There are few things in life as good as flavorsome Roasted Rice Stuffed Whole Chicken! This recipe is a newfound favorite and boasts wonderfully balanced aromatics and herbs. And what’s even better is that the pan drippings can be used to make a delicious gravy! Show
Stuffed whole chicken has a special place among all our chicken recipes. It is the star of any special dinner occasion. We serve it with a big bowl of shepherd salad and with several mezzes and dips on the side. IngredientsThis is a roasted whole chicken recipe with a rice stuffing. With this recipe, it's like we are cooking a main course and a side dish at the same time in one pan. Love that kind of meals! So we have two lists of ingredients. First one is for the chicken and the second list for the stuffing. We use a marinade mixture with butter and spices to coat the raw chicken, which helps the chicken get golden and crisp on the outside and moist and soft on the inside. As for the stuffing, we use rice, herbs, spices, onion, garlic and red and green bell peppers. This is such a great combination of flavors that one can eat it on its own for lunch or dinner. It is very similar to our spicy rice pilaf with raisins and pine nuts, which is super tasty as well. How To MakeThis whole roasted stuffed chicken is on its way to becoming one of our favorite recipes ever! It has extremely crispy skin, moist juicy flesh, and wonderfully well-balanced and interesting flavors. First, make the marinade. Combine all of the marinade ingredients and whisk well. Coat the whole chicken with marinade and place it in a tightly wrapped bowl or container to rest in the fridge for 3 hours. Second, make the rice stuffing. Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the onions and peppers. Once they are translucent, add the rice and salt. Fry them for about 2-3 minutes before adding the black pepper, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Add the water and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat and allow the rice to simmer until all of the water has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and stir in the chopped parsley and mint Third, prepare the chicken for stuffing. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and brush the pan with butter. Stuff the chicken with the rice filling and place it in the pan. Tie together the chicken legs to prevent the stuffing from falling out. Fourth, bake the chicken. Lower the heat to 375°F (190°C) and bake the chicken for 1 hour 15 minutes. Brush the chicken with the juices and marinade every 30 minutes until the whole chicken has been fully cooked. How Long To CookWhen cooking any piece of chicken, there are never precise cooking times, only a rough estimated time frame. Each and every piece that you cook, including whole chickens, vary in size and therefore cooking times. The larger the piece, the longer it needs to cook. Cook your chicken for the suggested amount of time, and if it is still not fully cooked through, continue cooking it for another 5-10 minutes. Make sure to check your chicken again to see if it requires even further cooking. Your chicken is fully cooked when the internal temperature of the thickest piece reaches 165°F (74°C). All of your juices should be clear and the cooked flesh shouldn’t be pink. Do You Cook Rice Before Stuffing Chicken?For rice stuffed whole chicken, you definitely have to cook the rice before stuffing it, however, you don’t cook it all of the way. This is a mistake many people make and it leads to a mushy and overcooked stuffing. Cook the rice for about ⅔ of the way before stuffing the chicken. It will continue to cook inside the chicken once the roasting starts. Alternative Flavors for the StuffingWhat makes chicken so amazing is its versatility. You can literally stuff it with anything your heart desires. Your stuffing can be simple, or very complex. Some of our favorite alternative stuffings are vegetables like celery, potatoes, carrots, squash, mushrooms or a sun dried tomato and spinach stuffing. Also, you can substitute bulgur, wild rice or quinoa for long grain rice in this stuffed whole chicken recipe. Always make sure that your flavors are well-balanced and that they actually go good with chicken. Alternative HerbsHerbs and chicken go hand-in-hand and you must choose the correct ones. We love a parsley and mint flavor pairing, however, it might not be everyone’s favorite. Alternative herbs that will go great with this stuffed whole chicken, in general, include thyme, rosemary, or sage. Basil is another herb that has been paired with chicken for decades, but we’d recommend incorporating it fresh. You can also be a bit more experimental and try incorporating lemongrass or tarragon. Again, remember, your flavors should pair well together and be balanced! FAQsHow do you keep roasted chicken moist? The key to any roasted chicken recipe is to use a marinade. It helps add moisture in the hot oven while the chicken itself is still cooking. Should you roast the chicken without foil? We highly recommend roasting your chicken without covering it with foil. It allows the skin to become crispy and not soggy. If your oven has hot spots and your chicken is starting to burn, cover that area with a piece of foil if necessary. How do you check the doneness of chicken without a thermometer? If you don’t have a thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken, then you can look at the following signs to check if your chicken has been fully
cooked. Should you let the chicken rest? Resting chicken is a very important step, especially with the larger pieces. You can place a piece of foil over the chicken and allow it to rest until you are ready to serve it – at least 5 minutes. Can you freeze raw stuffed chicken? You can definitely freeze raw chicken that has been stuffed, and it’s also very easy. Once your chicken has been stuffed, tie the legs together to prevent the stuffing from falling out. Then, wrap the whole chicken with plastic or saran wrap before placing it into the freezer. When you’re ready to cook the chicken, defrost it in the refrigerator overnight. Do not cook semi-frozen chicken! A whole chicken should be defrosted overnight to be safe. More Chicken Recipes
As always: If you make this recipe, let us know what you think by rating it and leaving a comment below. And post a pic on Instagram too—tag @give_recipe so we can see! Sign up for the FREE GiveRecipe Newsletter to get the new recipes into your inbox! And stay in touch with us on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube and Instagram for all the latest updates. Stuffed ChickenWhole chicken stuffed with a flavorsome rice filling makes a festive dinner for your family.
For Chicken:
To Marinade:
Rice Stuffing:
To Marinade The Chicken:
To Cook The Rice Stuffing:
To Stuff and Bake The Chicken:
Notes
Nutrition
Keywords: stuffed whole chicken, stuffed chicken, stuffed chicken recipe How long does a chicken take to cook at 350?In an oven preheated to 350 degrees F, a 3-pound whole chicken should be completely cooked in a little more than an hour.
What is the correct cook temperature in Fahrenheit for a stuffed chicken roast?Poultry Roasting Chart
The internal temperature should reach 165 °F in the center of the stuffing. Check the internal temperature in the innermost part of the thigh, innermost part of the wing, and thickest part of the breast. 5 to 7 lbs.
What temperature should Stuffed chicken be?STUFFED POULTRY COOKING TIMES
Cook poultry and stuffing to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F as measured with a food thermometer. For whole poultry, check the internal temperature in the thigh, the wing, the thickest part of the breast, and the center of the stuffing.
Is it better to bake chicken at 350 or 400?You can roast or bake anywhere between 325 and 450 degrees F. When roasting a whole chicken, a nice rule of them is to start at 400 to 425 degrees F and then turn the oven down to 350 after 15 minutes and cook until the internal temp of the chicken is 165 – 175 degrees F on an instant read thermometer.
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