Crispy spatchcock chicken roasted with the double skillet method, served over cannellini beans with fennel and braised rainbow chard. A simple spring chicken recipe packed with flavor.

The Story Behind This Dish

There are certain dishes that stick with you, not because they’re complicated, but because they just hit.

For me, that was chicken with greens.

Working at Palace Kitchen in Seattle, I made more chicken dishes than I can count. We cooked them over wood fire, spinning slowly on a rotisserie, the skin rendering down and crisping in a way that felt almost unfair. Underneath, there was always something simple. Beans, greens, something that soaked up all that flavor.

This version is my way of bringing that same feeling home.

No rotisserie. No wood fire. Just a skillet, a trick I learned from chef Sean Brock, and a method that gives you that same crispy skin with way less effort.

And honestly, this might be one of the most reliable chicken dinners you can make.

The best way to get crispy chicken skin in the oven is by using the double skillet method, which presses the chicken flat while it roasts.

Why This Chicken Works

Most home cooked chicken fails in one place. The skin.

It’s either rubbery or unevenly cooked. This fixes that.

Spatchcocking flattens the bird so it cooks evenly
The double skillet method presses the skin directly into heat
You get full contact, which means real crispiness
Finishing in the oven locks in juiciness

You’re basically forcing restaurant level texture out of a home setup.

Ingredients

Chicken

1 whole chicken, spatchcocked
10 g kosher salt (2 tsp)
5 g black pepper (1 tsp)
15 g olive oil (1 tbsp)
5 g paprika (1 tsp)

Cannellini Beans

240 g cooked cannellini beans (1½ cups)
120 g fennel, diced (1 cup)
75 g Portuguese sausage, diced (½ cup)
2 cloves garlic
120 ml chicken broth (½ cup)
Zest of 1 orange
15 g butter or olive oil (1 tbsp)
Salt and black pepper to taste

Braised Greens

120 g rainbow chard (about 4 cups chopped)
2 cloves garlic, smashed
30 ml olive oil (2 tbsp)
4 g chili flakes (½ tbsp)
120–240 ml chicken broth (½–1 cup)
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and black pepper to taste

How to Make Crispy Spatchcock Chicken

1. Preheat oven to 400°F

2. Season chicken with salt, pepper, paprika, and olive oil

3. Heat cast iron skillet over medium heat

4. Place chicken skin side down

5. Set a wire rack on top, then weigh it down with another skillet

6. Transfer to oven and cook until internal temp hits 165°F

7. Remove weight, flip chicken, and roast briefly to finish crisping

The key is pressure. That’s what gives you that aggressive, even browning.

Building the Cannellini Beans

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat

2. Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant

3. Add diced fennel, season with salt and pepper, and sweat

4. Add Portuguese sausage and cook until slightly charred

5. Add cannellini beans and chicken broth

6. Add orange zest

7. Reduce until thick and glossy

8. Finish with butter or olive oil

This is where the dish gets its depth. Sweet fennel, fatty sausage, bright citrus.

Braised Spring Greens

1. Heat olive oil in a pot

2. Add smashed garlic and chili flakes

3. Add chopped chard

4. Season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice

5. Add chicken broth

6. Cover and cook until tender

You want them soft but still vibrant. Not dead.

Plating

1. Spoon beans onto the plate

2. Add braised greens on top

3. Place crispy chicken over everything

4. Finish with fennel fronds and olive oil

Final Thoughts

This is one of those dishes that feels like you know what you’re doing, even if you don’t.

It’s simple, but every part pulls its weight.

Crispy skin. Creamy beans. Bright greens.

And once you understand the double skillet method, you’re not going back.