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.
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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.
- 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.
Ingredients and Substitutes
- 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.
How to Make Roasted Rice Stuffed Chicken?
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 2 cups 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 another hour until the core temperature reaches 75° C - 167° F.
Remove the chicken from the oven, transfer it to a cutting board and loosely cover 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 the 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 the rice stuffing.
Top Tip From the Chef
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.
Recipe FAQs
The cooking time here is calculated for a big chicken- around 2 kilos. Smaller chicken would take less as well as 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 200°C (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.
When you cut the chicken as soon as it comes out of the oven, all of the liquid is going to come out. Resting the chicken for at least 20 minutes allows everything to relax and redistribute the juices, seal in the moisture and increase the flavor.
When preparing the rice stuffing, it is necessary to partly cook it as there won't be much space and liquid inside the cavity of the chicken for the rice to expand.
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!
Rice Stuffed Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
Marinade for the Chicken
- 1 whole chicken (1.8 to 2 kg)
- 2 tablespoon natural yoghurt
- ½ tablespoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Rice Stuffing
- 1 large onion (small diced)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 50 grams pine nuts
- 300 g short grain rice such as baldo or tosya (1.5 cups)
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ tablespoon salt
- 30 grams black currant (2 tbsp)
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 500 ml water (300 ml and 200 ml separately) (1.5 cups and 1 cup separately)
- 2 tablespoon chopped parsley
Chicken Gravy
- 250 ml chicken stock (optional)
- cooking juices from the chicken
- 1 tablespoon flour
Instructions
Marinade for the Chicken
- 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.
Rice Stuffing
- Put a large pan on medium to low heat and add olive oil.
- Add the onions and pine nuts, gently saute until translucent.
- Stir in the rice and saute for a few minutes until the rice is dry and semi-translucent before adding the black currant, salt, and pepper.
- Pour in the lemon juice and 300 ml water, bring to the boil, cover the pan with a lid and let it simmer for 8-10 minutes or until the rice absorbs all 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.
Assembling and Roasting 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 filling. 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 2 cups of water, and cook covered with a lid or tin foil for about one hour. Remove the tin foil or the lid and cook for another hour until the core temperature reaches 75° C - 167° F.
- Remove the chicken from the oven, cover with tin foil and let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes before carving.
- While resting the chicken, cook the rest of the rice and prepare the gravy.
- Place the half-cooked rice with 200 ml water in a pan and cook for 10-12 minutes or until the rice absorbs the liquid. Let it rest on the side while the chicken is still resting and preparing the gravy.
Preparing the Gravy
- Skim most of the fat from the cooking liquid of the 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 juices are bubbling and the flour is all incorporated, pour in the chicken stock and bring it back to a boil.
- Add any juices from the resting chicken and then cook for about 5 more minutes.
- Carve the chicken and serve with the rice stuffing, gravy, and seasonal greens on the side.
Notes
- The yogurt marinade helps the skin of the chicken to get golden and crispy while keeping the meat moist and succulent. Let the chicken marinate for 2-3 hours or ideally overnight in the fridge.
- You can prepare the rice filling a couple of days in advance and fill the chicken when you need to cook it.
- Take the chicken out of the fridge half an hour before roasting to bring it to room temperature.
- Let the cooked chicken rest for 15 to 20 minutes before carving.
- Make sure the oven is hot before you put the chicken in to achieve a crispy skin.
Nutrition
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Ayla
I have been wanting to make this for years and never came round to it. But now that I’ve done it, it will be on my repeat list for sure. So so good. And so so easy!
Cherry
I just made this tonight. Very easy & so delicious. The chicken was juicy and the taste was amazing!
Pam
This recipe is fantastic. I made it yesterday and the whole family enjoyed it. Definitely a keeper!
Lisa
Well I am not a beginner but I really like this method of roasting chicken. Makes a nice moist bird. This recipe was simple and delicious. The gravy instructions were easy enough for anyone to do and the result was excellent!
Michelle
I made it for my family, they love it, and I will make it for my friends today. It’s really something u can make it any time. We love it
Ayla Clulee
I am so pleased that you enjoyed it, Michelle!
Patricia
Best roast chicken recipe. Ever!! Huge success in our home tonight! Saved and it will be my go-to from now on!
Faisal
I made this delicious chicken recipe this past weekend for my family Sunday roast dinner. What a wonderful recipe. I have not tried rice stuffed chicken before and just love the flavour! This is a keeper recipe for sure!! My family loved it too!
Tina
This is a great way of cooking chicken with a twist!!