Rice Stuffed Chicken

5 from 11 votes

This whole roasted chicken stuffed with aromatic rice is the perfect alternative to turkey for small gatherings.

Prep Time20

Cook Time2

Total Time2 20

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mediterranean, Turkish

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings: people

Calories: 310kcal

1 large onion (small diced)
2 tablespoon olive oil
⅓ cup pine nuts (50 grams)
1 ½ cups short grain rice such as baldo or tosya (300 grams)
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ tablespoon salt
2 tablespoon black currant (30 grams)
2 tablespoon lemon juice
4 cups water (1¼ cups, 2 cups, and ¾ cup cup separately) (1 litre- 300 ml, 500 ml, and 200 ml separetely)
2 tablespoon chopped parsley

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.

Put a large pan on medium to low heat and add olive oil.
Add the onions and pine nuts, and 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 1 ¼ cups (300 ml) water, bring to a 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.

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 (500 ml)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 40 minutes to an hour, or until the core temperature reaches 75° C - 167° F.
Remove the chicken from the oven, cover it 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 ¾ cup (200 ml) of 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.

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.

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