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The roast Christmas chicken on white platter with rosemary, orange and cranberries decorating the chicken.
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Roast Christmas Chicken With Orange-Ginger Glaze

Prepare a memorable holiday dinner the whole family will love with this Christmas roast chicken with an orange-ginger glaze! After rubbing the whole bird with a medley of warm spices, we roast it to perfection to make the most tender, juicy roast chicken. Best of all, this roast chicken requires less than 30 minutes of hands-on preparation time to make holiday entertaining simple as can be.
Course Main Dishes
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Brining Time 8 hours
Total Time 9 hours 20 minutes
Servings 4 people
Calories 587kcal
Author Amanda McGrory-Dixon

Equipment

  • Kitchen twine
  • Roasting pan with rack
  • Aluminum foil

Ingredients

Orange-Ginger Glaze

  • ½ cup orange juice
  • ¼ cup maple syrup
  • 1 garlic clove grated or minced
  • 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
  • ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • Splash of water
  • Pinch of fresh orange zest optional

Roast Christmas Chicken

  • 1 whole chicken thawed and innards removed
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • ½ orange cut into wedges
  • ½ yellow onion cut into wedges
  • Several sprigs fresh rosemary
  • Several sprigs fresh sage
  • Several sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon ground allspice

Instructions

Orange-Ginger Glaze

  • In a small saucepan over medium heat, stir together orange juice, maple syrup, garlic, ginger, apple cider vinegar, cinnamon and salt. Bring to a near simmer.
  • In a small cup, stir together the cornstarch and water to make a slurry. Pour the slurry into the orange juice mixture and cook until it's thicken enough to coat a wooden spoon. Turn off the heat and stir in the orange zest if desired. Set aside.

Roast Christmas Chicken

  • Pat chicken dry with paper towels, including the cavity. Sprinkle the chicken all over with salt. Fill the cavity with the orange, onion, rosemary, sage and thyme. Tie the legs together with the kitchen twine. Place in the refrigerator uncovered to dry brine for at least eight hours, preferably up to 24 hours.
  • Remove the chicken from the refrigerator. Brush with olive oil.
  • Stir together the chili powder, brown sugar, garlic powder, black pepper, paprika, onion powder, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, cloves and allspice. Rub all over the chicken skin as well as the meat underneath. Let the chicken sit in room temperature for 30-60 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oven to 450 degrees F.
  • Place chicken on a greased wire rack of a roasting pan lined with aluminum foil. Insert a leave-in thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh without touching the bone to avoid an inaccurate reading. Place roasting pan in the oven uncovered.
  • When the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 130-140 degrees F, brush with the glaze. Continue cooking until the internal temperature of the thigh reaches 165 degrees F.
  • Remove the chicken from the oven and brush with the glaze again. Allow the chicken to rest for 10-15 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute into the meat. Carve and enjoy!

Video

Notes

  • Store leftovers in an airtight container for three to four days. The chicken can also be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to four months for best quality.
  • Fully thaw your chicken before brining. If the bird is still frozen, it won’t let the brine work its magic to get that wonderfully flavorful, juicy chicken.
  • Only use the orange zest, not the white of the orange peel. The white pith can make the glaze bitter. We just want the fresh orange peel. To get the peel, you can use a zester or microplane grater.
  • The glaze will soften the skin a bit. If you want to maintain the crispy skin, only lightly glaze it right before serving and serve extra on the side.
  • The cayenne pepper and chili powder give this chicken a light kick that's lovely with the warm spices. However, if you're sensitive to heat, feel free to reduce the amount by half. 
  • Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25chicken | Calories: 587kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 143mg | Sodium: 1899mg | Potassium: 634mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 956IU | Vitamin C: 44mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 2mg