Christmas Chicken

Name: Christmas Chicken
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 80 min
Ingredients: ½ cup unsalted butter ( softened); 1 clove garlic (minced); 1 teaspoon fresh parsley (chopped); 1 sprig fresh rosemary (chopped); 2 teaspoons orange zest; 2 teaspoons kosher salt; ½ teaspoon ground black pepper; 1 whole chicken (about 4-5 lbs ); 2 cups fresh cranberries; 3 tablespoons light brown sugar; ¼ cup orange juice; 2-3 medium carrots (peeled and chopped into medium pieces); 1 large yellow onion (cut into 8 pieces); 1 orange (sliced and cut into smaller pieces); 1 pound baby potatoes (halved); 1 tablespoon olive oil; 2 small cinnamon sticks (break in half)

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By: Diana Published on December 5, 2023

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Don’t stress about a Christmas ham or Christmas roast this year. Instead, make this the holiday that you serve a Christmas Chicken, perfectly roasted over a bed of tender vegetables, all infused with the perfect festive flavors from oranges, cranberries, and cinnamon.

a white platter holding braised vegetables including potatoes, carrots, onions, orange slices, and cranberries. On top of the vegetables is a whole roasted chicken, garnished with rosemary.

Roast Christmas Chicken is the perfect meal for the holidays, especially if you’re cooking for just a small group, or you don’t feel like fussing around with a whole roast turkey or spending the money for a prime rib, spiral ham, or other fancy roast.

Chicken is an inexpensive and easy to cook meal, and this recipe adds festive flavors like cranberry and orange to take a simple roast chicken dinner to a whole new level.

There are tons of tasty ways to cook a whole chicken, and this is just one of them. Try my Garlic Herb Butter Roast Chicken, Succulent Air Fryer Whole Chicken, or Dutch Oven Roast Chicken too!

sliced christmas chicken with oranges, potatoes, and cranberries. A fork is about to pick up a piece.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Whole chicken is an inexpensive and easy-to-cook meal, and this recipe adds festive flavors like cranberry, cinnamon, and orange to take a simple roast chicken dinner to a whole new level.

And even though it tastes amazing, it doesn’t take a lot of time to prepare. You’ll be able to cook this entire Christmas Chicken with potatoes in about 2 hours total with about 20 minutes of hands-on prep time.

You can, of course, serve this roast chicken for Christmas or Christmas Eve, but it’s easy enough that you can make it any time of the year too! It’s a great way to use up any extra cranberries from your Thanksgiving cranberry sauce recipe. So is my Cranberry Chicken recipe!

Christmas Roast Chicken Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make this recipe:

A raw whole chicken next to an onion, two oranges, three carrots, a bowl of baby potatoes, a bowl of cranberries, and seasonings needed to make a recipe for Christmas Chicken

Whole Chicken: This recipe will work best with a chicken that is between 4 and 5 pounds. This chicken comes out very tasty and juicy without any need to brine it first, but if you’d like to give it even more juiciness, learn how to brine a chicken with my simple instructions.
Oranges, Cranberries, Brown Sugar, and Cinnamon: These aromatic and sweet ingredients add a special touch to this recipe and will cook down to give the vegetables and the chicken an amazing Christmassy flavor! Fresh cranberries work best, but frozen ones can also be used.
Butter and Fresh Herbs: A homemade herb butter spread will season the chicken, help brown the skin, and keep the breast meat super tender. Rosemary and Parsley along with softened unsalted butter, a clove of minced garlic, and some salt and pepper make this Christmas chicken herb butter amazing.
Carrots and Potatoes: This dish is a full meal with potatoes and carrots cooked underneath the chicken. They are tender and so delicious this way!

Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

How To Make Christmas Chicken

Start by preheating your oven to 425°F (220°C). We’ll start cooking the chicken at a high temperature and then lower the heat to roast it more gently.

