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Two simple ways to prepare perfect winter meals from grilled chicken. Make the most of leftovers with this homemade gravy recipe.
Sometimes the best meals are the straightforward ones, especially during the holidays. I think you’re going to love these whole roast chicken recipes. Both oven-roasted and slow-cooked recipes are great for a family dinner or casual entertaining.
This simple, oven-roasted whole chicken has a flavor-enhancing rub that includes onion powder because fresh onions tend to burn during the dry-roasting process.
Slow-cooker chicken with white wine sauce is a fix-and-forget kind of meal. Chicken cooks slowly in a moist environment, so fresh garlic and onions can be used without fear of the aromatics drying out or burning.
After the holidays are over, these family favorites are good choices when you need a meal that’s low-cost, tasty, and nutritious.
After you’ve enjoyed eating the bird and all that’s left is the carcass, repurpose it and the giblets (if any) into a tasty stock for the freezer.
Simple roast chicken recipe
ingredients
- 1 whole chicken, about 3 pounds or so, with the giblets removed
- Preferred chicken seasoning mix or salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon of onion powder
- 1/2 cup butter or substitute
- 1 rib celery, cut into 4 pieces
- 2 cups low-sodium, low-fat chicken broth
instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Put the chicken in a frying pan greased with butter. Choose a pan large enough to hold the chicken but not so large that the juices evaporate. Sprinkle the spice mixture and onion powder generously on the inside and outside of the bird.
- Put half of the butter in the cavity along with the celery. Put the rest of the butter around the chicken in the skillet.
- Pour the broth into the bottom of the pan, around the chicken.
- Roast uncovered until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, not touching the bone, reads 175 to 180 degrees Fahrenheit. This takes 60 to 85 minutes. Several times during roasting, soak the chicken with the broth in the pan.
- After taking it out of the oven, put it back in with drippings. Line the tent with aluminum foil and let it rest for at least 15-20 minutes before serving.
Slow Cooker Whole “Roasted” Chicken with White Wine Sauce
ingredients
- 1 whole chicken, about 4 pounds, giblets removed
- 4 tablespoons of butter or 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 2 cups coarsely chopped yellow or white onion (not sweet onion)
- 4-6 crushed garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
- Mix chicken seasoning or salt and pepper to taste
- 1/3 cup each: low-sodium, low-fat chicken broth and dry white wine
- Seasoned salt and pepper or your favorite poultry seasoning
- Paprika for color and flavor (optional)
instructions
- Melt the butter over low heat in a large skillet. Cook the onions and garlic until the onions begin to soften.
Stir in tomato paste and cook until onions are golden brown, about 5 minutes. Be careful not to burn the garlic. Add salt and pepper to taste, then pour in the broth and wine.
- Keep stirring to get the browned bits off the bottom of the pan, then place it all in a buttered slow cooker.
- Dry the chicken with paper towels. Unless absolutely necessary, do not rinse chicken before cooking. Rinsing it in the sink may cause water from the chicken to splash into the surrounding areas, thus transferring bacteria to other surfaces.
- Generously season the chicken all over and inside with your favorite spice blend or with salt and pepper to taste.
- Place the chicken in a slow cooker and cook for 4 to 6 hours. If the chicken is very cold when you put it in the slow cooker, it may take up to 6 hours.
- When the chicken is cooked through, a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh should read 175 to 180 degrees Fahrenheit. Carefully remove the chicken and cover it with tin foil while making the sauce.
- Prepare the sauce by mixing 1/3 cup reduced-sodium, reduced-fat chicken broth and 1/3 cup dry white wine. You can blend the sauce in the slow cooker with an immersion blender or in a blender. You can replace the white wine with an equal amount of chicken broth. Freeze leftover wine in an ice cube tray and then in a container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Adjust seasoning, shred chicken, and drizzle with sauce.
Homemade chicken bone broth recipe
ingredients
- Cooked chicken carcass
- giblets (optional)
- 2 ribs of celery
- 1 onion
- A splash of apple cider vinegar
instructions
- Cut the cooked chicken carcass. Place in a large bowl with the giblets (if you have them) and cover with water. The neck, heart, gizzard and liver are usually in a bag inside the chicken for easy removal. Some people don’t like to use liver as stock, but I use all of the giblets.
- Add a pair of celery ribs. Quartered peeled onions. A splash of apple cider vinegar. This helps pull minerals out of the bones and break down the collagen that enriches the broth.
- Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook, uncovered, for about 45 minutes.
- Drain, cool and refrigerate. If desired, remove the fat that has congealed to the top after cooling.
- keeps in the refrigerator for up to a week; Freeze for up to 3 months.
Rita Nader Hickenfeld He is a certified herbalist and culinary specialist. She is a writer, journalist, media personality, and most importantly, a wife, mother, and grandmother. She and her family live in a little patch of paradise in Claremont County, Ohio.
Originally published in the December 2022 / January 2023 issue of Backyard Poultry and has been regularly checked for accuracy.