What does filling the cavity in a whole chicken with aromatics buy me?

[bpiela]

I have a general question regarding stuffing the cavity of a chicken with aromatics when roasting/smoking/cooking. What are the benefits of doing this? What part of the chicken does this impart flavor to?

Recently, I attempted to roast a 5lb chicken in our new oven. Used a convection roast setting although I am not sure this matters. I stuffed the cavity of the chicken with a small head of garlic, an onion chopped into quarters, some sprigs of thyme and a lemon halved. The cavity was pretty much packed full. I did see the cook time increase due to the poor air flow through the cavity. Basically, the bottom part of the breast took longer to cook. It was a very tasty chicken when done but I feel that was due to the compound butter I spread under the skin and the rub I applied to the entire exterior of the chicken before cooking

I am wondering what really did the aromatics do in the chicken cavity except for prolonging cook time and possibly helping to retain juices in the breast. I would "assume" that the items in the cavity start to impart flavor after they heat up and juices start flowing from them. If that is the case, wouldn't the flavor travel down? If so, that flavor is travelling down and out of the chicken, imparting flavor to the cooking vessel that the chicken is sitting on. I guess that would help in the case that I spatchcocked the chicken and it was placed in the oven flat on a sheet pan or if I was collecting the juices for some other purpose. I had the chicken raised up so that air could flow all around it...

Thanks!!

[captainlee]

Just as you said, a longer cook time and that's it. Maybe for a presentation.

[Huskee]

It would be a very eye-opening experiment to cook two identical chickens in the same oven, one stuffed and one not, and make note of cook times, etc, then do a side by side taste test. Then you will know!

[WillTravelForFood]

spatchcock for the win!

Did you utilize the chicken drippings in any way after you pulled the bird? That could be where some of those flavors would go.

[Draznnl]

I would think you’d wind up with a very tasty carcass. Those bones should be delicious. As for the meat, that’s another story.

[Grillin Dad]

I don’t know about chicken, but I used to stuff the insides of turkeys with all kinds of things (herbs, onions, carrots, apples, etc.). While it makes for a more aromatic bird coming out of the oven, after it gets cut up and put on the plate, there is no difference in taste or smell. So I quit stuffing years ago. As previously stated above, it might add some flavors to the drippings (if you use them for gravy or stock), but you could just as easily add those same flavors to the drippings after cooking.

[Huskee]

My wife's favorite "Normal Rockwell" turkey recipe calls for sprigs of thyme or something and sliced oranges inside. I gotta say, it makes an awesome turkey. But it doesn't taste like orange. I tell her it would be an awesome turkey w/o that stuff but she likes it the way she likes it. Tradition you know. I make spatchcocked ones when I cook, and she makes hers when she cooks. Both come out great but mine are better

[klflowers]

Huskee it is fine to tell us yours is better. But do you tell her???

[Huskee]

klflowers I hope you don't take me for that muchuvva a fool!

[smokin fool]

My experience cones from smoking whole turkeys.
I've smoked both ways, empty and full cavity.
Other than increasing cook times I haven't tasted a discernable difference in the meat.
But it does impress some guests guests that you take this step so hey why not.

[Jerod Broussard]

My dad would stuff onion, bell pepper and bacon pieces on both sides of the keel bone on duck. It made a difference on what was close enough.

[Histrix]

I always thought that the natural membranes that line the cavity of chicken/turkey prevent flavors/liquid from permeating into the meat.

[Bad Hat BBQ]

Onions, spices or most veggies are wonderful when they baste in the cavity

Just stuffed a duck with dried cherries, onions and apples, it all complimented the duck nicely. I chopped all of that staff, added some water, balsamic vinegar and honey ; simmered in sauce pan to make a chutney that was really, really good (TIN PAN on COUNTER SWMBO liked and she does not like duck).

[ecowper]

The most effective thing I've learned for improving the flavor of the chicken is to spatchcock and then salt the bottom of the chicken and the meat underneath the skin. I've done that and cooked in the oven and my family thought I had smoked the bird!

[JCBBQ]

I couldn’t say how many years it’s been since I cooked a whole chicken w/o spatchcocking it. Way waaaay better.

[Attjack]

Nothing and it could promote uneven cooking. I just season inside the bird.

[jfmorris]

That is all I do as well.

[Old Glory]

When I cook Thanksgiving Turkey I chop 3-4 cups of carrots, onion, shallots, onion, and celery, along with thyme, sage and rosemary. Half goes into the roasting pan half inside the bird. place bird on top of aromatics in the pan. Adfd 2-3 cups of stock and roast in the oven. Always moist and amazing. Those juices make the best gravy ever.

[smokin fool]

y'know I never considered that this would improve the stock in my above post but you make an excellent point, still I'm leaning towards leaving the cavity empty
ah, who knows what I'll do next time

[ecowper]

I have done that and I like what it does. But I like spatchcocking the bird so much that I just put the aromatics in my stock that is cooking underneath the turkey :-)

[Old Glory]

ecowper spatchcocking is probably better, but I have been making turkey this way for 25 years now. Tradition wins this battle, at least in our house at Thanksgiving.

[DavidNorcross]

I stuff the cavity. As noted it does increase cook time, but in my experience it makes for a more moist cook.

[texastweeter]

If done in a Dutch oven or camp stove where it steams some, you CAN taste the herbs, garlic, onion, and lemon (what I stuff mine with) in the final product. Also, the taters and carrots under the bird get a flavor boost as well.