Rice Stuffed Chicken

This delicious Rice Stuffed Chicken is a great dish for festive dinners and small gatherings or as an alternative to traditional Roast turkey. It is a special way to roast a chicken, and definitely feels like a treat! Making this scrumptious stuffed roast chicken is surprisingly easy and straightforward.

Jump to:

• Why This Recipe Works?
• How Do I Know If the Stuffed Roasted Chicken is Ready?
• Ingredients You'll Need
• Step-by-Step Instructions
• Serving Suggestions
• Top Tips From the Chef
• Recipe FAQs
• Related Recipes
• Rice Stuffed Chicken

The yogurt marinade helps the skin of the chicken to get golden and crispy while keeping the meat moist and succulent. The aromatic rice stuffing with pine nuts and currants is a great alternative to pork stuffing for no-pork eaters.

It is very similar to the stuffing I use for Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers. And the chicken juice will make the best chicken gravy to add further flavor to your plate.

Why This Recipe Works?

• You need just a few ingredients to create this delicious dish that fits any occasion. A perfect alternative to Christmas turkey for smaller gatherings.

• This whole roasted chicken is crispy on the outside and filled with delicious aromatic rice on the inside.

• The leftovers are great for making quick weeknight meals such as Creamy Chicken Enchiladas Recipe with White Sauce or Çerkez Tavugu (Circassian Chicken).

• You can prepare the rice filling a couple of days in advance and fill the chicken when you need to cook it.

• It is extremely easy to make with step-by-step pictures and instructions.

How Do I Know If the Stuffed Roasted Chicken is Ready?

The cooking time here is calculated for a big chicken- around 2 kilos. Smaller chickens would take less as well and bigger ones would take longer to cook. For more precise cooking timings, weigh the oven-ready chicken including the stuffing (or any other bird). Allow 20 minutes per 450 g plus 20 minutes extra when cooked in an oven preheated to 180°C fan oven.

Using a meat thermometer is the safest way to find out if the chicken is ready. If you don't have one, you can test it with a sharp knife or skewer. When the chicken is cooked for the required time, pierce the thickest part of the drumstick with a sharp knife or skewer. If the juices are clear, the chicken should be cooked.

Ingredients You'll Need

Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.

• Chicken - A young, free-range, or Corn fed chicken that weighs between 1.5 kg and 2 kg is ideal for roasting. They are extremely flavourful and cook quickly. Always check the best-by date before buying to ensure the freshness of the bird.

• Rice - Baldo - chubby, short-grain rice grown in Turkey is the best option. This type of rice is extremely starchy and can absorb lots of moisture, which makes it very creamy and tender but also keeps its shape well when cooked. Alternatively, you can use Tosya or Italian Arborio rice.

• Yogurt - It enhances the flavor of the chicken as well as makes its skin golden and crispy. you can substitute it with full-fat milk or sour cream.

• Onions - It adds great flavor to the rice stuffing. You can use finely diced brown, yellow, or white onion. Shallots would work great as well.

• Pine nuts - They are great for adding some texture and nutty flavor to dishes such as Yaprak Sarma - Dolma (Stuffed Grape Leaves) or Vegan Moussaka with Aubergine. Omit them if you have nut allergies or replace them with walnuts if you don't have them in hand.

• Currants - They are small dried raisins and a popular ingredient in Mediterranean cuisine. Although they are typically used for baked goods, it is common to use them in cooking Turkish Cuisine.

• Salt - Use a generous amount of salt for chicken. Salt helps brown the skin and make it crispy.

• Freshly ground black pepper - It has a much better aroma and texture compared to powder versions.

• Olive oil - I prefer extra virgin olive oil but you can use any oil you like cooking with.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Making this stuffed roast chicken is surprisingly easy and straightforward. Here are a few simple steps that you need to follow:

Marinate the Chicken

Marinating the chicken with yogurt will enhance the flavor and make the skin golden and crispy as desired. Place the yogurt with salt and freshly ground black pepper in a bowl and whisk to combine. Rub the chicken with the marinade making sure all the skin is totally covered. Let the chicken marinate for 2-3 hours or ideally overnight in the fridge.

