I guess I should really call it “Chicken in AND under a skillet”. Two cast iron skillets are ESSENTIAL in making this recipe, one 12 inch and one 10 inch. Hot cast iron gives the spatchcock (I’ll tell you more about that later) chicken a beautifully browned crust and the second heavy cast iron weighs the chicken down so it makes good contact with the pan below.
WATCH THE STEP BY STEP VIDEO!
1: Heat the cast iron skillets on the stove top for 5-7 minutes. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees
2: Spatchcock the chicken (stop laughing) – Remove the back bone with kitchen shears like these in this Amazon affiliate link. 
Press down on the breast bone to flatten the chicken. Rub 1 tablespoon of oil on both sides of the chicken. Season both sides of the chicken with 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper, 1 teaspoon granulated garlic, 1 teaspoon paprika.
3: Place the chicken breast side down in the hot 12 inch cast iron skillet. Place the hot 10
inch skillet on top of the chicken. Place this in the oven and roast at 450 degrees for about 30 minutes. Here’s an Amazon affiliate link for the Lodge cast iron skillets I use.
4: Cook the potatoes in the microwave with 1/2 cup of water for 8 minutes. Turn the potatoes and cook for an additional 6-8 minutes, until they are soft
5: When the chicken is ALMOST done (about 155 degrees) add the asparagus …Here’s an Amazon affiliate link for the digital thermometer I use. You can pre set an alarm for the temperature that you would like to reach. It alerts you when the item you’re cooking comes to that temperature.
Drizzle the asparagus with 1 teaspoon of canola oil and season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and a 1/2 teaspoon of fresh cracked pepper. Add the asparagus to the top (10 inch) skillet and return it to the oven for 10 additional minutes
6: Cook the chicken until it reaches 165-170 degrees in the thigh. Remove from the oven
7. Remove the top skillet and set aside. Remove the chicken from the 12 inch skillet to a cutting board and tent with foil to rest for 10 minutes. Add the steamed potatoes to the 12 inch skillet
With a mug, crush the potatoes into the chicken juices. Season the potatoes with fresh thyme and rosemary. Taste for salt and pepper, add them if necessary
8: Cook the potatoes on the stove top for about 3-5 minutes. Turn the potatoes and cook for another 3 minutes or so
9: Dinner is served
Chicken under a skillet
Ingredients
- 1 whole "fryer" chicken about 4 pounds
- 4 tablespoons of canola or other neutral oil divided
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon granulated or powdered garlic
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 pound of asparagus
- 1 and 3/4 pounds of very small Yukon Gold potatoes
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary chopped
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Heat your oven to 450 degrees
- Spatchcock the chicken-cut out the back bone and push down on the breast bone to flatten the breast
- Rub 1 tablespoon of oil on all sides of the chicken. Combine 3 teaspoons of Kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, granulated garlic and paprika. Rub this seasoning blend on all sides of the chicken
- Heat the two skillets on the stove top for 5-7 minutes on medium-high heat
- Place the chicken skin side down in the 12 inch cast iron skillet
- Place the 10 inch skillet on top of the chicken
- Place the chicken in the oven and roast for 30 minutes or until the chicken reaches 155 degrees
- Prick the potatoes a few times with a fork
- Place the potatoes in a single layer in a microwavable container. Add 1/2 cup of water and microwave for 8 minutes. Turn the potatoes and cook for another 8 minutes
- Toss the asparagus in 1 teaspoon of oil and season with salt and pepper
- Place the asparagus in the 10 inch skillet
- Cook the chicken and asparagus until the chicken has reached 165 degrees and the asparagus is done-about 10 minutes
- Remove the top skillet and set aside
- Remove the chicken from the bottom skillet and place on a cutting board. Tent the chicken with foil and let it rest for 10 minutes
- Add the potatoes to the chicken juices in the 12 inch skillet
- With a mug, crush the potatoes into the chicken juices. Sprinkle the thyme and rosemary on the potatoes. Cook on the stove top for 3 minutes, until the potatoes are brown. Turn the potatoes over and brown on the other side for another 3-4 minutes. Check the potatoes for seasoning, add salt and pepper if necessary
Chicken under a skillet
12 Comments on Chicken under a skillet with asparagus and potatoes
2Pingbacks & Trackbacks on Chicken under a skillet with asparagus and potatoes
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[…] do something similar in my Chicken Under a Skillet Recipe. I just remove the cooked chicken from the cast iron pan and add in some baby potatoes I steamed in […]
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[…] spatchcock (remove the backbone and flatten the breast) the chicken like I did for my Chicken Under A Skillet Recipe . Flattening the chicken like this helps to speed up the cooking […]
Maggie Burris
October 20, 2016 at 4:24 pm (7 years ago)OMG! I love your style of cooking, simplified country cooking. AKA yumalicious!!!
Demetra Overton
October 20, 2016 at 5:05 pm (7 years ago)Thank you so much Maggie! I appreciate your compliments, thanks so much for reading!
Meiko
September 21, 2016 at 4:06 pm (8 years ago)two birds one stone … I like it
Rosie
September 18, 2016 at 7:36 pm (8 years ago)This came out so good! That is a nifty idea to use a heavy skillet to keep the chicken flattened down, and I like the way you smished the potatoes, too. only problem is now I am starving!!!! and want this chicken, potatoes and asparagus!!! Yum!
Mischelle Sandowich
August 2, 2016 at 10:16 pm (8 years ago)What an interesting technique. Thanks for sharing.
Demetra Overton
August 2, 2016 at 10:27 pm (8 years ago)Thanks so much for reading Mischelle. I think it’s a real winner!
Mary Kate
August 2, 2016 at 11:40 am (8 years ago)That’s a gorgeous recipe, but the potatoes look particularly amazing — what a great way to finish them!
Demetra Overton
August 2, 2016 at 1:36 pm (8 years ago)Thanks so much Mary Kate! The potatoes are AMAZING! Finishing them in the chicken juices gives them great color and fantastic flavor.
Tanya Barnett
August 2, 2016 at 12:02 am (8 years ago)This was so unique. I love my cast iron skillet but never knew you could cook like this.
Demetra Overton
August 2, 2016 at 12:14 am (8 years ago)Thanks so much Tanya! I love my cast iron skillets. I use at least one of them 2-3 times a week. I have a lot of fun experimenting with things like this. Thanks so much for reading!