Roast Chicken with Thyme, Apple & Onion
My favorite way to roast a chicken is with thyme, apple and onion. This may seem like a strange flavor combination but trust me… it’s amazing! While roasting, the subtle flavors infuse the meat… and it’s heaven. Serve with creamy gravy (recipe included) and enjoy a healthy feast!
Roasting a chicken may seem like a daunting, difficult task – but it’s actually really easy… AND I’ve included full detailed instructions with this recipe so that you can roast your chicken like a total pro, and impress your friends & family with your culinary skills.
This recipe is completely healthy and is free from any nasty, processed ingredients. It’s sugar-free, dairy-free, gluten-free (with a grain-free option) and totally yummy!
I like to slow roast this chicken so that the meat is soft and tender inside, and slightly crisped on the outside.
I love to serve this roast chicken with roasted green vegetables, savoury roasted root vegetables, quinoa or brown basmati rice, oven roasted potatoes or a fresh green salad!
Making this roast chicken for Christmas dinner & all special occasions is part of my family tradition. This recipe has been passed down from my great grandmother, to my gran, to my mom and now to me. I’ve just adapted a few little things to make it healthier – but I’ve pretty much left it the same because it is PERFECT the way that it is. It’s incredible and you will love it. I promise!
I also love roasting a chicken at the beginning of the week, eating some for dinner that night and then keeping the leftovers for easy meals for the next few days. I love to add roast chicken slices to a salad! It’s delicious in a sandwich too.
Ingredients (chicken):
-1 whole free-ranged chicken (giblets removed)
-5 apples
-5 onions
-about 10 grams fresh thyme
-sea salt
-cracked black pepper
-1 or 2 teaspoons white balsamic vinegar (optional)
Ingredients (gravy):
-1 or 2 teaspoons brown rice flour or coconut flour
-sea salt
-cracked black pepper
Instructions (chicken):
-preheat the oven to 160 degree’s Celsius (340 F)
-core and quarter 2 of the 5 apples, leaving the other 3 whole (leave all peels on)
-peel all of the onions, quarter 2 of them and halve the other 3
-stuff the chicken with a few sprigs of fresh thyme, the 2 quartered apples and the 2 quartered onions
-turn the stuffed chicken upside down and season the underneath with sea salt, a generous amount of cracked black pepper & fresh thyme (pulled from the thyme sprigs)
-turn the chicken facing right side up again & season the top with sea salt, a generous amount of cracked black pepper & a generous amount of fresh thyme (I use lots)
-place the chicken in a roasting pan and drizzle the balsamic vinegar over the chicken (optional – no more than recommended amount)
-add the 3 halved onions & the 3 whole apples (remove the stalks) to the roasting pan
-cover the chicken with more fresh thyme sprigs
-cover the roasting pan with a lid
-roast the chicken for about 2 hours at 160 degree’s Celsius (340 F)
-you will know that the chicken is cooked when you can cut it open and there is not pink or jellyish looking meat (2 hours should be good)
-after 2 hours, remove the lid & turn up the oven heat to 180 degree’s Celsius (360 F), leaving the chicken to cook for another 10 minutes (this will make it brown on top)
-remove from the oven when cooked & serve on a platter with the cooked onions and apples
-garnish with additional fresh thyme (optional)
-get ready to make the gravy
Instructions (gravy):
-remove the chicken, onion & apples from the roasting pan and keep the juice/ liquid that cooks out of the chicken to make the gravy
-pour the liquid into a small sauce pan with 1 or 2 teaspoons of flour (brown rice flour or coconut flour)
-simmer & stir continuously over a medium-high heat for 2 to 5 minutes until it starts to thicken
-when it is at your desired thickness, drain it through a sieve (to remove any lumps) and add sea salt & cracked black pepper to taste
-you can always stir in more hot water if you have made it too thick
-serve the gravy in a gravy boat/ server and drizzle over the chicken when served
-serve with your favorite vegetable dishes (I like to serve it with roasted green vegetables or roasted root vegetables – sometimes both) or a fresh salad
Serving suggestions:
-slice the chicken and serve with the cooked apples & onions (you can also eat the stuffing)
-drizzle the chicken with gravy
-serve with roasted green vegetables or savoury roasted root vegetables
-serve with oven roasted potatoes
-serve with quinoa or brown basmati rice
-serve with a fresh green salad
-eat and enjoy every bite!
Made with love by Liezl Jayne xo
Preparation time: 10 to 20 minutes
Roasting time: 2 hours + 10 minutes
Total time: about 2 hours and 30 minutes
