Good cooks know that if you’re going to roast one chicken, you might as well roast two, and here’s the recipe to do it.

Published on December 14, 2020

Hands On Time:

20 mins

Total Time:

2 hrs

Yield:

2 chickens

Alongside classic roasting techniques to keep in your back pocket, you’ll make a lemon-coriander oil. It brings bright, spiced flavor and ensures extra juicy meat, which plays well with nearly any side. The key to maximizing the oil’s benefits is rubbing the mixture both under the skin as well as all overtop. Finally, you’ll stuff lemon and onion into the birds’ cavities to perfume the birds as they roast. Roasting chicken on a wire rack allows for the heat to circulate evenly, yielding even cooking throughout (and crispy skin!).

Shopping tip: Pick two, equal-sized birds so they cook evenly and at the same rate.

Ingredients

2 lemons
.33333333 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon ground coriander
2 cloves garlic, grated
freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
2 3½-to-4 pound chickens, giblets and neck removed
1 small yellow onion, halved

Directions

Preheat oven to 450°F. Grate lemon zest into a small bowl; cut 1 lemon in half. Reserve remaining lemon for serving or another use. Add oil, coriander, garlic, several grinds of pepper, and 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon salt to zest in bowl; whisk to combine.
Place chickens, breast side up, on a rimmed baking sheet fitted with a wire rack. Pat dry with paper towels. Using your fingertips, loosen skin from breasts, being careful not to tear. Season cavities evenly with several grinds of pepper and remaining ½ teaspoon salt.
Rub lemon-coriander oil all over chickens, including under loosened skin. Stuff each cavity with 1 lemon half and 1 onion half. Tie legs together with kitchen twine and tuck wing tips under.
Roast for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Continue roasting until chickens are golden brown and crispy and a thermometer inserted in thickest portion of thighs registers 165°F, 1 hour, 5 minutes to 1 hour, 15 minutes. Let chickens rest for 10 minutes. Discard lemon and onion halves. Carve and serve.

Caitlin Bensel

Serve One, Save the Other

Enjoy one chicken right out of the oven, with a simple side like roasted root veggies or a green salad. Remove the meat from the second bird and refrigerate it in an airtight container. Use it to make quick soups, tacos, salads, or grain bowls over the next few days.