We love roasting 2 chickens at once. It takes almost the same amount of time and you can enjoy one for dinner tonight and use the second for meal prepping the next few days.
1/2cupwater or milk, added to taste and desired consistency
Instructions
How to Roast 2 Whole Chickens:
Preheat oven to 425˚F with a rack in the lower third of the oven (you want the whole chicken to be in the center of the oven).
Line a large roasting pan with onion slices, drizzle with olive oil.
Remove giblets from chickens and pat dry inside and outside with paper towels. Season inside each chicken with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper then stuff each with 2 lemon quarters, 1/2 of garlic head and 2 sprigs rosemary.
Place chicken over the onions breast-side-up. Tie legs together and tuck the wings under the chicken so they don’t scorch.
Melt butter and brush top and sides of chicken and immediately season each chicken with 2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Butter and season chickens one at a time so the butter doesn’t solidify making it difficult for seasoning to stick.
Bake at 425˚F for 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the size of your chicken or until the internal temperature at the deepest part of the thigh reaches 165˚F, and juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh.* Rest chicken for 15 minutes after it comes out of the oven before slicing and serving.
To Make Chicken Gravy:
Strain pan drippings through a fine sieve and discard the solids. The drippings sit for a minute and you’ll notice the fat will float to the top. Spoon off 4 Tbsp of fat and add that to a small saucepan. Skim off and discard any remaining excess fat on your drippings.
Place the saucepan with fat over medium heat then add 2 Tbsp flour and whisk to combine. Continue whisking for 1-2 minutes until lightly golden. Add 1 cup of pan drippings and whisk until thickened and bubbling. Add water or milk to desired taste and consistency. I added about 1/2 cup milk. Bring back to a simmer, whisking constantly then remove from heat.
Notes
*Bake according to the time chart. I like to let the chicken go 5 degrees higher to be safe when cooking a whole chicken. Estimated times for 2 chickens:
4 lbs each: Bake 1 hr 15 min to 1 hr 30 min
4.5 lbs each: Bake 1 hr 30 min to 1 hr 45 min
5 lbs each: Bake 1 hr 45 min to 2 hrs
**Nutrition label is for chickens only and does not include gravy.
Nutrition Facts
Two Whole Roasted Chickens + Chicken Gravy
Amount per Serving
Calories
319
% Daily Value*
Fat
24
g
37
%
Saturated Fat
8
g
50
%
Trans Fat
1
g
Cholesterol
119
mg
40
%
Sodium
1058
mg
46
%
Potassium
298
mg
9
%
Carbohydrates
3
g
1
%
Fiber
1
g
4
%
Sugar
1
g
1
%
Protein
22
g
44
%
Vitamin A
1203
IU
24
%
Vitamin C
9
mg
11
%
Calcium
24
mg
2
%
Iron
2
mg
11
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.