Whole Stuffed Chicken With Gravy

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 02/20/24
Tested by
Noah Velush-Rogers
Noah Velush-Rogers
Tested by Noah Velush-Rogers
Noah Velush-Rogers works on food prep for several area caterers. He has worked with a team of prep chefs for a private school group. He was an assistant cooking teacher for children and teen group cooking classes. Noah was hired as an intern and was then trained as a recipe tester for Fine Cooking Magazine. 
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 70 mins
Total: 90 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Yield: 1 chicken

A well-seasoned stuffing and a simple pan gravy make our whole roasted chicken a great holiday meal. It's also not to be overlooked for celebratory dinners for smaller gatherings, or for those who want an alternative to the traditional turkey. Coated with butter and stuffed with bread, fresh veggies, and herbs, this chicken comes out moist every time. Roasted to perfection, the skin is crispy enough, and the meat is tender and juicy. Serve it with mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce for a spectacular and easy-to-make family feast.

The base of the stuffing is breadcrumbs, but other ingredients can fit too as stuffing is a great way of adding favorite flavors and textures into the dish. Use your favorite herbs, additional vegetables, or different types of non-dairy milk if needed.

Leftovers of this lovely meal are amazing to make sandwiches, casseroles, soups, or salads.

Whole stuffed chicken with gravy

The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga
What You'll Need to Make This Stuffed Chicken Recipe
A Sturdy Roasting Pan
A Handy Basting Brush
An Accurate Meat Thermometer

“This recipe is an easy dinner slam dunk. It’s pretty much impossible to go wrong with gravy and poultry but the stuffing just completes the whole flavor profile. Just throw together an easy green salad and mashed potatoes, and you’ve got a full meal .” —Noah Velush-Rogers

Whole Stuffed Chicken With Gravy/Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

For the Chicken:

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

  • 1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

  • 1 (5-pound) whole chicken

  • Fresh thyme, rosemary, and sage, optional

  • Kosher salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the Stuffing:

  • 2 ounces (1/4 cup) unsalted butter

  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped onion

  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped celery

  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, or poultry seasoning, or to taste

  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley, or 2 teaspoons dried parsley

  • 2 cups soft breadcrumbs

  • 2/3 cup milk, divided

  • Kosher salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • 1 large egg, beaten

For the Pan Gravy:

  • Drippings from the chicken

  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • 1 1/2 to 2 cups chicken stock

  • Salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Steps to Make It

Prepare the Chicken

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for making the chicken

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  2. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 375 F. Line a roasting pan with foil and set a rack in the pan.

    A roasting pan with rack lined with foil

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  3. Using your fingers or a brush, rub the skin of the chicken with the melted butter. Tuck the pieces of cold butter under the chicken's skin along with the optional fresh herbs. Sprinkle the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Set aside while making the stuffing.

    A chicken rubbed with butter and seasoned with fresh herbs

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

Prepare the Stuffing

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients to make stuffing

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  2. Melt the butter in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and celery. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent and the celery is crisp-tender.

    A pan of onion and celery cooking in butter

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  3. Add the dried thyme, parsley, and breadcrumbs. Add about 1/3 cup of milk and stir to blend. Taste and season the stuffing with salt and pepper.

    Breadcrumbs, thyme, and salt and pepper added to the pan

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  4. Stir in the beaten egg and enough of the remaining 1/3 cup milk, if needed, one tablespoon at a time to make a moist mixture. Remove from heat.

    Milk and egg added to the breadcrumb mixture

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

Stuff and Roast the Chicken

  1. Loosely spoon the stuffing into the cavity of the chicken. Close the cavity by securing loose skin together with toothpicks, or twine. Alternatively, cover the cavity with a piece of foil or a slice of bread.

    A chicken filled with stuffing, with its cavity sealed with toothpicks

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  2. Place the chicken, breast-side up, on the prepared rack in the roasting pan.

    Chicken on a rack in a roasting pan

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  3. Roast, about 1 hour and 30 minutes to 1 hour and 45 minutes, basting several times with the pan juices. The chicken is done when the internal temperature in the thickest part of the thigh, away from the bone reads 165 F. The stuffing needs to have the same temperature reading. Once cooked thoroughly, remove from the oven and let rest for about 15 minutes.

    A roasted chicken on a rack in a roasting pan

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

Make the Pan Gravy

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients to make the gravy

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  2. Skim off the fat from the pan drippings, or use a fat separator. Reserve the fat.

    A bowl of fat and pan drippings

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  3. Add three tablespoons of fat back in the roasting pan, reserving the remaining drippings. Add the flour and stir to make a roux. Cook on the stove, stirring, for two minutes.

    A spoon stirring a roux in a roasting pan

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  4. Put the reserved drippings in a 2-cup measure and add enough chicken stock until you have 2 full cups of liquid.

    A measuring cup of chicken drippings

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  5. Gradually stir the chicken stock mixture into the roux mixture. Continue cooking the gravy until thickened, stirring constantly. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

    Finished gravy being stirred in a roast pan

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

How to Store Leftover Chicken

To safely store cooked poultry:

  • Place the stuffing and carved chicken in separate containers.
  • Remove cooled leftovers to airtight containers within 2 hours of cooking.
  • Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Is it Safe to Eat the Stuffing?

Yes. Eating the stuffing is safe as long as you carefully comply with these instructions:

  • Never stuff your chicken the night before. Harmful bacteria in uncooked chicken can leak into the stuffing and cause a variety of health issues.
  • Never remove the stuffing from the chicken before it has reached a safe temperature of 165 F. The chicken must remain in the oven until the stuffing reaches that temperature even if the chicken itself has passed the 165 F reading. Insert an instant-read thermometer into the center of the stuffing to ensure it has reached the safe temperature.
  • Reheat stuffing leftovers to at least 165 F.