Whole Roast Chicken and Pilafi Rice Recipe

Make perfect whole roast chicken, brimming with incredible herby flavour and wrapped in a golden crunchy skin that you will become obsessed with eating. This method gives you chicken steeped in flavour from the inside out and pull-apart tender.

With the savoury pilaf cooked underneath the chicken, not a drop of the golden, glowy pan juices are missed. Prepare your heart…this one’s a show-stopper.

If you love Greek recipes (like I do, obviously), try my charcoal chicken on the rotisserie, this recipe for Greek lemon lamb with tender potatoes, or my comforting chicken youvetsi recipe!

Why You Will love This Dish

This compound butter, with its smoked paprika, fresh rosemary, and zesty lemon, transforms a simple roast chicken into a gourmet delight. The magic of compound butter under the skin ensures the meat stays juicy and tender, while the skin crisps up to perfection.

This isn't just a roast chicken—it's a complete meal! The pilafi rice, infused with butter, garlic, and lemon, makes for a comforting and tasty side dish that complements the chicken beautifully.

Whether it's a weeknight dinner or a special occasion, this recipe is easy to follow yet impressive enough to impress your family and friends.

How To Make This Dish - Short Video

Ingredients

• Whole Chicken: Select a bird approximately 2kg in weight for optimal roasting.

• Unsalted butter: Make sure it's softened to blend easily with other ingredients.
  
• Smoked paprika: Adds a smoky, rich flavour.
  
• Fresh rosemary: Finely chop for an aromatic, earthy taste.
  
• Garlic cloves: Minced for a punch of flavour.
  
• Lemon zest: Provides a bright, citrusy note. Don’t skip it. Orange zest is lovely, too.
  

• Brown onion: Quartered to release sweet, savoury flavours as it cooks.
  
• Lemon carcass: The remnants of your zested lemon.
  
• Fresh thyme, bay leaves & oregano: Infuses the chicken with herbal fragrance and flavour.

• Medium grain rice: Perfect for absorbing flavours while maintaining a slightly firm texture.
  
• Lemon juice: Adds a fresh, tangy brightness to the rice.
  
• Chicken stock: The backbone of flavour for the pilafi, ensuring the rice is infused with rich, savoury depth.

Top Tips

While this is a pretty easy-going recipe, here are a few tips to help you get the best results:

• Pat the chicken dry: Before seasoning and applying the compound butter, pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Missing this step will make it extremely hard for the compound butter to stick to the skin.
  
• Get under the skin: Gently separate the skin from the meat, especially around the breast area, to create pockets for the compound butter. This keeps the meat moist and infuses it with rich flavour. YUM!
  
• Generous seasoning: Season the chicken liberally with salt and pepper, both inside and out, to enhance its natural flavours.
  
• Preheat and hot start: Preheat your oven to a high temperature to give the chicken a hot start. This initial burst of heat helps to crisp the skin. After 20 minutes, reduce the temperature to ensure the meat cooks through without drying out.
  
• Use a meat thermometer: To ensure your chicken is perfectly cooked, use a meat thermometer. Insert it into the thickest part of the thigh, avoiding the bone. The chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 75°C (165°F).
  
• Rest before carving: After roasting, let the chicken rest for at least 10 minutes before carving. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, resulting in a juicier chicken.

Basic Instruction Breakdown

• Cleaning and Drying the Chicken: Use paper towels to thoroughly dry the chicken, ensuring the compound butter sticks properly.
  

• Making the Compound Butter: Mix softened butter with smoked paprika, salt, pepper, finely chopped rosemary, minced garlic, and lemon zest to create a flavourful paste.
  

• Coating the Chicken with Compound Butter: Lift the skin of the chicken breast to spread the compound underneath it, then coat the outside of the chicken.
  

• Placing the Chicken on a Rack: Position the chicken on a wire rack inside a baking tray for even cooking and crispy skin.

• Cooking the Chicken for the First Hour: Roast the chicken at 200°C (fan-forced) for the first 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 175°C (fan-forced) and continue cooking for another 50 minutes.
  
• Melting the Butter for Pilafi Rice: Melt butter in a saucepan or skillet over medium heat, then cook diced onion and minced garlic until soft.
  

• Mixing the Rice Ingredients: Combine the cooked onion and garlic with rice, salt, pepper, lemon juice, chicken stock, and bay leaves.
  

