Roasted Rice Stuffed Whole Chicken - Give Recipe (2024)

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!

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.

Ingredients

This 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 iç pilav (rice with raisins and nuts), which is super tasty as well.

How To Make

This 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.

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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 Cook

When 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 Stuffing

What 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 Herbs

Herbs 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!

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