Categories: Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 whole chickens (3 1/2 lbs. each)
- 1 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp. finely chopped garlic
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 tsp lime zest plus 3 tbsp. juice (from 2 limes)
- 2 scallions, finely chopped
- 1 Fresno chile, finely chopped
Directions
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To spatchcock the chickens, place one chicken, breast side down, on a cutting board. With kitchen shears, cut along both sides of the backbone; discard the backbone. Flip, breast side up, on the cutting board. Place your palms over the breast; press down to crack the breastbone and flatten the chicken. Repeat with remaining chicken.
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Preheat a covered gas grill to medium, adjusting the heat to maintain a temp between 350 and 375. Wrap 1 cup Applewood or mesquite-wood chips in the center of a sheet of heavy-duty foil and poke three holes in the pouch to allow smoke to escape. Just before grilling the chicken, turn off the burners on one half of the grill and keep the other burners on medium heat. Place the foil pouch under the grate, directly over the lit burners.
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Pat the chickens dry with paper towels and season all over with salt and pepper. Place chickens, skin side up, on the unlit part of the grill. Cover the grill and cook until the chickens begin to brown and they read 130, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Continue to adjust gas levels to maintain a temp of 350-375.
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Flip the chickens and move to the hot side of grill. Continue to cook, rotating and flipping the chickens as needed to ensure even browning, until the skin is crispy and golden brown, grill marks form and temp is 165, about 15 minutes more. Transfer the chickens to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes.
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Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat the oil over medium-low until warm, 2-3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, remove from the heat and let cool to room temp. Stir in the cilantro, lime zest and juice, scallions and chile; season the mojo sauce.
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Carve the chickens and serve with the mojo sauce.