A classic roasted chicken seasoned with lemon, herbs, and olive oil, yielding tender meat and beautifully crisp skin perfect for any occasion.
Recipe Information
Total Time:
Yield:
10 servings
Ingredients
2 (4½- to 5-pound) whole roasting chickens
2 lemons, quartered
2 small yellow onions, quartered
6 fresh thyme sprigs
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large rimmed baking pan with foil. Place a wire rack in the pan; set aside.
If necessary, remove necks and giblets from chickens; reserve for another use or discard. Pat chickens dry with paper towels.
Place chickens, breast side up, on rack in baking pan. Loosely place lemons, onions and thyme in body cavities. Skewer neck skin to backs. Tie drumsticks together with 100% cotton kitchen string. Rub chickens with olive oil; season generously with salt and black pepper.
Roast, uncovered, for 1¼ to 1½ hours or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest parts of breasts or thighs, away from bone, registers 165°F for breast or 175°F for thigh. (If necessary, loosely cover with foil during the end of roasting to prevent overbrowning.) Remove from oven. Loosely cover with foil and let rest for 15 minutes.
Transfer chickens to a cutting board. Remove and discard kitchen string, lemons, onions and thyme sprigs before carving or shredding the meat.
