Thus reaching the needed 165 degrees F. 
• Allow the chicken to rest for 8-10 minutes, as this will help the juices and flavors lock in, as well as allow time for the chicken to continue cooking internally. Before slicing, insert the meat thermometer once more into the thickest part of the breast to ensure the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees F.
• Serve with a lemon wedge and garnished with freshly chopped parlsey. Salt and pepper, as needed.

Notes:

• Allow the raw chicken to sit out on the counter for 20-30 minutes prior to baking.
• Internal temperature of the thickest part of the chicken should reach 165 degrees F when ready to slice and serve. When you remove it from the oven, it needs to reach a minimum of 160 degrees F. Please allow the chicken to rest on the sheet pan for 8-10 minutes before re-inserting the thermometer. The chicken will continue to cook internally as it sits, raising the temperature 5-10 degrees.

VEGETABLES:

• If you're looking to wash one less dish, you can toss the vegetables in the olive oil, salt and pepper while on the sheet pan. But I prefer to toss to coat in a bowl to ensure I can use only 1 tablespoon of olive oil and that everything gets evenly coated.
• If you do not have a large enough baking sheet or cannot fit everything on one baking sheet, add the chopped vegetables to a separate baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Make sure to check the vegetables at 35 minutes.
• Baking time with the vegetables may vary depending on the size of the slices. Please be sure to check the vegetables at 30-35 minutes for desired doneness. If the vegetables cook faster than the chicken, remove the vegetables from the pan and to a covered dish to keep warm while the chicken continues to bake.

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NUTRITION:

Serving:1serving || Calories:529kcal || Carbohydrates:24g || Protein:31g || Fat:35g || Saturated Fat:12g || Cholesterol:129mg || Sodium:440mg || Potassium:1014mg || Fiber:4g || Sugar:4g || Vitamin A:4734IU || Vitamin C:48mg || Calcium:53mg || Iron:3mg

Disclaimer:The nutritional information provided on each recipe on With Peanut Butter on Top is given as a courtesy and as approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Nutritional information varies per brand/product. We recommend using an app to calculate full and accurate nutrition based on your ingredients used per recipe. Thank you! 🙂