Ginger & Lime Spatchcock Chicken

Do you ever get crispy chicken cravings? I do! There’s nothing more comforting than a good crispy roast chicken and this one, flavoured with ginger and lime, promises not to disappoint.

I love to spatchcock a chicken as it speeds up the cooking time and also makes it look super pretty on the dinner table. Don’t be put off thinking it’s hard to do, it’s actually really easy. Simply chop out the backbone and flatten. Job done! Keep the backbone though and use it to make nourishing keto broth.

This Low-carb Ginger and Lime Chicken keeps really well in the fridge so you can use throughout the week for salads, soups and easy lunches.

Recipe Tips

We made our spatchcock chicken with root vegetables (celeriac, carrot, onion and lime/lemon for flavor). At 10 to 15 grams of net carbs (depending on the portion of vegetables), this option may be too high in carbs for some people. Here at KetoDiet we generally recommend using root vegetables for weight maintenance or healthy weight gain rather than weight loss.

Here are some lower carb options you can use instead:

• turnips and/or rutabaga (swede)
• radishes
• zucchini (courgette)
• eggplant (aubergine)
• cauliflower
• broccoli

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Step-by-step

1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C/ 400 °F (fan assisted), or 220 °C/ 425 °F (conventional). Prepare the chicken. A 1.3 kg/ 2.2 lb bird will yield about 60% meat & skin.

2. Spatchcock the chicken by placing the chicken breast side down with the legs towards you. Using a good pair of scissors, cut out the backbone. Open the chicken, turn over and flatten with the palm of your hands.
   Note: Reserve the backbone for making chicken soup or chicken stock.

   

3. Mix the olive oil, ginger, garlic, parsley, lime juice, coconut aminos (or tamari sauce) and a good pinch of salt and pepper together in a small bowl. (Reserve a little fresh parsley to sprinkle on top if you prefer before serving)

   

4. Put your fingers up the inside of the skin in between the meat to loosen it. Stuff with the marinade and over the skin of the chicken. The more you put inside the better.
   Note: To avoid any burnt pieces of aromatics, you can simply brush the outside with some oil and only use the herbs and ginger inside.

   

5. If you're using the root vegetables: Peel and chop the celeriac and carrot into about 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks. Peel the onion and cut into small wedges. Place in a deep baking tray. Lay the chicken on top, breast side up. Optionally, add halved lime or lemon for flavor (lemon is better as lime tends to add bitterness).
   Note: Please see recipe tips for lower carb options.

6. Roast for approximately 45 minutes (uncovered) until the skin is crisp on top and the meat is cooked through. You may want to drain the juices (keep them and use as the base of the gravy or drizzle on top before serving to enable the vegetables to crisp up a bit more. Cooking times vary depending on the size of the bird.

   

7. Once cooked, remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Pull off the meat, sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve with drizzle of the jus.
   Note: I like to add the bones to stock and use them again for more stock or bone broth. You can simply place them in the freezer in a bag until you have enough to make stock.

   

Recipe

Ginger & Lime Spatchcock Chicken

★★★★★5.0 (7 ratings)

There’s nothing more comforting than a good crispy roast chicken! This low-carb ginger & lime spatchcock ...

Hands on

15m

Overall

1h

Servings

4

2 g

Net carbs

36.5 g

Protein

44 g

Fat

548

kcal

1 serving2 servings3 servings4 servings5 servings6 servings7 servings8 servings9 servings10 servings11 servings12 servings16 servings

US + metricMetricUS

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Ingredients makes 4 servings

• 1 organic chicken (1.3 kg/ 2.2 lb bird, will yield about 60% meat & skin)
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil or melted butter (60 ml)
• 2 tbsp fresh grated ginger (12 g/ 0.4 oz)
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• juice of 1 small lime (45 ml)
• 1 tbsp coconut aminos or tamari sauce (15 ml)
• 2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
• ¹/₂ tsp sea salt, or to taste
• ¹/₄ tsp cracked black pepper, or to taste
• Optional to serve: celeriac and carrots cut into chunks, onion cut into small wedges, plus halved lime or lemon for flavor

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C/ 400 °F (fan assisted), or 220 °C/ 425 °F (conventional). Prepare the chicken. A 1.3 kg/ 2.2 lb bird will yield about 60% meat & skin.

2. Spatchcock the chicken by placing the chicken breast side down with the legs towards you. Using a good pair of scissors, cut out the backbone. Open the chicken, turn over and flatten with the palm of your hands.
   Note: Reserve the backbone for making chicken soup or chicken stock.

3. Mix the olive oil, ginger, garlic, parsley, lime juice, coconut aminos (or tamari sauce) and a good pinch of salt and pepper together in a small bowl. (Reserve a little fresh parsley to sprinkle on top if you prefer before serving)

4. Put your fingers up the inside of the skin in between the meat to loosen it. Stuff with the marinade and over the skin of the chicken. The more you put inside the better.
   Note: To avoid any burnt pieces of aromatics, you can simply brush the outside with some oil and only use the herbs and ginger inside.

5. If you're using the root vegetables: Peel and chop the celeriac and carrot into about 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks. Peel the onion and cut into small wedges. Place in a deep baking tray. Lay the chicken on top, breast side up. Optionally, add halved lime or lemon for flavor (lemon is better as lime tends to add bitterness).
   Note: Please see recipe tips for lower carb options.

6. Roast for approximately 45 minutes (uncovered) until the skin is crisp on top and the meat is cooked through. You may want to drain the juices (keep them and use as the base of the gravy or drizzle on top before serving to enable the vegetables to crisp up a bit more. Cooking times vary depending on the size of the bird.

7. Once cooked, remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Pull off the meat, sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve with drizzle of the jus.
   Note: I like to add the bones to stock and use them again for more stock or bone broth. You can simply place them in the freezer in a bag until you have enough to make stock.

Nutrition per serving, ¼ chicken with no sides

Carbs 1%Protein 27%Fat 72% of calories

Net carbs

2 g

Total carbs

2.2 g

Fiber

0.2 g

Sugars

0.2 g

Protein

36.5 g

Fat

44 g

Saturated fat

10.3 g

Calories

548 kcal

Sodium

455 mg · 19.8% RDA

Magnesium

43 mg · 10.6% RDA

Potassium

410 mg · 20.5% EMR

Nutrition by ingredient

Per 1/4 chicken with no sides	Net carbs	Protein	Fat	kcal
Chicken, whole, raw	0 g	36.3 g	30.4 g	419
Olive oil, extra virgin	0 g	0 g	13.5 g	119
Ginger root, fresh	0.5 g	0.1 g	0 g	2
Garlic, fresh	0.5 g	0.1 g	0 g	2
Lime juice, fresh	0.7 g	0 g	0 g	2
Coconut aminos (substitute to soy sauce)	0.3 g	0 g	0 g	1
Parsley, fresh (spices)	0.1 g	0.1 g	0 g	1
Salt, sea salt	0 g	0 g	0 g	0
Pepper, black, spices	0.1 g	0 g	0 g	0
Total	2 g	36.5 g	44 g	548

Serving size 1/4 chicken with no sides

• Gluten free
• Dairy free
• Egg free
• Nut free
• Nightshade free
• Pork free
• Avocado free
• Coconut free
• Fish free
• Shellfish free
• Beef free