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1
Place all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor and process on high until smooth, about 1 minute.
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2
Refrigerate in a container with a tightfitting lid for up to 1 day.
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3
Rinse the chickens inside and out with cool water and pat them dry with paper towels.
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4
Remove the necks and innards and discard or save them for another use.
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5
To butterfly each chicken, use a sharp pair of poultry shears or kitchen scissors to cut down both sides of the backbone.
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6
Remove and discard the backbone, or save it for another use.
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7
Press down on each chickens breast to flatten it.
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8
If it wont flatten, flip the chicken over skin-side down and lightly score the cartilage on the back of the breastbone.
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9
Flip the chicken back over and press down again on the cartilage so the chicken is lying completely flat.
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10
Place both chickens in a large, shallow dish and season generously with salt and pepper.
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11
Pour all of the marinade over the chickens and turn them several times until theyre evenly coated.
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12
Cover the dish and refrigerate for at least 12 hours, turning the chickens occasionally.
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13
To prepare the chickens for the grill, remove them from the marinade, allowing the excess to drip off for a few minutes.
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14
(If youre using wooden skewers, soak them in warm water for 30 minutes before proceeding.)
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15
To , lay 1 chicken skin-side up on a cutting board, drumsticks pointing toward you and wings pointing away.
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16
Secure the wing tips by tucking them behind the back of each wing.
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17
Flip the chicken legs over so the tops of the drumsticks, or the knees, are facing inward and almost touching.
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18
With a skewer, pierce through the joint between the wing and the drumette.
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19
Thread the skewer through the point where the wing meets the back or the shoulder and through the upper edge of the breast.
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20
Continue through the other breast and shoulder and out the other side between the wing and the drumette.
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21
With another skewer, pierce through the outer part of the thigh.
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22
Continue through the back of the joint between the drumstick and the thigh.
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23
Push the skewer through the cartilage at the point of the breast.
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24
Continue through the other drumstick-thigh joint and out the other side.
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25
Your bird is now ready to go on the grill.
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26
Repeat the process with the other chicken.
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27
Cover and refrigerate until ready to grill.
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28
Heat a charcoal or gas grill to medium (about 350 degrees F to 450 degrees F).
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29
Remove the chickens from the refrigerator and let them sit at room temperature while the grill heats up, at least 30 minutes.
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30
Slice the lemons in half crosswise.
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31
Brush the cut side of each lemon half with 1 teaspoon of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper; set aside.
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32
Place the chickens on the grill skin-side up and close the lid.
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33
Every 10 minutes, rotate the chickens 90 degrees in a clockwise direction.
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34
After the chickens have been rotated 4 times, about 40 minutes later, flip them over.
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35
Rotate the chickens every 5 minutes until they have completed one rotation (360 degrees), another 20 minutes total.
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36
When an instant-read thermometer inserted into the inner thigh reads 160 degrees F to 165 degrees F (be sure the thermometer is not touching the bone) and the juices run clear when you pierce the chickens, remove them from the grill.
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37
Let the chickens rest on a cutting board for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
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38
While the chickens rest, place the lemon halves on the grill cut-side down and grill until charred and softened, about 12 to 15 minutes.
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39
Remove the skewers from the chickens and cut each chicken into 8 serving pieces.
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40
Serve with the grilled lemon wedges.
