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This recipe makes enough chicken for four satisfying and filling meals for the week. Get all of the recipes and read more in Two Chickens, Four(ish) Meals.
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RECIPE: Two Roast Chickens
- Yield: Serves 4
Description
Amazing smells fill the house — like a special occasion or holiday, but it’s just your weekly meal prep. Roasting chickens is a simple task that results in delicious, juicy meals when done right.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- Kosher salt
- 2 whole chickens, 3-5 lbs each
- 1 lemon, halved
- 1 lb small potatoes, halved
- 1 lb carrots, cut into rounds
- 1 large onion, coarsely chopped in large pieces
- 2 Tbsps olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup chicken stock or water (for pan sauce)
- 3 sprigs fresh herbs such as thyme and rosemary
Instructions
- Plan ahead and salt the chickens heavily the day before cooking. Refrigerate them uncovered on a wire rack set on a sheet pan.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F with the rack in the bottom third of the oven.
- Remove the chickens from the fridge and place them in a large roasting pan with space for both. Add a half of a lemon inside of each chicken. Add the potatoes, carrots, and onion around the chickens, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
- Roast for 15 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350°F. After another 15 minutes, rotate the roasting pan 180 degrees to promote even cooking.
- Remove from the oven when the internal temperature of the breasts reaches 155°F and thighs reach 165°F, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours total.
- Let the chickens rest uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes before carving. Remove the vegetables from the pan.
- Make the pan sauce by adding stock or water to the roasting pan along with sprigs of fresh herbs. Simmer over medium heat, scraping up browned bits from the bottom. Simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
Notes
- Crispy skin tip: Make sure the skin is very dry before roasting. The high initial temperature helps achieve crispy skin.
- Vegetable success: Keep an eye on the vegetables after 30 minutes to prevent burning. Stir them and add chicken stock to coat the bottom of the pan if they start to darken too quickly.
- Temperature matters: Pull the chickens out at the target temperature rather than overcooking. The internal temperature will continue to rise 5 to 10°F during resting (carryover cooking). A probe thermometer takes the guesswork out of perfectly cooked chicken.
- Don’t skip the rest: Resting allows juices to redistribute throughout the meat for maximum juiciness. A longer rest is even better.
- Save those bones: Don’t discard the bones — they make an excellent stock that is ready in under 1 hour in a pressure cooker.
- Easier cleanup: Remove the meat from the bones while the chickens are still warm — it’s much easier than when cold.
