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Maple-Rosemary Roast Chicken is a perfect blend of sweet and savory. Chicken roasted in the oven with a rich maple sauce infused with fresh rosemary, basted every few minutes to keep the chicken moist and delicious. Perfect for a cozy family dinner or special occasion, this recipe is easy to prepare yet elegant enough to impress.
Table of Contents:
- Table of Contents:
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients for Maple Rosemary Roasted Chicken
- Tips & FAQs
- Recipe:
- Check out these other great recipes!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Who knew that maple and rosemary would make such a great combination, let alone as a sauce that turns chicken into something that you would crave again and again? Aromatics of the shallots and garlic just enhance the sauce. The chicken is juicy after being basted every so often, so you don’t have to worry about drying it out. My recipe is impressive, yet easy to put together. While it does take about an hour in the oven, the delightful fragrance that fills your kitchen will make you excited to dig right in, but you have to let it rest! That’s the hard part (for me, at least). Serve this with roasted veggies such as potatoes and butternut squash, mashed potatoes, or even a rice pilaf mixed with dried cranberries, almonds, and herbs for a festive touch.
Ingredients for Maple Rosemary Roasted Chicken
- Whole Chicken: Throw away the giblets. You don’t need them! You can also roast bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs if you don’t want to get a whole chicken. Drumsticks are another good option, as well as bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts. Boneless and skinless can dry out easily. The roasting time may decrease, so be sure you check the internal temperature if you choose a different cut. Keep an eye on them! When basting, it’s possible that the sauce may caramelize faster on the chicken.
- Large Shallot & Garlic: Enhances the flavor of the sauce and offers a great aromatic addition to it.
- Fresh Rosemary: Fresh is key here. You won’t get much flavor with dried, trust me. You can also add a bit of fresh thyme to amp it up.
- Maple Syrup: REAL maple syrup. Not breakfast syrup. It’s artificial and thicker in consistency because of all the added sugars. It lacks depth and the natural taste of breakfast syrup. Pure maple syrup is a natural sweetener, rich in flavor, and thinner in texture. It’s also healthier too! It contains minerals like zinc and manganese.
- Reduced-Sodium Soy Sauce & Dijon Mustard: Offers umami flavor in the sauce. The dijon mustard cuts the sweetness in the sauce as well so it’s not totally sweet.
- Unsalted Butter: Used in the sauce. It helps thin out the sauce so it doesn’t completely thicken.
- Salt: Always needed!
Tips & FAQs
- Storage: Allow to cool completely, then break the chicken down. Throw away the carcass or save it to make broth with. Store with gravy in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- How to make the juiciest chicken: Wondering how to keep the bird from drying out? It’s super easy to avoid!
- Use a meat thermometer to temp the thickest part of the chicken. Once it reaches 165F, it’s done. This avoids any chance of it drying out and makes sure the chicken is safe for consumption.
- Basting regularly helps it from drying out. Basting every 15-20 minutes is the perfect time and gives the chicken a shiny, caramelized finish.
- Resting the chicken before carving prevents it from drying out. If you don’t let it rest, the juices will flow out and cause the chicken to dry. You want to retain the juices in the chicken for at least 10-15 minutes.
- Variations:
- You can use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or breasts instead of a whole chicken. Drumsticks are a good option as well, or a mixture of all 3. If you choose to roast parts instead of a whole chicken, you’ll want a total of 6 lbs. Keep in mind that the roasting time will decrease, so keep an eye on the chicken as you baste so it doesn’t burn.
- Mix in spices like paprika or cayenne pepper for a spiced maple-rosemary chicken.
- Swap rosemary for thyme if you aren’t a fan of rosemary.
- Add balsamic vinegar to the sauce instead of soy sauce for a tangy note.
- Stuff the chicken with different things with the rosemary such as apples, apricots, or smashed garlic cloves.
Want the recipe? Click print below! Let me know how it came out for you by tagging me on Instagram (@missravenskitchen) and using #missravenskitchen! Let me know if I need to tweak anything.
Recipe:
Maple Rosemary Roast Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 (4lb) whole chicken
- 1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
- Ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 shallot, quartered
- 2-3 garlic cloves, halved
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary plus 4 sprigs
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F. Pat the chicken dry and season well with salt and pepper inside and outside.
- Place the chicken breast side-up in a 10-inch cast iron skillet or an ovenproof skillet and stuff the 4 sprigs into the chicken. Evenly distribute the shallots and garlic on the bottom of the cast iron.
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add in the chopped rosemary and maple syrup and cook until the rosemary is fragrant and the mixture has thickened slightly, 2-3 minutes. Whisk in the Dijon mustard, soy sauce, and 1/2 tsp salt. Remove from the heat.
- Spoon the maple sauce over the chicken. Some will end up on the bottom of the pan, and that’s fine.
- Roast the chicken, basting every 15-20 minutes with the pan juices, until it is glossy and reaches 165F from the thickest part of the breast and thigh, about 60-75 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and baste one additional time. Allow to rest on a cutting board for 10-15 minutes before carving. Whisk the remaining juices and pour them into a gravy boat to pass at the table.
Notes
Storage: Allow to cool completely, then break the chicken down. Store with gravy in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
How to make the juiciest chicken: Wondering how to keep the bird from drying out? It’s super easy to avoid!
- Use a meat thermometer to temp the thickest part of the chicken. Once it reaches 165F, it’s done. This avoids any chance of it drying out and makes sure the chicken is safe for consumption.
- Basting regularly helps it from drying out. Basting every 15-20 minutes is the perfect time and gives the chicken a shiny, caramelized finish.
- Resting the chicken before carving prevents it from drying out. If you don’t let it rest, the juices will flow out and cause the chicken to dry. You want to retain the juices in the chicken for at least 10-15 minutes.
Variations:
- You can use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or breasts instead of a whole chicken. Drumsticks are a good option as well, or a mixture of all 3. If you choose to roast parts instead of a whole chicken, you’ll want a total of 6 lbs. Keep in mind that the roasting time will decrease, so keep an eye on the chicken as you baste so it doesn’t burn.
- Mix in spices like crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper for a spicy maple-rosemary chicken.
- Swap rosemary for thyme if you aren’t a fan of rosemary.
- Add balsamic vinegar to the sauce instead of soy sauce for a tangy note.
- Stuff the chicken with different things with the rosemary such as apples, apricots, or smashed garlic cloves.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
611Fat (grams)
37 gSat. Fat (grams)
14 gCarbs (grams)
30 gFiber (grams)
1 gSugar (grams)
25 gProtein (grams)
37 gSodium (milligrams)
732 mgCholesterol (grams)
166 mgThe nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and the brands of ingredients used.
Miss Raven's Kitchen 
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