Stuffed chicken with Christmas filling & side dishes

The family holiday dish. It's easier than it looks, ideal for beginners and perfect for the Christmas family table.

Materials (4–6 people)

For the chicken

• 1 whole chicken (1.8–2.2 kg)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp thyme or oregano
• Salt & freshly ground pepper
• Juice of 1 orange or lemon

For the Christmas filling

• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 150 g minced meat (optional, for a richer flavor)
• ½ cup Carolina or long-grain rice
• 1 apple, diced into small cubes
• 50 g prunes or raisins
• 40 g chopped walnuts or almonds
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp allspice
• Salt & pepper

For the accompaniments

• Potatoes, cut into wedges
• Carrots or sweet potatoes
• Olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme

Preparation – Step by Step

1️⃣ Prepare the filling

In a pan, sauté the onion with olive oil.
Add the minced meat (if using) and stir until it changes color.
Add rice, apple, dried fruit, nuts and spices.
Stir for 2–3 minutes and remove (it does not need to be fully cooked).

2️⃣ Stuff the chicken

Season the chicken with salt and pepper inside and out.
We loosely stuff the belly (not too tightly).
Close with toothpicks or tie with string.

3️⃣ Flavoring

Rub the chicken with olive oil, paprika, thyme and orange juice.
We spread the potatoes and vegetables around it.

4️⃣ Bake

Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C.

Time: 1 hour & 30 minutes approximately

Halfway through, pour over the juices.

If we see that it is browning too much, we cover it loosely with aluminum foil.

How to serve it ideally

• With baked potatoes and carrots
• With green salad or cabbage-carrot salad
• With homemade mashed potatoes or rice pilaf

💡 Tips for beginners

• Take the chicken out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking.
• We don't overfill the filling.
• Let it rest for 10 minutes before cutting it.