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Weeknight Roast Chicken
Recipe
1 hr 40 min

Butterflied Chicken with Garlic Smashed Potatoes

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Butterflied Chicken with Garlic Smashed Potatoes
Author: Morgan Bolling

Recipe By Morgan Bolling

Published on August 27, 2026

Could we infuse smashed potatoes with savory chicken drippings? Only one way to find out.

Time

1 hr 40 min

Yield

Serves 4

Why This Recipe Works

To infuse smashed potatoes with savory chicken drippings, we butterfly a chicken and roast it on top of a bed of potatoes. Yukon Gold potatoes turn into a silky, supple mash with a potato masher. To prevent browning the potatoes in the oven, we add some water to the pan and slice them rather than cut them into chunks. A half-cup of half-and-half gives extra creaminess. And a vibrant parsley sauce with capers and lemon juice rounds out the dish with a fresh element.

Ingredients

Chicken and Potatoes

1 (4- to 4 ½-pound) whole chicken, giblets discarded
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and pepper
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced ¼ inch thick
1 ¾ cups water
6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
½ cup half-and-half
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

Parsley Sauce

½ cup minced fresh parsley
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons capers, minced
1 small shallot, minced
1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
Kosher salt and pepper

Instructions

Cook along with these step-by-step instructions

step 1 imagestep 2 imagestep 3 imagestep 4 image

    CHICKEN AND POTATOES

  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Place chicken breast side down on cutting board. Using kitchen shears, cut through bones on either side of backbone; discard backbone. Flip chicken over and press on breastbone to flatten. Tuck wingtips behind back. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Rub skin side of chicken with oil and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
    Recipe Tip
    You can save and freeze the chicken backbone in a zipper-lock bag to make stock; it has lots of flavor and collagen.
  2. Combine potatoes, water, garlic, 1¼ teaspoons salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in 12-inch ovensafe skillet. Place chicken breast side up on top of potato mixture. Bring potato mixture to boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, transfer skillet to oven and roast until breast registers 160 degrees and thighs register 175 degrees, 50 minutes to 1 hour 5 minutes, rotating skillet halfway through roasting.
    Recipe Tip
    At this point you want the potatoes almost completely submerged in the water for even cooking.
  3. Return skillet to stovetop. Transfer chicken to carving board and let rest for 15 minutes. Bring potato mixture to simmer over medium-high heat (skillet handle will be hot). Cook until potatoes are fully tender and all liquid has evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes.
    Recipe Tip
    Make sure to cook off the liquid after removing the chicken from the pan or your potatoes will be watery.
  4. Off heat, use potato masher to coarsely smash potatoes, leaving some chunks intact. Stir in half-and-half and chives. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Carve chicken and serve with potatoes and parsley sauce.
    Recipe Tip
    These are smashed, not mashed, potatoes—don’t feel like you have to eliminate every last lump.

    5. PARSLEY SAUCE

  5. While the chicken is roasting, combine parsley, oil, capers, shallot, and lemon juice in bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside.
    Recipe Tip
    Make sure to wash your parsley well to avoid getting any grit in your sauce. Submerge it in water, swishing to remove soil and sand, then thoroughly spin it dry in a salad spinner (or pat dry with a clean kitchen towel). Don’t rinse your capers for this recipe; the salty brine acts as seasoning for the sauce.

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Butterflied Chicken with Garlic Smashed Potatoes

Recipe By Morgan Bolling

Published on August 27, 2026

Time

1 hr 40 min

Yield

Serves 4

Butterflied Chicken with Garlic Smashed Potatoes

Ingredients

Chicken and Potatoes

1 (4- to 4 ½-pound) whole chicken, giblets discarded1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oilKosher salt and pepper2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced ¼ inch thick1 ¾ cups water6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed½ cup half-and-half2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

Parsley Sauce

½ cup minced fresh parsley6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil2 tablespoons capers, minced1 small shallot, minced1 ½ tablespoons lemon juiceKosher salt and pepper

Instructions

    CHICKEN AND POTATOES

  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Place chicken breast side down on cutting board. Using kitchen shears, cut through bones on either side of backbone; discard backbone. Flip chicken over and press on breastbone to flatten. Tuck wingtips behind back. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Rub skin side of chicken with oil and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
    Recipe Tip
    You can save and freeze the chicken backbone in a zipper-lock bag to make stock; it has lots of flavor and collagen.
  2. Combine potatoes, water, garlic, 1¼ teaspoons salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in 12-inch ovensafe skillet. Place chicken breast side up on top of potato mixture. Bring potato mixture to boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, transfer skillet to oven and roast until breast registers 160 degrees and thighs register 175 degrees, 50 minutes to 1 hour 5 minutes, rotating skillet halfway through roasting.
    Recipe Tip
    At this point you want the potatoes almost completely submerged in the water for even cooking.
  3. Return skillet to stovetop. Transfer chicken to carving board and let rest for 15 minutes. Bring potato mixture to simmer over medium-high heat (skillet handle will be hot). Cook until potatoes are fully tender and all liquid has evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes.
    Recipe Tip
    Make sure to cook off the liquid after removing the chicken from the pan or your potatoes will be watery.
  4. Off heat, use potato masher to coarsely smash potatoes, leaving some chunks intact. Stir in half-and-half and chives. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Carve chicken and serve with potatoes and parsley sauce.
    Recipe Tip
    These are smashed, not mashed, potatoes—don’t feel like you have to eliminate every last lump.

    5. PARSLEY SAUCE

  5. While the chicken is roasting, combine parsley, oil, capers, shallot, and lemon juice in bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside.
    Recipe Tip
    Make sure to wash your parsley well to avoid getting any grit in your sauce. Submerge it in water, swishing to remove soil and sand, then thoroughly spin it dry in a salad spinner (or pat dry with a clean kitchen towel). Don’t rinse your capers for this recipe; the salty brine acts as seasoning for the sauce.
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