Perfect Roast Chicken with Homemade Stuffing
This perfect roast chicken with homemade stuffing recipe delivers juicy chicken and flavourful stuffing baked to perfection. An easy and satisfying meal for family dinners or special occasions.
Ingredients
For the chicken and gravy:
- 1 medium carrot no need to peel, cut into 6 pieces
- 1 medium onion no need to peel, cut into 6 wedges with root intact
- 1 stick celery trimmed and cut into 6 pieces
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 400 ml (1 ¾ cups) cold water
- 1.8 kg (3 lb) whole chicken
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 500 ml (2 cups) chicken stock (made using a stock cube or pot)
- 1 tbsp cornflour (optional)
- 1 tbsp cold water (optional)
For the homemade stuffing:
- 115 g (4.1 oz) oatmeal
- 100 g (3.5 oz) vegetable suet
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 1 tbsp water
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 0.25 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 210C/190C fan/gas 6.
- Scatter the pieces of carrot, onion and celery into a large roasting tin. Season the veg with some salt and freshly ground black pepper, then pour in the cold water.
- Place the chicken on top of the veg then rub the tbsp of oil over the chicken (breast and legs), and season all over with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Mix the oatmeal, suet, onion, water and some seasoning in a bowl. Stuff this into the chicken cavity.
- Roast in the oven for 1 hour 10 minutes. The chicken should be cooked – check by piercing it deeply between the leg and body, the juices that run should be clear, with no traces of pink. You can also check using a meat thermometer – the temperature of the breasts should be 74C.
- Transfer the cooked chicken to a board that will catch the resting juices and scoop out the stuffing into a dish with a lid, or cover with tin foil, to keep warm. Rest the chicken for 20 minutes under loose tin foil.
Make the gravy and serve:
- While the chicken is resting, make the gravy – place the roasting tin over a high heat on the hob and sprinkle in the plain flour. Stir to mix well, then slowly add the chicken stock, stirring to combine and ensure there are no lumps. Mash the carrots well using a potato masher, bring to the boil and then reduce the heat to low to retain a steady simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Check the seasoning and then strain the gravy into a saucepan using a sieve. Discard the veg and put the saucepan on a low heat and add any resting juices from the chicken to add more flavour. If you like a thicker gravy, mix the cornflour and cold water in a small bowl until the cornflour is dissolved. With the gravy on a high heat and bubbling, slowly stir in the cornflour slurry (you may not need it all to get the consistency you like). Transfer the gravy to a serving jug when you’re ready to eat.
- Carve the chicken into pieces - 2 drumsticks, 2 thighs, 2 wings and cut the 2 breasts into thick slices. Place the chicken pieces onto a platter and serve with the bowl of stuffing and jug of gravy on the side. Serve with your choice of potatoes and vegetables – browse side dishes.
Notes
- Leftovers of this perfect roast chicken with homemade stuffing recipe can be used in sandwiches, salads or soups. Serve any leftover stuffing on the side.
Nutrition
Calories: 879kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 59g | Fat: 66g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 15g | Monounsaturated Fat: 28g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 228mg | Sodium: 550mg | Potassium: 765mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 2152IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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