Stuffed Roast Chicken With Christmas Stuffing and Gravy
All the flavors of Christmas without cooking all day! Once the chicken is in the oven, there is plenty of time to make a few side dishes. This stuffed roast chicken will serve 4-6 guests depending on the size. The weight of the chicken will also determine the cooking time.
Servings: 6
Calories: 668kcal
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon butter or olive oil, divided
- ½ cup diced onion
- ½ cup diced celery
- ½ cup diced apple peeling optional
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more for seasoning the chicken
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper plus more for seasoning the chicken
- 2 teaspoon dry poultry seasoning or 2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
- 4 cups cubed bread do this the day before if your bread is not stale
- 1 3-5 lb roasting chicken brought to room temperature for 40-60 minutes before roasting.
- cotton string for trussing optional
Gravy
- ¼ cup pan drippings from the chicken (add butter or olive oil to top up if you don't have enough from the chicken)
- 6 tablespoon 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth or stock from the giblets
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F and place the oven rack in the bottom third of the oven.
- Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of the butter, let it melt and then add the onion, celery and apple. Fry, stirring frequently until the onion and celery are translucent. Add the salt, pepper and herbs and fry for 1 more minute. Pour in the bread cubes and turn off the heat. Toss gently until the crumbs are seasoned and the ingredients look evenly mixed. Set aside.
- Pat your chicken dry with paper towels, removing any giblets or neck if they are in the cavity. Start stuffing the bread mixture into the chicken cavity. If you like, loosen the skin on either side of the cavity as shown above, and stuff some stuffing into each side as well. Tuck any loose skin around the stuffing and tie the two legs together to help hold the stuffing in. Rub the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter all over the chicken and then season generously with salt and pepper.
- Place the chicken breast side down in a roasting pan that is just a little larger than the chicken and place it on a lower rack in the oven. (If you are making gravy, place the giblets/neck into a small pot with water and set over medium-low heat to simmer.)
- Baste the chicken with pan juices after 45 minutes, and again 15 minutes later.
- Roast until the center of the stuffing and chicken reaches 165°F/°C and the skin is golden crisp. This will take approximately 1 ¼ -1 ¾ hours depending on the size of your chicken. If you don't have a thermometer, check that the leg feels loose like it could easily be pulled off and the juices run clear when pierced in the thickest part of the chicken.
- Transfer the chicken to a warm platter and let it rest for 10–15 minutes before carving. Spoon out the stuffing, carve the chicken and serve with pan drippings or the gravy recipe below.
Gravy
- To make gravy, pour the pan drippings into a saucepan. Sprinkle in flour and cook it over medium-low heat, stirring until medium brown. Gradually whisk in chicken stock and cook over medium heat, whisking, until it is smooth and thickened.Season with salt and pepper to taste and keep warm over the lowest heat setting until ready to serve.
Notes
A meat thermometer is ideal but if you don't have one here's what to look for:
The chicken leg should feel very loose and the juices should run clear when pierced in the thickest part of the thigh. When in doubt, cook it a little longer (1 ½ - 2 hours total) to ensure the stuffing is cooked through. If you've roasted the chicken breast side down, it won't dry out from 15 extra minutes in the oven.
Nutrition
Calories: 668kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 206mg | Sodium: 987mg | Potassium: 565mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2100IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 5mg