Pollo al mattone or chicken under a brick is an Italian method for making a roasted or grilled chicken that has the crispiest skin ever, and cooks very fast! My Chicken Under a Brick Recipe for Two uses the thigh and leg piece yielding just two servings. Olive oil, garlic, lemon, and crushed red pepper impart beautiful flavor to the chicken.
The technique of cooking chicken weighted between a hot pan and a brick originated in Tuscany as pollo al mattone and has since become popular in many other countries. In the United States, it is often referred to as brick chicken. I have been using this technique for 20 years. We love the flavor and the crispy skin.
I have another version of this dish on my blog, Meyer Lemon Chicken Under a Brick, that utilizes a whole spatchcocked chicken. I cook for two now, and a whole roast chicken is rarely needed. I bought a whole chicken for this recipe and from that one chicken, I made this dish, poached two chicken breasts for salads, and made 6 pints of chicken stock! The total cost for the chicken was $7.03 making this very budget-friendly.
MARY'S TWO CENTS
This chicken under a brick recipe falls into the frugal category but just barely due to the fact that I only buy air chilled chicken. If you purchase regular chicken, the recipe can be made for less than $4.00 per serving. Please note that the cost of a brick or two is not incuded in the rating!
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INGREDIENTS
INGREDIENT NOTES
- Chicken - I use the thigh meat with the thigh bone and leg bone intact. It is a perfect serving size for two.
- Lemons - I love using Meyer lemons for this dish when available. I have used tangy lemons like Eureka lemons as well.
- Garlic - I buy a big bulb of garlic with large cloves and thinly slice them for this recipe.
For the full recipe with quantities, see the recipe card at the end of the post.
STEP-BY-STEP PHOTO INSTRUCTIONS
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
Add the olive oil, butter, and lemon juice to a heavy skillet with deep sides.
Place chicken skin side down in the pan. It can be touching but not overlapping.
Place brick wrapped in foil over the top of chicken over medium-high heat.
Add garlic and lemon wedges. Reduce to medium heat and cook until the skin is golden brown. Check after 6-8 minutes. Flip the chicken over and cover the skin side with the brick.
Cook until the instant-read thermometer reads 160 degrees when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh. Serve in the pan with the garlic, lemon wedges, and juices poured over the chicken.
EQUIPMENT
- Cutting Board
- Boning knife or poultry shears
- Paper towels
- Medium cast-iron skillet or cast iron skillet, oven-proof skillet, Dutch oven, braiser pan,
- Instant read thermometer
- Heavy bricks
- Aluminum foil
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Equipment
- Cutting Board
- Boning knife or poultry shears
- Paper towels
- Medium cast-iron skillet or cast iron skillet, oven-proof skillet, Dutch oven, braiser pan,
- Instant read thermometer
- Heavy bricks
- Aluminum foil
Ingredients
- cooking spray
- 2 chicken thighs with drumsticks attached or 4 chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter melted
- lemon juice from one lemon
- lemon zest from one lemon
- lemon wedges from ½ lemon
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- 1 clove garlic sliced
Instructions
- Thoroughly clean a new brick, wrap it tightly in aluminum foil and lightly spray one side with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
- Add the olive oil, butter, and lemon juice to a heavy skillet with deep sides.
- Place brick wrapped in foil over the top of the chicken over medium-high heat.
- Add garlic and lemon wedges. Reduce to medium heat and cook until the skin is golden brown. Check after 6-8 minutes.
- Flip the chicken over and cover the skin side with the brick for approximately 30-35 minutes.
- Cook until the instant-read thermometer reads 165 degrees when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh.
- Serve in the pan with the garlic, lemon wedges, and juices poured over the chicken.
Emily says
We really enjoyed this recipe! It was so easy to follow!
Dee says
Chicken under a brick is one of my favorite dishes to make! I never I have a brick available so I just use a couple of cast iron skillets. Works like a charm!
Nora says
Delicious and easy to make! A perfect combination! Thanks for this yummy recipe!
Andréa Janssen says
This is something I'm going to try soon. I've heard so much about the great results, so it's definitely a must-try!