A wide red Le Creuset casserole pan filled with baked rice and caramelised onion wedges with a golden, slightly charred crust around the edges, sitting on a gas stovetop. In the background, a carved spatchcock roast chicken rests on a wooden chopping board, its skin dark and herb-crusted.

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Spatchcock Roast Chicken with Caramelised Onion Rice

Name: Spatchcock Roast Chicken with Caramelised Onion Rice
Total time: 90 min
Ingredients: 1 whole chicken (approx. 1.8kg), spatchcocked; 2 tbsp olive oil; 2 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp ground coriander; 1 tsp smoked paprika; 1 tsp turmeric; 4 garlic cloves, minced; Salt and black pepper to taste; 3 large onions, roughly sliced into wedges; 2 tbsp butter; 300g basmati or long-grain white rice, rinsed; 600ml chicken stock (hot); 1 tsp ground cumin (for rice); 1 tsp ground coriander (for rice); Salt to taste

90 min 620 kcal from Nick · 7 August 2026

Nick’s sharing a proper crowd-pleaser from the family kitchen — a golden spatchcock chicken served alongside a deeply savoury baked rice loaded with sweet caramelised onions. The kind of Sunday cook that fills the whole house with incredible smells.

Ingredients

1 whole chicken (approx. 1.8kg), spatchcocked
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp turmeric
4 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and black pepper to taste
3 large onions, roughly sliced into wedges
2 tbsp butter
300g basmati or long-grain white rice, rinsed
600ml chicken stock (hot)
1 tsp ground cumin (for rice)
1 tsp ground coriander (for rice)
Salt to taste

Method

Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan / gas mark 6).
Mix the olive oil, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, turmeric, garlic, salt, and pepper into a paste. Rub generously all over the spatchcocked chicken, getting under the skin where possible. Set aside to marinate for at least 20 minutes.
In a large oven-safe skillet or wide Le Creuset casserole dish, melt the butter over a medium heat on the hob. Add the onion wedges and cook slowly for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until deeply golden and caramelised.
Add the rinsed rice to the pan with the onions and stir to coat in the butter and onion juices. Toast for 1–2 minutes.
Pour in the hot chicken stock, add the cumin and coriander for the rice, and season with salt. Stir once to combine, then remove from the heat.
Place the spatchcocked chicken directly on top of the rice mixture in the pan, skin-side up. Transfer to the oven and roast uncovered for 45–50 minutes, until the chicken skin is deeply golden and the juices run clear (internal temperature 75°C at the thickest part of the thigh).
Remove the chicken from the pan and rest it on a wooden board for 10 minutes before carving into pieces.
Check the rice — it should have absorbed all the stock and developed a lightly crispy bottom crust. If needed, return the rice (without the chicken) to the oven for a further 5 minutes to crisp up.
Serve the carved chicken pieces alongside generous scoops of the caramelised onion rice, making sure everyone gets some of the golden crust from the bottom of the pan.