Roast Christmas Chicken

a christmas chicken on a bed of herbs and apples

5 from 4 votes

Celebrate the holidays with my Roast Christmas Chicken recipe! Juicy roast chicken infused with sage, thyme, and orange, served with festive sides for a perfect dinner.

Prep Time10

Cook Time2

Brining Time12

Total Time14 10

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 313kcal

Author: Eden Westbrook

Ingredients

Apple Cider Brine

6 cups hot water
3 cups apple cider unsweetened and unspiced
½ cup real maple syrup
1 cup kosher salt
⅔ cup dark brown sugar
peel of one orange no pith
2 tablespoon black peppercorns whole
5 whole cloves
1 cup ice cubes
1 whole chicken 4-5 pounds

Herb Infused Butter

½ cup clarified butter also known as ghee
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
2 sprigs fresh sage
2 sprigs fresh thyme

Stuffing the Chicken

1 shallot peeled and quartered
2 apples cut into eighths
2 navel oranges cut into eighths
3 sprigs fresh sage the exact amount isn't important
3 sprigs fresh thyme the exact amount isn't important
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Orange Maple Glaze

¼ cup orange juice from that peeled orange
1 cup apple cider unsweetened and unspiced
¼ cup real maple syrup
a pinch of kosher salt

Instructions

Brine the Chicken

In a large bowl, whisk together the water, apple cider, maple syrup, salt, brown sugar, orange peels, black peppercorns, cloves, and ice. Whisk until the sugar and salt are dissolved.
6 cups hot water, 3 cups apple cider, ½ cup real maple syrup, 1 cup kosher salt, ⅔ cup dark brown sugar, peel of one orange, 2 tablespoon black peppercorns, 5 whole cloves, 1 cup ice cubes
Place the chicken into the brine, cover with a lid or plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 12 hours or up to 24 hours.
1 whole chicken

Next Day

Remove the chicken from the brine and pat it dry. Remove any cloves or peppercorn that might've gotten stuck on the chicken. Let it come to room temperature and dry out for one hour.
Preheat your oven to 350℉ (180℃) with a rack in the center of the oven.

Make the Infused Butter

While the chicken is coming to room temperature, melt the ghee with the herbs over medium low heat in a small saucepan. Cook for 5 minutes, let the herbs kinda frizzle up and pop in the pan, this means it's infusing! Set aside for later.
½ cup clarified butter, 2 sprigs fresh sage, 2 sprigs fresh thyme, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Stuff, Truss, and Butter the Chicken

Season the inside of the chicken cavity with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, then stuff the bird with the shallot, some of the apple and orange slices, and the rest of the fresh herbs.
1 shallot, 2 apples, 2 navel oranges, 3 sprigs fresh sage, 3 sprigs fresh thyme, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Truss the chicken legs with butcher twine and tuck the wings if needed. Put the rest of the orange and apple slices into your roasting pan, then place the bird onto the bed of fruit.
Use a silicone basting brush to cover the chicken in the infused butter you made. Get every nook and cranny, you'll want to use all the butter.
Roast in the preheated oven for 45 minutes.

Roast and Glaze the Chicken

While it's roasting, make the glaze in a small saucepan by reducing the orange juice, apple cider, and maple syrup over medium heat for about 15 minutes until it is at a lively simmer. Whisk occasionally so the sugars don't risk burning at the bottom. Once the glaze has reduced by half, remove it from heat.
¼ cup orange juice, 1 cup apple cider, ¼ cup real maple syrup, a pinch of kosher salt
At the 45 minute mark, use the basting brush to coat the chicken in the glaze. Put it back into the oven for another 50 to 60 minutes, brushing on the glaze every 15 minutes, until the chicken is done roasting. Use an instant-read thermometer to check the thickest part of the chicken thigh (avoid the bone). Aim for 165℉ (74℃).
Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving to redistribute the juices. If you carve it immediately, all the juices will run out.

Notes

Variations and Pro Tips for a Perfect Roast Chicken

Don't want to roast a whole chicken? Try doing this with chicken thighs instead -- the cook time will change: they'll only take about an hour to cook! I love some chicken thighs, y'all.

Keep the carcass for chicken broth, y'all!

Notice the chicken getting a little too brown too fast? Cover the area with foil so it doesn't burn.

Storage and Reheating

Carve the cooked chicken and save the leftover chicken pieces in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Reheat in the microwave until warmed through, or in the oven wrapped with foil on a baking sheet at 325 for 15 minutes until warmed through.

Nutrition