Prepare the Rice Stuffing

Put a large pan on medium to low heat and add olive oil. Add the onions and pine nuts, and gently sauté until translucent. Give enough time to make sure the onions are softened and the pine nuts are slightly browned.

Stir in the rice and sauté for a few minutes until the rice is dry and semi-translucent. Add the black currant, salt, and pepper, and pour in the lemon juice and 300 ml of water.

Bring it to a boil, put the lid on, and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until the rice absorbs the liquid. Remove the pan from the heat and add the parsley. Give the mix a good stir and let it cool down to room temperature before stuffing the chicken.

You can prepare the rice stuffing a day before to save time and fill the chicken just before cooking.

Stuff the Chicken

Take the chicken out of the fridge half an hour before roasting. Preheat the oven to 180° C - 356° F (fan oven). With the help of a spoon, stuff the cavity of the chicken loosely with rice stuffing. You will only need about half of it. Keep the rest of the stuffing to cook later to serve as a side dish.

To neaten and hold in the rice stuffing in the cavity, sew the loose skin together with toothpicks or twine.

Place the chicken in a Dutch oven or on a baking tray, pour in 500 ml of water, and place it in the oven covered with a lid or tin foil for about one hour. Remove the tin foil or the lid and cook for 40 minutes to an hour, or until the core temperature reaches 75° C - 167° F.

Remove the chicken from the oven, transfer it to a cutting board, and loosely cover it with tin foil. Let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes before carving.

Cook the Rest of the Rice Stuffing

While resting the chicken, cook the rest of the rice stuffing and prepare the gravy. Place the rice stuffing in a pan with 200 ml water and cook for 10-12 minutes or until the rice absorbs the liquid. Let the rice rest on the side before serving.

Prepare the Chicken Gravy

While the rice is cooking and the chicken is still resting, prepare your chicken gravy. Skim most of the fat from the juice of the roasted chicken and place the Dutch oven or the baking tray on medium heat. Add a tablespoon of flour and give it a good stir, scraping the bits off the bottom of the pan. 

When the gravy is bubbling and the flour is incorporated, pour in the chicken stock and bring the gravy back to a boil. Add any juices from the resting chicken and then cook for about 5 more minutes.

Well done! Now your delicious roasted rice-stuffed chicken is ready to serve. Carve the chicken and serve it with rice stuffing.

Serving Suggestions

You can serve this perfectly roasted stuffed chicken dish for Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas lunch, Easter, or as a Sunday roast along with some delicious side dishes.

To name some; Honey Roasted Carrots and Parsnips, Beetroot and Feta Salad, Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts, Swede and Carrot Mash, Duck Fat Roasted Potatoes, Gluten-Free Yorkshire Puddings, Cranberry Sauce with Orange Juice, and Baked Cheesy Cauliflower.

Top Tips From the Chef

• Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel for perfectly crisped skin. If you have time, leave the chicken uncovered in the fridge overnight to dry the skin.

• Bring the chicken to room temperature before cooking. If you cook the chicken (or any other meat) straight from the fridge, you will end up with brown skin while the inside is still uncooked.

• Also, make sure the oven is hot before you put the chicken in. When you start cooking it in a cold oven, the skin of the chicken won't be crispy enough by the time it gets cooked.

• Do not wash the chicken, cooking it until the core temperature reaches 74°C (165°F) will kill the bacteria.

• Rest the chicken for a minimum of 20 minutes before carving it.

Recipe FAQs

Related Recipes

For more delicious chicken recipes why not try:

Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.

I hope you enjoy the process of making this delicious Rice-Stuffed Roast Chicken as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂

Bon appétit! / Afiyet Olsun!

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