Maple Glazed Roasted Chicken

Maple Glazed Roasted Chicken

What is it about this time of year?  All I can think about is comfort food and the wonderful aromas that float through my house as I’m cooking. 

I decided that this year I’m going to do something a bit different with my Thanksgiving turkey, still using all the best ingredients.  Since half of our table is over the age of 80 I have to be very careful what I serve, based upon the varied dietary restrictions.  Honestly, I’m tired of my basic turkey even though everyone loves it, and I never get a complaint.  But, this year I’d like to jazz it up just a bit so I decided to test something out a tad different.  I’m considering adding a maple/orange glaze over my turkey but, decided to test it out using a whole chicken.

The results were outstanding!!!  I literally could have poured the liquid into a glass to have as a beverage.  It was outrageously delicious!

Roasting a chicken or turkey is probably one of the easiest dishes to prepare, tossing in a few ingredients, and leaving the rest up to your oven.

Use this chart to determine how long to roast your chicken: (starting at 400F degrees then reducing to 375F degrees)
  • 2.5-3lbs=1 hour
  • 3-3.5lbs=1 hour/10 minutes
  • 3.5-4lbs=1 hour/20 minutes
  • 4-4.5lbs=1 hour/30 minutes
  • 4.5-5lbs=1 hour/40 minutes
  • 5-5.5lbs=1 hour/50 minutes
  • 5.5-6lbs=2 hours
  • 6-6.5lbs=2 hours/10 minutes
  • 6.5-7lbs=2 hours/20 minutes
  • 7-7.5lbs=2 hours/30 minutes
NOTE: These times are for unstuffed birds. Add 15 minutes to the total cooking time if you’re roasting a stuffed chicken. Be sure to test that both chicken and stuffing reaches a temperature of at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

Here’s my recipe, but don’t be afraid to change it up by adding ingredients that you prefer, or switching out some of my ingredients for your favorites.

Maple Glazed Roasted Chicken

Ingredients:

 

  • 1 (6-8) pound whole chicken
  • 1/4 cup (80 milliliters) extra-virgin olive oil
  •  1 head garlic, skin left on, tip cut off
  • 1 whole shallot, tip cut off
  • Zest of 2 organic oranges, preferably
  • Sea salt
  • 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 20 fingerling potatoes
  • 20 baby carrots

 

 

Directions:

 

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C).

2. Remove the giblets from the chicken and discard. Pat chicken dry inside and out with paper towels. Set fingerling potatoes and carrots in a dutch oven or roasting pan to act as a rack. Place chicken on top of potatoes and carrots. Tuck whole garlic, shallot plus zested & juiced oranges (quartered) into the chicken's cavity. Cross the chicken legs and tie together with kitchen twine. Rub entire chicken with oil, coating all sides. Sprinkle orange zest over skin, then liberally sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place chicken, breast side up, in roasting pan and roast, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

3. In a medium bowl, mix maple syrup, orange juice, and 1 cup chicken stock. Pour 1 cup maple syrup mixture into a measuring cup. Add remaining 1 cup of stock to the maple syrup mixture in the bowl.

4. After the chicken has been in the oven for 30 minutes, pour the 1 cup of maple syrup blend over the chicken. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and roast chicken for another 45 minutes, then pour remaining maple/orange blend over the chicken.  Continue roasting uncovered for an additional 1 1/2 hours or see chart above based upon size of bird. The skin should be golden brown, and crisp, with an internal temperature of 165°F to 180°F (74°C to 82°C) on an instant-read thermometer. If the chicken starts to brown too much before the desired temperature is reached, loosely cover with foil, shiny side out.

5. Remove chicken from oven and allow to rest, covered loosely with foil, or if using a dutch oven cover with lid for 15 minutes.

6. Optional: In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter, then add 2 tablespoons of flour, blending to make a roux.  Pour 2 cups of the pan juices into the saucepan. Bring to a simmer, whisking to incorporate ingredients and to avoid lumps.

7. Transfer the chicken to a platter with vegetables, and carve. If desired, pour some of the maple/orange glaze over the chicken with the remaining glaze into a gravy boat.   In a separate serving boat add the thickened gravy,  passing both alongside the chicken.

Enjoy!!!

 

 

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23 comments

  1. Your maple and orange glaze sounds wonderful! I like trying new things, too. People get funny at Thanksgiving, though — want the tried and true. So I do both — introduce some new things, but also make sure I have plenty of the old standbys. Good recipe — thanks.

  2. CHocolate brickle sensations??? I need to find that recipe 🙂

    In the meantime, your chicken looks fantastic! What a marvelous glaze! It will be excellent on your holiday turkey!

  3. Wow. This is a gorgeous recipe! I am loving the maple glaze. It sounds incredible!

  4. I am totally with you in the comfort food camp! This sounds delicious, Vicki!

  5. Dear Vicki, This looks wonderful. It looks like pure comfort. Blessings dear. Catherine

  6. I’m imagining the wonderful aroma as this bakes Vickie. It looks amazing and sounds like a delightful change for Thanksgiving.

  7. Your maple glaze looks so delicious, I bet this chicken got taken to a whole other level 😀
    Beautiful photos!

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

  8. wooah my mouth is watering Vicki! Looks lip smacking good. I have never tried cooking with maple syrup but I have heard a lots. I wonder how it tastes. thanks for sharing!

  9. Vicki, I normally do not like to handle a whole chicken…but after seeing this post, I must admit that I am very tempted to try…love the citrus glaze…
    Thanks for the inspiration…have a wonderful week 🙂

  10. that chicken looks amazing. the skin is perfectly crispy while I know the inside is perfectly moist and the roasted maple flavor is divine

  11. Your roasted chicken looks really beautiful Vicki! I like the maple glazed (YUM!) – keeps my appetite going crazy. 🙂 And the orange zest gives very nice fragrance and citrus taste… beautiful combination with the maple! Thank you for sharing this recipe.

  12. Now that’s one beautiful chicken!!! This is a great idea for any time of the year.

  13. How clever you were to try out the glaze on a roasted chicken first. I know your turkey will be a big hit.

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