Louisiana Spatchcocked Chicken | An Easy, Clean Dinner

Chicken is a blessing in disguise, our divine vehicle of choice for enjoying what's great about life: Eating. Enjoyed in many forms, from fried to grilled to bland and delicious, today we're going to share one of the easiest, flavor-rich and customizable recipes we can offer.

Hot Louisiana Spatchcocked Chicken is a favorite at Simple Girl. Using Simple Girl's Gluten- and Sugar-Free Sweet & Hot Louisiana Seasoning as a cornerstone, we'll walk you step-by-step through this seemingly overwhelming process. Spoiler alert: Spatcocking a chicken isn't difficult. Spatchcocking a chicken well is.

Why Chicken? Chicken's the perfect base for a healthy meal. According to The Health Site and other sources, chicken not only builds muscles, it can relieve stress, boost your immunity, and promote cardiovascular health. Chicken has the vitamins and minerals you need and is low in fat, making it one of the most versatile healthy choices out there. Better yet, when you combine poultry with our healthy, low-fat low-sugar no-MSG spices and sauces, you can make an enjoy a no-guilt masterpiece.

Supplies List:

• One whole 4-6 pound chicken

• Extra-virgin olive oil

• Sweet & Hot Louisiana Seasoning

• Sea Salt

• Various veggies (onions, shallots, etc.), 2 lemons, butter

• Cast iron skillet

Before you start: We want to encourage you to go outside our recipe. As you'll soon find out, this recipe allows for a lot of flexibility when it comes to extra flourishes and sides (like the fried veggies). Keep an open mind!

1. Prepping the Bird: Let your chicken thaw out to near-room temperature. There's no need for perfection here -- we just want to make sure it's flexible enough to cut through and thawed enough to ensure a smooth bake. Rinse out your chicken and pad dry. Preheat your oven to 400-425 degrees. You're spatchcocking (or butterflying) this bird. To do this, take kitchen shears and cut along its backbone. Turn the bird around and repeat the process. Discard (or save the bone for stock) giblets and other waste.

Next, you want to press the chicken so it spreads or "flattens," giving it a smoother cook. You may want to maneuver or pin the wings in place. This is easiest to do on a cutting board. Rub the chicken inside and out with a thin layer of extra-virgin olive oil. Next, rub in sea salt. Now apply a generous amount of Sweet & Hot Louisiana Seasoning over the bird.

2. Veggies: This is the best part of a sweet and tangy bake. Cut a few vegetables to fill the rest of your skillet. Don't throw them in yet! Just cut. We recommend carrots, shallots, onions, and even mushrooms. They'll eventually fry alongside the bird and provide a nice side dish.

3. Searing: We highly recommend using a cast iron skillet because of the one-size-cooks-all bonus. Heat your skillet with a thin layer of oil on top. Our goal is to sear the chicken for 3-5 minutes one the top side first, flip it, sear the other side, and slide it into the oven for the actual baking. Be very careful when you do this! Use protective gloves and a long spoon or spatula to carefully flip the chicken.

4. Extras: Once you flip the bird, feel free to generously dump the veggies into your skillet. It helps to add a few thin slices of butter and some more salt with it. You may also want to squeeze some lemon (or let it cook with the vegetables) to set off that sweet and hot Louisiana taste with a zing! Once you're satisfied with your prep, go ahead and put the bird in the oven for 40-60 minutes.

5. Baking: It takes a 4-6 pound bird about an hour to cook to a 165-degree temperature. Check your bird after 35 minutes just in case and every 10 minutes afterward with a meat thermometer. Once it's consistently 165-plus, pull it out (carefully!) and let it rest (in the skillet) for several minutes. We're talking 15 minutes or so to seal in the juices. Once it's cool enough to handle, move the bird onto a clean cutting board and start carving! You can also run a small flame under the cast iron skillet to keep frying the vegetables depending on how crispy you want them.

6. Serve and Enjoy: And...you're done! Our Sweet & Hot Louisiana Seasoning will give your bird that crave-satisfying taste without the salty, sugary overload of most seasonings.