Two 7 pound chickens---- one clueless cook

[funhouse8]

OK, I'm making two 7 pound birds tonight for dinner. How long do I cook them for? I'm putting them into the same pan. I know I don't cook it as long as a 14 pounder but thinking it should be cooked longer than one 7. Any answers will be helpful. Thanks.

 

[Christine]

I don't think that the time will be any longer than one bird unless your oven is insufficient at heating extra mass. The chicken should have instructions on the wrapper for length of time but I'm thinking that a 7 lb chicken would take about 2-2.5 hours.

 

[java]

Unless you are cooking one bird inside another turduckan style
The times should be the same as if you are cooking just one. - is the pan large enough for them to not be touching- so you get air circulation?

 

[funhouse8]

Unless you are cooking one bird inside another turduckan style
The times should be the same as if you are cooking just one. - is the pan large enough for them to not be touching- so you get air circulation?

yes, they aren't touching and no they aren't one inside the other. LOL Thanks

 

[Minnie-n-Mickey4ever]

Easiest way - get one of those oven bags to cook the chickens with - it has the directions and the chickens should be perfect. Oh and if you don't have a meat thermometer - get one.

I am NOT the cook in my family (DH is; heck I didn't even KNOW how to cook before we got married) but this is what DH (and I) learned from his mom.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I don't think that the time will be any longer than one bird unless your oven is insufficient at heating extra mass. The chicken should have instructions on the wrapper for length of time but I'm thinking that a 7 lb chicken would take about 2-2.5 hours.

I just cooked a 5lber last night. I suggest you use oven thermometers, since you are cooking 2 at once. It took 2hrs for my 5lber, but the inside was a bit frozen which adds to the cooking time.

It is 20 mins per LB. but I would probably stretch that to 30mins per lb with 2 birds in the oven as a guess. I would say 3hrs for a good estimation.

And you need the 20 min sit time after roasting.

So allow 3 1/2 hrs, including the rest time, esp. if the cavity is a bit frozen still, then it may take 3 1/2 hrs to cook.

 

[DeterminedOne]

Here's something I learned from a chef on Oprah - cut the chicken in half (straight down the back) and it only takes about an hour. It looks ugly but I don't care 'cause I cut it off the bone anyway and it saves time. I've been cooking them that way ever since.

 

[DisMN]

I'm an all day cooker myself. I'd cook two chickens for probably 5-6+ hours at a low temp and then the last hour raise the temp to 350 or so to crisp the skin.

The meat will be fall-off-the-bone tender cooking it this way.