Roasted Chicken with Maple Soy Gravy

I love making a roasted chicken for Sunday dinner for my family. Nothing fills a home with a delicious, comforting smell the way a roasting chicken does (except for maybe a roasting turkey!). And this recipe for Roasted Chicken with Maple Soy Gravy is truly a family favorite!

Which is why that any time there is a sale on whole roasting chickens at the grocery store- I make sure to stock up so that I always have one or two in the freezer.

This one was $1.19/lb, but I've paid as little as 89 cents per pound at times. And it's a good deal when I can feed my family for less than $10 for the entree- and still have enough for leftovers!

If you have never roasted a chicken before- no worries! It is easy! And be sure to take the time to make the gravy. It is also fairly simple to make, and the smell of simmering chicken stock on the stove will make you one happy home cook!

Roasted Chicken with Maple Soy Gravy

One of the things that makes this chicken so great is the glaze for the skin which also adds flavor later on to the gravy!

Once the chicken is roasting away so nicely in the oven, you baste it with the glaze every 20 minutes or so.

And since we make the gravy from a stock that reduces on the stovetop- your kitchen smells heavenly all day long!

Roasted Chicken with Maple Soy Gravy Recipe:

Roasted Chicken with Maple Soy Gravy

 

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I love making a roasted chicken for Sunday dinner for my family. And this recipe for Roasted Chicken with Maple Soy Gravy is truly a family favorite!

Author: MomOf6

Ingredients

For the glaze

• ¼ cup of pure maple syrup (note: not the fake pancake stuff- the real stuff!)
• 1 Tablespoon of soy sauce
• 1 Tablespoon of rice vinegar
• ½ teaspoon of hot pepper sauce (like Tobasco)

Butter mixture for under the skin

• ¼ stick of butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon of minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon of minced ginger
• salt and pepper
• ½ orange
• ½ cup Sherry

Chicken Stock for the Gravy

• 1 T vegetable oil
• chicken neck and giblets
• 3 whole carrots, broken into 2-3 pieces each
• 3 stalks of celery, broken into 2-3 pieces each
• 1 large Spanish onion, quartered
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 T flour
• 3 T vegetable oil

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
2. Prepare the maple-soy glaze by whisking the maple syrup, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and hot sauce in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. Prepare the chicken for roasting- by removing all packaging and set aside the neck and giblets, which we will use for the gravy. Rinse the chicken well in the sink, pat dry with paper towels, and place it breast-up in a roasting pan. Run hands under the chicken skin to loosen it.
4. Combine the butter, garlic, and ginger into a “paste” and spread the mixture under the skin, over the breast and thighs. Sprinkle your chicken with salt and pepper.
5. Cut ½ orange into 4 pieces. Squeeze some of the juice from the orange pieces over the chicken, then place the slices inside of the cavity. Pour the ½ cup Sherry over the top of the chicken. Place inside the oven and roast for 20 minutes.
6. Add ½ cup of water to the pan and continue roasting until the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees in the thickest part of the thigh (I prefer to use a meat thermometer vs. the pop-up thingy that comes in the chicken).
7. Every 20 minutes or so, baste the chicken with the maple-soy glaze.
8. When the chicken has reached the correct internal temperature (170 degrees), remove it from the oven and then place a sheet of foil on top and allow it to rest for 10 minutes. This will give it a chance to re-absorb the juices before you carve it, allowing for a much moister chicken.

For the Gravy

1. First, make the chicken stock- add one tablespoon of vegetable oil to a large and heat until hot. Add the turkey neck and giblets and brown for 8-10 minutes. Add the carrots, celery, onion, and bay leaf.
2. Allow that to simmer on the stove for 5 minutes and then add 6 cups of water. Simmer at a slow boil until the liquid is reduced by half. Strain and discard the solids. After the chicken has finished cooking and been removed from the roasting pan, pour the drippings into a grease separator and set aside.
3. In a large saucepan, add four tablespoons of flour to three tablespoons of vegetable oil and whisk together over medium-low heat for 5-8 minutes until the flour is aromatic. Add in ½ cup (or so) of the chicken stock and whisk until smooth, add in ½ cup (or so) of grease-eliminated chicken-drippings. Continue to add chicken stock and drippings until you achieve the desired consistency for your gravy. Season with salt and pepper.

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Serving the Roasted Chicken:

My husband is our in-house chicken-carving expert. All because he read an excellent article in the NY Times about 10 years ago and ever since he graces our table with such a beautiful presentation!

Enjoy!

Looking for More Recipes that Kids Will Actually Eat?

Then check out my Recipes page for breakfasts, dinners, desserts, and more that have been Rowley family approved!