Thanksgiving Chicken Dinner

Thanksgiving Dinner With Chicken Instead Of Turkey

Sometimes Thanksgiving doesn't look like a house packed full of people with 17 different sides and desserts and a massive turkey (or two) hitting the table. That's okay! If you're hosting a smaller, more intimate gathering, or just in the mood for Thanksgiving dinner on a random Tuesday, roasting a chicken with all the sides is a great option. Chicken is easier to handle, cooks in about an hour, and still gives you drippings for gravy.

The real challenge with Thanksgiving is not any single dish. It is getting the chicken, stuffing, gravy, and potatoes all hot at once with one oven. So this post includes a start-to-finish timeline. The oven does double duty, too. The chicken roasts at 425°F, then the oven drops to 350°F for the stuffing while the chicken rests. After that, the stuffing and potatoes hold at a low temperature until you are ready to eat.

The chicken is spatchcocked, which just means the backbone is removed and the bird is flattened. It cooks faster and more evenly, and the backbone gets roasted with the vegetables to make the gravy. You can ask your butcher to do it, or cut it out yourself with kitchen shears in about two minutes.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Right-Sized For A Smaller Table - One chicken feeds a small group without a week of turkey sandwiches.
• Gravy Built Into The Roast - The chicken back, drippings, and roasted vegetables make a gravy with real flavor and no packets.
• One Oven, Everything Hot - A timeline tells you exactly when to start each dish so nothing sits around getting cold.
• Make-Ahead Friendly - The wild rice can be cooked and the vegetables chopped a day early, which takes pressure off Thanksgiving afternoon.
• Classic Flavors - Sage and onion stuffing with mushrooms and wild rice, creamy mashed potatoes, and gravy over everything.

Try my Traeger Turkey sometime!

Recipe Shopping List

Wondering if you have to hit the store? Here's the list of items you'll need to make this recipe. For specific amounts, please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.

For the Chicken

• Whole Chicken - A 4 to 5 pound bird is the right size here. It feeds about 4 to 6 people with all the sides.
• Carrots, Onion, And Celery - These roast under the chicken and later go into the gravy. Cut them in large pieces so they don't burn.
• Butter - Melted and mixed with fresh poultry herbs for basting.
• OWYD Roasted Chicken Rub - Adds the savory, herby flavor. My OWYD Rubs work here, or use your favorite poultry rub.
• Poultry Blend Herbs - I like the Gourmet Garden brand. If you can't find it, use a mix of fresh chopped herbs such as thyme, oregano, parsley, and sage.

For the Stuffing

• Sage And Onion Stuffing Mix - Look for the bagged, cubed kind. It soaks up the broth and butter evenly.
• Chicken Broth - Moistens the stuffing. Use low sodium if your stuffing mix and rub are already salty.
• Dry White Wine - Adds a little acidity. If you'd rather skip it, use extra chicken broth.
• Butter - Used to sauté the vegetables and to enrich the broth.
• Mushrooms - White or cremini both work. Chop them small so they blend into the stuffing.
• Onion And Celery - The classic stuffing base. Dice them finely so they cook through in the sauté.
• Cooked Wild Rice - Adds chew and a nutty flavor. Cooked brown rice works if that's what you have.

For the Gravy

• Roasted Chicken Back, Drippings, And Vegetables - These come straight from the roasting pan and give the gravy its flavor.
• Chicken Stock - Stretches the drippings into enough gravy for the whole table.
• Thyme - Fresh sprigs or dried both work.
• Cornstarch And Cold Water - Mixed into a slurry to thicken the gravy. All-purpose flour can stand in, but you need about twice as much and a few extra minutes of simmering.

For the Mashed Potatoes

• Yellow Potatoes - Yukon Gold potatoes mash up creamy and don't need peeling if you don't want to. Russets make a fluffier mash.
• Butter - A full cup. This is a Thanksgiving recipe.
• Heavy Cream - Warm it before adding so the potatoes stay hot. Half and half works, but the potatoes will be a little less rich.

Try my Wild Rice Pilaf on the side!

How To Make This Recipe

This is just the overview so you can see what you're actually getting into here. When you are cooking, you'll want to use the full recipe at the bottom of the page.

1. Prep And Roast The Chicken - Spatchcock the chicken by cutting out the backbone and pressing the breastbone flat. Sprinkly on the rub. Melt the butter and mix with the herbs. Set the chicken on a bed of carrots, onion, and celery with the back tucked in. Roast at 425°F until the breast reaches 165°F. Use a pastry brush to baste the chicken with the herb butter every 10-15 minutes.
2. Rest The Chicken - Tent it loosely with foil and let it rest for at least 20 minutes while you finish the sides. Drop the oven to 350°F.
3. Make And Bake The Stuffing - Sauté the mushrooms, onion, and celery. Fold them into the stuffing mix with the wild rice, then pour over the hot broth, wine, and butter. Bake at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes.
4. Boil And Mash The Potatoes - Boil the potatoes until fork tender, drain well, and mash with the butter and warm cream.
5. Make The Gravy - Simmer the drippings, roasted vegetables, and chicken back with stock and thyme. Strain, then thicken with the cornstarch slurry.
6. Hold, Carve, And Serve - Keep the stuffing and potatoes covered in a low oven. Carve the chicken, whisk the gravy, and bring it all to the table.

Thanksgiving Dinner Timeline

This timeline is built around a 5:00 PM dinner. If you eat at a different time, shift every step by the same amount. It uses one oven and two burners.

• 2:45 PM - Preheat the oven to 425°F. Dice the carrots, onion, and celery for the roasting pan. Spatchcock the chicken and mix the butter with the herbs. If your wild rice isn't cooked yet, start it now or cook it the day before.
• 3:15 PM - Put the chicken in the oven. It roasts for about an hour.
• 3:30 PM - Sauté the stuffing vegetables, mix them with the stuffing mix and wild rice, add the hot broth mixture, and put it in the baking dish. Cover loosely and set it aside.
• 3:45 PM - Peel and cut the potatoes. Cover them with cold salted water in a large pot.
• 4:10 PM - Put the potatoes on to boil.
• 4:15 PM - Check the chicken. When the breast reads 165°F, take it out, tent it with foil, and let it rest. Turn the oven down to 350°F. If the chicken needs 10 more minutes, push the next steps back by 10 minutes.
• 4:20 PM - Put the stuffing in the oven. At the same time, move the drippings, vegetables, and chicken back to a saucepan with the stock and thyme, and start the gravy simmering.
• 4:35 PM - Drain the potatoes. Strain the gravy and return it to the pot.
• 4:40 PM - Mash the potatoes. Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the gravy and simmer a few minutes until thick.
• 4:45 PM - Take the stuffing out of the oven and cover it with foil. Turn the oven down to 200°F and put the stuffing and covered potatoes inside to hold.
• 4:50 PM - Carve the chicken. Keep the gravy on low.
• 5:00 PM - Pull everything out, give the gravy a good whisk, and serve.

Wild Rice Mushroom Stuffing

Recipe FAQ

Try my Traeger Pumpkin Pie!

Serving Suggestions

My Traeger Cranberry Sauce is the obvious pairing. Add a green vegetable and a basket of rolls, and the plate is done!

Get all of my Thanksgiving Recipes here!

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