Sweet, spiced hot cross buns make a surprisingly delicious stuffing for roast chicken, perfect for Easter. The buns soak up the buttery chicken juices while their cinnamon-and-fruit notes echo classic Easter flavours. Balanced with herbs, onion, and fresh peaches, the result is a roast that feels festive but effortless—perfect for an Easter Sunday lunch.
Prep 20 mins Cook Time 1hr 40mins Serves 4–6
Ingredients
1.7kg whole Saskia Beer Barossa chicken
½ small tub Hudson Meats Turkey Butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika
Hot Cross Bun Stuffing
2 hot cross buns, cut into 2 cm cubes
40g unsalted butter
1 small brown onion, finely diced
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 yellow flesh peaches, diced finely
¼ cup chicken stock
1 small handful flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten
Salt and pepper, to taste
For roasting
1kg gold sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped roughly
1 large brown onion, peeled and quartered
1 bunch Dutch carrots, greens trimmed
1 tbsp olive oil
Method
Remove chicken from the fridge and set in a baking tin lined with baking paper. Meanwhile, place Turkey Butter in a ramekin and set aside. In another ramekin, mix together the olive oil, salt, pepper and smoked paprika. Set aside.
Preheat oven grill to high. Place cubed hot cross buns on a baking tray and toast for 2-3 minutes, turning halfway through until golden. Remove from oven and transfer to a large bowl.
Melt butter in a medium frying pan set over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook for 2–3 minutes until softened. Stir in garlic and diced peaches and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring often, until they begin to soften and the onion is caramelised. Add the stock to deglaze the pan and transfer the mixture to the bowl with the hot cross buns. Add the parsley and egg. Season to taste and mix until the bread absorbs the liquid.
Preheat oven to 220°C.
Pat the chicken dry. Slide an upside down soup spoon between the chicken breast and skin to create a space for the butter. Firstly, pack the cavity with the hot cross bun stuffing*. Using a toothpick secure the cavity opening closed.
Melt the Turkey Butter in a microwave for 30 seconds then turn the chicken upside down in the tray and pour the butter between the skin and the breast meat, massaging to spread the butter evenly. Place the chicken back down, breast side up. Rub the outside of the chicken with the olive oil mixture. Using a long piece of string truss the chicken, folding under the wing tips and tying the legs together.
Place sweet potatoes and onion wedges around the base of a roasting pan and sit the chicken in the middle. Roast for 10 minutes at 220°C then for 1 hour 10 minutes at 180°C, or until the juices run clear and the internal temperature reaches 75°C*. In the last 25 minutes, add the Dutch carrots drizzled with a tablespoon of olive oil.
Rest the chicken for 10–15 minutes before carving so the juices redistribute. Spoon the hot cross bun stuffing alongside carved chicken and roasted vegetables. Serve with tray drippings.
*Notes: If you have more stuffing than fits in the cavity, bake it in a small buttered dish beside the chicken for the last 15 minutes.
Recipe by @wholesomecook