A traditional Roast Stuffed Chicken is one of the most beautiful main dishes, but don't let it intimidate you. It's incredibly easy to make and has everything you need for a meal in one pan. Serve this stuffed whole chicken as a show-stopping meal for a special occasion, or make it every week for a Sunday roast dinner. It'll quickly become a new family favorite!
If you've ever roasted Chicken before, you already have all the skills you need to make this roasted chicken recipe. The best part is that as the stuffed roast chicken cooks, it adds flavor to the stuffing and vice versa. This is the best way to get tender, flavorful chicken with flavor all the way inside the bird. It will also make your whole house smell amazing!
Why You'll Love This Roast Stuffed Chicken
- All-in-one meal. As a home cook, it's so lovely to have a recipe that includes the main dish and sides all in one! This whole chicken recipe is a time-saver. You'll have plenty of time to work on other dishes, desserts, or projects while the chicken slowly cooks in the oven. It's perfect for a busy day or the holidays!
- So much flavor. The homemade stuffing mix adds so much moisture and flavor to the inside of the chicken, and the chicken adds a savory flavor to the stuffing as well. Roast your chicken over a bed of root vegetables and let them absorb the delicious drippings for extra flavor.
- Beautiful display for a party. A whole roasted chicken always looks amazing. This is a fantastic main course to serve during the holiday season, yet it's simple enough to make any week! It’s perfect for a smaller Thanksgiving celebration too when you don need to roast a whole turkey.
Ingredient Notes
To make this delicious roast stuffed chicken, you will need the following ingredients (full measurements in recipe card below):
- whole chicken - choose a whole chicken. Remove any internal organs or gizzards, and if frozen, let the chicken thaw completely in the fridge before baking.
- seasonings and spices - season the whole bird with a mixture of salt, black pepper, paprika, and garlic pepper for lots of flavor. You can also substitute your favorite poultry seasoning.
- herbs - add fresh thyme and rosemary for a delicious aroma and fresh flavor.
- butter - melted butter is the glue to hold the seasoning paste together. It will melt into the bird to add extra flavor as well.
- chicken stuffing - either make a batch of homemade stuffing (or use leftover stuffing from a holiday party) or use 1 box of store-bought stuffing.
- gravy - make your own gravy from the drippings or use chicken or turkey gravy from the grocery store.
You will also need a small bowl, roasting tray, kitchen twine, instant-read thermometer, and serving knife.
How to Make the Best Roast Stuffed Chicken
- Prep chicken. Use a paper towel to pat the whole chicken completely dry. This helps create an extra crispy skin when roasting. Generously rub salt and pepper all over the chicken, inside and out. Set aside for at least 30 minutes or refrigerate overnight.
- Prepare seasoning. In a small mixing bowl, add melted butter, paprika, garlic powder, thyme, and rosemary. Stir to mix well.
- Season chicken. Generously rub the butter mixture all over the outside of the chicken.
- Add stuffing. Slowly add the stuffing inside the cavity of the chicken. Truss the chicken by tying the chicken snugly with kitchen string so that legs stay close to the body. Tuck the wing tips under the chicken.
- Place chicken on pan. Place the whole chicken breast side up on a roasting rack in a roasting pan. If you don't have a roasting rack, you can place the chicken directly on top of some chopped vegetables such as carrots and onions.
- Roast. Roast the chicken in a preheated 350F oven for 1 to 1.5 hours depending on the size of the chicken, until the internal temperature reaches 165F as read on a meat thermometer (As a rule of thumb, you need to bake 20-25 minutes per pound for the whole chicken at 350F). Baste the chicken with the pan drippings every 20 minutes to promote browning and to infuse more flavor into the chicken.
- Broil (optional). To make chicken skin extra crispy and browned, turn on the broil setting to high and broil for an additional 5 minutes. Keep a close eye on the broiler because things can heat up and burn quickly.
- Rest. Remove the pan from the oven and let it sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before serving (the chicken is still cooking gradually from the residual heat).
- Serve. Slice the chicken and serve with gravy and extra stuffing on the side, if desired.
Recipe Variations
- Add veggies. As the chicken cooks, the juices will drip into the bottom of the pan. If you have additional vegetables under the bird, they'll cook and absorb those delicious flavors at the same time.
- Make stuffed chicken breast. Instead of stuffing the entire chicken, stuff chicken breasts instead. Adapt the process for these Stuffed Chicken Breasts, with these savory flavors.
- Stuff with lemons and herbs. If you aren't a huge fan of stuffing or prefer to serve it on the side, don't leave the chicken empty. Stuff it with halved lemons, sliced yellow onions, fresh herbs, and herbed butter. This will infuse every bite with so much flavor.
- Make gravy. As the chicken roasts, it will release melted fats and other juices. While you're waiting for the chicken to cool, use those pan juices to make your own delicious gravy, like this Classic Turkey Gravy.
How to Serve
This Roast Stuffed Chicken is delicious served on its own, or paired with some of my favorite sides including:
- One Pan Roasted Harvest Vegetables with Butternut Squash
- Greek Lemon Roast Potatoes
- Creamy Tortellini Soup with Sausage
- Fall Harvest Salad with Butternut Squash and Apple
- Coconut Curry Pumpkin Soup
- Green Beans with Bacon
For more side dish recipe inspiration, see our 50 Best Fall Side Dishes.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Use a fully thawed chicken. It's really important that the chicken is fully thawed, especially since you are stuffing the chicken cavity. The chicken needs to cook very quickly to avoid letting the inside of the chicken stay in the temperature danger zone for too long.
- Add extra stuffing. You can add extra stuffing around the chicken in the roasting pan and bake together until the chicken is cooked through.
- Use an instant-read thermometer. It can be harder to tell when stuffed chickens are fully cooked. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh and make sure it shows 165 degrees F before removing the chicken from the oven.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
How to Store
Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
How to Reheat
To reheat leftover roasted chicken, either warm a serving in a large skillet over medium heat, microwave it, or bake it in the oven or air fryer at 350 for 5-7 minutes with a drizzle of gravy.
How to Freeze
Let the chicken cool in the fridge, then remove the meat from the bird and store it in a freezer-safe container. Freeze for 2-3 months.
FAQ
For this roast chicken recipe, we recommend setting your oven temperature to 350 degrees. This is plenty hot enough to cook the raw chicken until perfectly tender. Cooking the whole bird at a higher temperature will give you crispier skin, but you're also more likely to deal with burnt skin and dry white meat. The solution is to bake the chicken at a lower temperature for longer, then place the chicken under the broiler to crisp up the outside of the skin. It's the best of both worlds: tender, flavorful meat and crispy skin.
There are several reasons to stuff a whole chicken, and they typically have to do with flavor or convenience. The stuffing adds extra flavor to the inside of the chicken, where it is hard to season. It will also keep the chicken from drying out, which is really important. It's also just really convenient! It's amazing to pull out the baking tray and have the chicken and sides ready all at the same time.
Yes! There's a reason stuffing is called "stuffing." It's traditionally added to the inside of baked chickens or turkeys to add flavor to the inside of the bird. This can be the hardest section to season. The stuffing also keeps the chicken from drying out. If you've ever had dry, crumbly breast meat, you'll understand why this is so important!
More Whole Chicken Recipes
- 10 Whole Chicken Recipes
- Dutch Oven Whole Roast Chicken
- Instant Pot Whole Chicken
- Pesto Whole Chicken
- Roasted Spatchcock Chicken (Butterflied Chicken)
- Greek Lemon Garlic Whole Roast Chicken
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