Spatchcock Roasted Chicken with Colombian Ají

SPATCHCOCK CHICKEN WITH COLOMBIAN AJÍ😍

There’s little more comforting than a roasted chicken with potatoes for Sunday dinner. A delicious dinner AND leftovers all week? Truly no better way to start the week. This recipe gets a very welcomed lift from Colombian Ají, a flavor bomb of a sauce with avocado, cilantro, tomato, onion, and all the good things - you’ll want to top it on EVERYTHING. If you followed along my Spain adventures, you’ll know it’s my dad’s Colombian girlfriend that taught me how to make this, and you’ll also probably know how obsessed I became with it. Spatchcocking the chicken allows it to cook faster (legit only 45 min) and ensures the thighs and breast all cook evenly - no dry white meat or underdone thighs here. Have I convinced you to make this yet? Grab all the best tricks and tips below! 

What is a Spatchcock Chicken?

• Spatchcocking just means cutting out the back bone of a whole chicken, then flattening the breast plate. You can either do this with heavy duty kitchen shears (like the ones I have here), or just ask your butcher to do it for you.

• Since the breast and the thighs are even, it allows for more even cooking. Hooray for juicy white meat AND tender, perfectly cooked thighs. No dry white meat here.

• Flattening the chicken also allows it to cook MUCH faster, uncommon for a roast chicken.

What is Colombian Ají?

• In Spanish, ají just means chili pepper. There’s multiple variations of ají in South America, and they’re a great way to add some flavor zing to your dishes.

• The spice comes from whatever hot sauce you can get your hands on (Cholula is my preference), and can be adjusted to your taste.

• This recipe will make about 8-10 servings, so more than you need for this particular recipe, but it truly is great on everything! I love it on my eggs in the morning, on tostones, even on roasted veggies!

Serves 4-6.

Ingredients:

For the Roasted Spatchcock Chicken:

• 1 Whole Chicken - about 4 lbs (I like young, organic chickens for best flavor)

• ¼ cup olive oil + 2 tbsps

• 1 tbsp white vinegar

• 4 grated garlic cloves (you don’t want large chunks of garlic because they can burn)

• 2 tsps dried oregano

• 2 tsps paprika

• 2 tsps ground cumin

• ½ tsp spicy smoked paprika (or equal parts smoked paprika and cayenne)

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 5-6 yukon gold potatoes

Serves 8-10.

For the Colombian Ají:

• 3 roma tomatoes, diced

• 3 avocados, diced

• 1 small onion, chopped

• 2 green onions chopped, white and green parts

• ¾ cup chopped cilantro

• 3 lemons (¼ cup lemon juice)

• 2 hard boiled eggs, diced

• 2-4 tbsps hot sauce

• ¼ cup olive oil

• 1 cup water

• Salt to taste

Directions:

For the Spatchcock Roasted Chicken:

• If you are spatchcocking your own chicken, place the chicken on a cutting board breast side down. Use heavy duty kitchen shears (like these) to cut along both sides of the backbone. Remove the backbone and reserve for stock (it freezes well in a ziplock).

• Flip the chicken over and press firmly on the breast bone with your palms until you hear a crack and the chicken is as flat as possible.

• Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season all over with salt and pepper.

• In a small bowl, mix ¼ cup olive oil, vinegar, garlic, oregano, cumin, paprika, and smoked paprika.

• Pour the marinade over the chicken and use your hands to ensure the marinade evenly coats the whole chicken.

• If you have time, let the chicken marinate for 2 hours or up to overnight. Just be sure to remove the chicken from the fridge at least 30 minutes prior to cooking to allow it to come to room temperature. If you’re in a pinch, marinating the chicken while the oven preheats will do.

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

• Place the chicken in an oven safe skillet or baking dish (I used my cast iron found here).

• Add the potatoes, 2 tbsps olive oil, and a pinch of salt to aluminum foil and wrap it up.

• Place next to the chicken in the oven and bake both the chicken and potatoes on the lowest rack for 35-45 minutes depending on the size of your chicken.

• To make the Colombian Ají, add the chopped tomatoes, onion, green onion, avocado, cilantro, hard boiled egg, lemon juice, olive oil, hot sauce, and water. Mix all together, season with salt, then taste and adjust seasonings.

• Store in an air tight container in the fridge (it should keep 5-7 days).

• Serve the chicken with the potatoes and top with the ají. Make sure to drizzle the juices from the chicken over the chicken and potatoes as well. Enjoy!

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