Chinese Eight-Spice Spatchcock Chicken with Honey Garlic Glaze

Name: Chinese Eight-Spice Spatchcock Chicken with Honey Garlic Glaze
Ingredients: 1 whole chicken, 3 to 4 pounds (1.4 to 1.8 kg); ¼ cup (60 ml) Chinese Eight-Spice Powder Rub; 1 tablespoon (18 g) salt; 1 tablespoon (13 g) granulated sugar; 2 tablespoons (28 ml) sesame oil; 1½ cups (355 ml) Honey Garlic Soy Sauce; ¼ cup (4 g) chopped cilantro and (25 g) green onions, for garnish; ¼ cup (4 g) chopped cilantro and (25 g) green onions, for garnish; Apple wood chips (optional); ½ cup (120 ml) apple cider vinegar; ½ cup (120 ml) water

Preparation info

Serves
4 to 6

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Chinese-American Barbecue

By Winnie Yee

Published 2026

About

Whenever I make a whole bird for a casual dinner, I always spatchcock it because it cooks more evenly, faster, and I’m able to season it much more proportionally too.

Ingredients

1 whole chicken, 3 to 4 pounds (1.4 to 1.8 kg)
¼ cup (

Dinner

Method

To prep the chicken, use sharp kitchen shears to cut out the spine. Reserve it for stock for a future recipe.
Turn the chicken flat on its skin and make a small incision at the collarbone; alternatively, you can use force by pressing down on its collarbone to break it. This will flatten the chicken and allow for more even cooking.
In a small bowl, com