• Placing the Chicken on Top of the Rice on a Rack: After the chicken has cooked for an hour, transfer it to a wire rack over the rice mixture. Ensure the chicken remains elevated above the rice to allow the flavours to meld without making the rice soggy.
  

• Cooking the Chicken and Rice in the Oven: Roast the chicken and rice together at 175°C (fan-forced) for an additional 30 minutes, or until the chicken is golden, crispy, and reaches an internal temperature of 75°C.
  
• Resting the Chicken: Allow the chicken to rest uncovered for at least 10 minutes before cutting.

What to serve with it

Serve your incredible chicken with a side of Greek yoghurt or even tzatziki, some warm homemade bread and loads of veggies. Its yummy with a juicy Greek salad.

People please, don’t skip dessert! End off with a portion of my Greek coconut cake or a hit of chocolate via my Greek chocolate cake. If you’re into syrup-soaked cakes, you’ve got to try my karidopita Greek walnut cake as well. Got a sweet tooth? Me too, so let’s do this!

📖 Recipe

Whole Roast Chicken and Pilafi Rice Recipe

Crispy Oven Roast Chicken with lemon-infused pilafi Rice: a delicious and comforting dish featuring herb-stuffed chicken and buttery rice.

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 50 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Greek

Servings 4

Calories 6054 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 Whole chicken roughly 2kg

Compound butter

• 200 grams unsalted butter softened
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary then finely chop
• 5 garlic cloves minced
• 1 lemon zest keep juice for rice

Over Chicken

• salt
• pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Stuffing

• 1 brown onion quartered
• 1 lemon carcass
• bunch of thyme fresh
• bunch of oregano fresh

Pilafi Rice

• 100 grams unsalted butter
• 1 brown onion diced
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups medium grain rice
• 1 Juice of lemon
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 2 bay leaves

Instructions

 

Chicken Preparation

• Preheat your oven to 200°C (fan-forced).
• Dry the chicken using a paper towel. This step is crucial to help the compound butter stick to the chicken.
• In a bowl, combine the softened butter, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, finely chopped rosemary, minced garlic, and lemon zest. Mix everything well until it forms a thick paste.
• Using a large spoon, carefully lift the skin of the chicken breast and place a good amount of butter on each side. Then, place the chicken on its back and gently push the butter around so it is evenly layered.
• Stuff the chicken with the quartered onion, fresh thyme, fresh oregano, and lemon carcasses.
• Use cooking string to tie up the legs and tuck the wings under the chicken.
• Butter the back and sides of the chicken. Flip the chicken and butter the breast side.
• Add a little more salt and pepper to your liking, and finish by drizzling with olive oil.
• Place the chicken onto a wire rack inside a baking tray.
• Place the tray into the oven and cook for 10 minutes.
• Turn the oven down to 175°C (fan-forced) and continue to cook for another 50 minutes. (Start to prepare your rice.)

Pilafi Rice Preparation

• lace a saucepan or skillet over medium heat and melt the butter.
• Add the diced onion and minced garlic to the saucepan. Cook for a few minutes until the onions are soft and translucent, then remove from heat.
• Add the washed rice to the pan.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Mix well to ensure the rice is evenly coated with the buttery mixture. Spread the rice mixture evenly in the dish.
• Add the lemon juice and chicken stock. (Refer to your rice packet for specific liquid requirements per cup.)
• Place the bay leaves on top of the rice.
• Position a wire rack on top of your saucepan or skillet to hold the chicken. (Ensure the chicken is raised above the juices.)

Cooking the Rice and Chicken Together

• After the chicken has been cooking for a total of 60 minutes, carefully remove it from the oven.
• Transfer the chicken on top of the rice, ensuring it remains on the rack.
• Baste the chicken with the juices from the bottom of the original chicken tray.
• Transfer everything into the oven and cook for 30 minutes at 175°C (fan-forced).
• When the chicken is beautifully golden, crispy, and has an internal temperature of 75°C, remove it from the oven.
• Allow the chicken to rest uncovered for at least 10 minutes before cutting.
• Serve and enjoy!

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 6054kcalCarbohydrates: 447gProtein: 199gFat: 384gSaturated Fat: 192gPolyunsaturated Fat: 38gMonounsaturated Fat: 126gTrans Fat: 11gCholesterol: 1238mgSodium: 13247mgPotassium: 3362mgFiber: 23gSugar: 25gVitamin A: 9698IUVitamin C: 115mgCalcium: 367mgIron: 31mg

Keyword oven roast chicken, whole chicken

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