Go Back

Butterflied chicken with butternut squash

his butterflied chicken with butternut squash makes a lovely autumnal Sunday lunch or an easy midweek roast dinner. Spatchcocking the chicken helps it cook more quickly and evenly, reducing the roasting time to around 45 minutes and leaving plenty of time for the seasonal vegetables to roast alongside it. Butternut squash, red pepper and onion become beautifully tender and caramelised, while cinnamon or mixed spice adds a warming autumn fragrance. A little maple syrup brushed over the chicken and squash towards the end of cooking gives them a delicious golden glaze. Serve with the roasting juices made into a simple gravy and your favourite vegetable sides.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 4
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: British
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 medium whole chicken
  • 1 large onion
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon or mixed spice
  • 1 tsp olive oil plus a little extra for the vegetables
  • ½ butternut squash
  • 1 red pepper
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan).
  2. Spatchcock the chicken. Place it breast-side down on a chopping board and use sturdy kitchen scissors to cut along both sides of the backbone. Remove the backbone, turn the chicken over and press firmly on the breastbone to flatten it.
  3. Mix the olive oil with half of the cinnamon or mixed spice. Rub this mixture all over the chicken, then season with salt and pepper.
  4. Place the chicken in a large roasting tray and roast for 10 minutes, until the skin starts to brown.
  5. Meanwhile, cut the onion into four wedges, the butternut squash into wedges (there is no need to peel it if the skin is tender), and the red pepper into large chunks.
  6. Remove the tray from the oven and reduce the temperature to 180°C. Arrange the vegetables around the chicken. Sprinkle with the remaining spice, drizzle with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Notes

Cooking time will depend on the size of the chicken. The thermometer check is the most reliable way to ensure it is safely cooked; if it has not reached 75°C in the thickest part of the thigh, return it to the oven and check again after a few minutes.