Chicken stuffed with raisins

Recently, I've taken to making stuffed chicken with raisins almost every time I need something hearty, but with a filling that really stands out. It’s not a quick weeknight recipe, but you don’t have to stress over it either. What I love most is the balance between the crunch of the nuts and the sweetness of the raisins. I initially got the recipe from Bucatarul.ro and kept the exact steps, with minor adjustments to the method, as I've noticed they work better at home.

Quick Info

Total Time: About 2 hours
Preparation Time: 20-30 minutes
Baking Time: 1 hour and a half
Servings: 4-6 people
Difficulty: Medium
Recipe Type: Main dish for family meals or occasions

Ingredients

1 whole chicken (cleaned and washed)
250 g bacon (diced)
2 onions (chopped)
3 tablespoons walnut (ground or coarsely chopped)
3 tablespoons raisins
2 eggs
50 ml milk
4 slices of bread (cubed)
Fresh parsley (finely chopped)
500 ml chicken broth
2 cloves of garlic (chopped)
1-2 sprigs of rosemary
Salt
Pepper
Soy sauce
Paprika
Oil (for frying the bacon)

Preparation Method

1. Wash the chicken well and dry it with paper towels. Set it aside.
2. Dice the bacon and lightly brown it in a pan with a little oil, just enough to get some color. Remove the bacon and keep the oil in the pan for later.
3. In a large bowl, combine the chopped onion, walnut, raisins, bread cubes, and parsley. Add the fried bacon.
4. Beat the eggs with the milk and a pinch of salt, then pour the mixture over the bowl ingredients. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix everything well, cover, and chill the bowl for about 10 minutes.
5. Stuff the chicken with this mixture. Don’t pack it too tightly, so the filling doesn’t spill out while baking. Secure the opening with toothpicks.
6. In a small bowl, mix 1-2 teaspoons of soy sauce with salt, pepper, paprika, and a tablespoon of the oil used to fry the bacon. Use this mixture to coat the chicken all over.
7. Place the chicken in a large baking dish. Pour the chicken broth into the dish, adding a bit of oil if needed. Cover loosely with aluminum foil or a lid if you have one.
8. Bake the dish in the oven at 180°C (or medium heat if you have a gas oven) for about 1 hour and a half. Occasionally, baste the chicken with the sauce from the dish to prevent it from drying out.
9. When the chicken is nicely browned, transfer it to a deep platter or a larger dish and cover it to keep warm.
10. If necessary, strain the remaining sauce from the dish. Place it in a pot, add the rosemary and chopped garlic. Simmer the sauce for 5 minutes over medium heat, then pour it over the chicken. Let the chicken sit with the sauce for a few minutes before serving.

Why I Make This Recipe Often

Stuffed chicken with raisins is perfect for family meals where you need something filling and different. I love that you can adjust the filling on the fly and the chicken always comes out tender. It’s made entirely in the oven, so you don’t have to work non-stop beside it.

Tips and Variations

Tips
- Use older or slightly stale bread – it absorbs the liquid better.
- If you don’t have parsley, you can skip it, but it adds freshness to the filling.
- Baste the chicken with the sauce from the dish at least 2-3 times during baking.
- The bacon shouldn’t be too fatty; ham works too if you can’t find suitable bacon.

Substitutions
- If you don’t have chicken broth, you can use salted water, but broth gives a rounder flavor.
- Instead of rosemary, you can use thyme, but rosemary has a stronger and classic flavor for this type of recipe.
- Walnuts can be replaced with almonds, but the texture will be different.

Variations
- If you don’t like raisins, you can reduce the amount or omit them, but it’s a shame since they are the main sweet element.
- For a stronger flavor, you can add a bit of garlic to the filling, but it’s not in the basic recipe.

Serving Ideas
- It goes well with a simple side of boiled potatoes or mashed potatoes.
- Leafy salads or red cabbage are a good choice as they add freshness.
- If there’s leftover filling, you can serve it on the side, warmed up.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I use boneless chicken?
I do not recommend it. A whole chicken, with bone, is juicier, and the filling holds better during baking. Boneless risks falling apart.

2. Is the filling too wet?
If you use fresh or very soft bread, it absorbs less liquid. The safest bet is to use bread that is a day or two old. The filling should be moist, not watery.

3. Can it be made without bacon?
Yes, but bacon adds important flavor and fat. If you want a lighter version, you can omit it, but the final taste will be different.

4. How long does the actual baking take?
For a medium-sized chicken, between 1 hour and 20 minutes and 1 hour and 40 minutes. The time depends on the oven and the size of the chicken.

5. What do I do if I don’t have soy sauce?
You can skip it, but it adds a slightly salty note and beautifully colors the skin. You can add a little extra salt if you don’t use it.

Nutritional Values

Approximate values (per serving from 6):
Calories: 500-600 kcal
Protein: 30-35 g
Fat: 25-30 g
Carbohydrates: 25-30 g
These values are estimates and depend on how much filling and skin you actually eat. The bacon, eggs, and walnuts contribute a lot of fat, while the raisins and bread provide carbohydrates.

Storage and Reheating

The chicken and filling will last in the fridge for 2-3 days in a covered container. For reheating, the best method is in the oven at low heat to avoid drying out. The filling can dry out in the microwave, so I prefer the oven method. If there’s leftover sauce, pour it over the meat when reheating.

The recipe does not lend itself to freezing, as the filling loses its texture and consistency after thawing. It’s better to make as much as you can eat in 2-3 days.

 Ingredients: 1 chicken 250 g ribs 2 onions 3 tablespoons walnut kernels 3 tablespoons raisins 2 eggs 50 ml milk 4 slices of bread green parsley 500 ml soup 2 cloves garlic rosemary salt pepper soy sauce paprika

 Tags:  stuffed chicken oven chicken