A bowl of herb butter for christmas chicken that includes minced garlic, parsley, rosemary, orange zest.

a raw chicken that has been tied together and coated in herb butter.

Make the Herb Butter: In a bowl, combine the softened butter, minced garlic, chopped parsley, chopped rosemary, zest from an orange, salt, and pepper.
Season the Chicken: Season the cavity of the chicken with salt and pepper. Stuff it with a piece of onion and a sprig of rosemary. Use kitchen twine to truss the chicken. Then add half of the butter mixture underneath the skin of the chicken breast. Rub the remaining butter all over the exterior of the chicken.
Prep the Cranberries: Toss the cranberries with orange juice and brown sugar. Allow them to rest and macerate while you prepare the rest of the vegetables.
Prepare the Vegetables: In a large roasting pan, combine carrots, onion wedges, orange slices, and baby potatoes. Drizzle it all with olive oil and toss to coat. Lastly, add in the cranberries and cinnamon sticks. If there is any more rosemary on your cutting board, toss that in too! Place the chicken on top of the bed of vegetables, breast side up.

Tip!

If you’d rather not fully truss the chicken, just be sure to tie the legs together, and tuck the wings underneath the bird.

A large roasting pan set up to to into the oven. it's filled with baby potatoes, sliced onion, carrot pieces, cinnamon stick, sliced oranges, and fresh cranberries. A raw whole chicken, covered in seasoned butter is on the vegetables, breast side up

a whole trussed chicken in a roasting pan with a mix of braised onions, carrots, potatoes, and aromatic fruits.

Roast: Roast the chicken and vegetables for 15 minutes in the preheated, 425°F (220°C) oven. Then lower the heat to 350°F (180°C) and continue roasting for approximately 45 minutes. Cover the chicken with a piece of foil if it seems to be browning too quickly.
Rest and Serve: Allow the chicken to rest on a platter or cutting board for 10 minutes before carving. As you wait, you can strain the juices from the pan, and heat them with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch slurry to make gravy.

Recipe Tips

Carving the Chicken: You should cut the roast Christmas chicken into smaller pieces before serving. See my step-by-step guide on how to carve a chicken for more details and tips.
Serving Size: A 4-5 pound chicken is enough to feed 4 to 6 people. If you have six people, I suggest looking for a chicken closer to 5 lbs.
Cooking Time: The exact amount of time needed to roast a chicken will depend on the size of it. The best way to know if the chicken is done is to use an instant-read thermometer to ensure that the temperature of the thickest part of the thigh is 165°F (74°C).
Tender Roast Vegetables: The carrots and potatoes will be cooked in the liquid from the juices released from the chicken and the fruits. If you prefer to make a chicken recipe with crispy potatoes, try making my Chicken Under a Brick instead.

What To Serve With Christmas Chicken

You already have the protein, veggies, and potatoes all in one roasting pan, so there’s no need to do other side dishes, unless you want to.

Some of my favorite sides to serve for Christmas dinner are Broccoli Casserole, Sausage Stuffing, and copycat Texas Roadhouse rolls.

For Dessert, make a batch of homemade cannoli, mini creme brulee trifles, or a decadent chocolate chip cheesecake!

Recipe FAQs

How do I truss a chicken?

Start with a 3-foot piece of kitchen twine. Place the bird, breast side up with the neck facing away from you on your board. Run the center of the piece of twine under the neck, then bring the string up towards you, tucking the wings as you go.

Now bring the twine along the outside of the legs, holding them in place. Cross the twin under the ankles and then tie them together.

You can also just tie the legs together and then tuck in the wings. Don’t stress too much!

Should I Roast Chicken Breast Side Up or Down?

Roasting chicken with the breast side UP allows it to brown beautifully and keeps the breast meat from drying out too quickly.

How Should I Store Leftovers?

Leftover roast chicken can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Use the leftovers to make sandwiches, soups, or as a tasty second holiday meal.