Roasted Chicken with Mushroom Farfel
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Roasted Chicken with Mushroom Farfel was a regular meal in my home as a child. The crispy garlicky chicken roasted over a bed of farfel, mushrooms, and onions tastes like my childhood. This is a tried and true recipe: I’ve been making it for my husband for over ten years, and it’s a favourite of my children as well. In fact, everyone I’ve ever served this to has commented on how tasty it is! The best part of this meal is that it’s both delicious and easy to make. As long as you allow enough time to properly prepare, I promise you fantastic results.
TOTAL TIME
- Preparation Time – 15 minutes plus at least 2 hours to rest in the fridge
- Cooking Time – 1.5 hours
- Total Time – 3 hours 45 minutes
INGREDIENTS FOR ROASTED CHICKEN WITH MUSHROOM FARFEL
All of these ingredients are easy to find in most grocery stores. I like to use organic chicken, but my Mother only uses Kosher or Hallal because she doesn’t want any blood in the fatty goodness that drips from the roasting chicken. I also like using crimini mushrooms because of the nutty taste they impart, but you can use whatever kind you prefer. As for the broth, I often use homemade chicken stock for this recipe, but I always have some boxed chicken stock in my pantry to use in a pinch (I buy PC Organic, Pacific Organic, or Imagine Organic, but any good quality broth will work).
- Whole chicken
- 1 tsp Oregano
- 1 tsp Chili powder
- 2 tsp Garlic powder
- 1 tsp Onion powder
- Several turns of a Pepper mill
- 1 tsp Chili flakes (optional)
- 3 tsp Kosher salt
- 2 bags Farfel
- 2 tbsp Chicken schmaltz
- 1 White onion
- 4 cups Chicken stock, preferably homemade
WHAT IS FARFEL?
Farfel is a traditional Ashkenazi toasted pasta similar to couscous, that’s cooked in a broth and served with meat. It has a lovely nutty flavour, and retains some of it’s chew even after it’s been cooking under a roast for the better part of an hour and a half. Farfel can be found at many large grocery stores, as well as any kosher deli or market. There are many brands, but I like to buy Ferencz because it doesn’t contain any additives.
WHAT IS SCHMALTZ?
Schmaltz is rendered chicken, goose, or duck fat, and is a staple in Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine. It’s made from slowly sautéing the skin and fat together, then collecting the liquid fat as it cooks. If you have the time, you can certainly make your own schmaltz, but I tend to buy mine from my local butcher. You can often purchase goose or duck fat from high end grocery stores as well.
INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS
CAN I USE OIL INSTEAD OF SCHMALTZ?
You can definitely use oil if you can’t find schmaltz or simply prefer not to use it. The amounts will be identical to schmaltz. If you can find schmaltz, I strongly suggest you buy it: it imparts a richness you can’t get from simple oil.
EQUIPMENT FOR ROASTED CHICKEN WITH MUSHROOM FARFEL
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Below is a list of the main equipment/kitchen tools needed to make Roasted Chicken with Mushroom Farfel .
- Heavy bottomed pan – I like to use my Le Creuset braiser for this meal. It browns the vegetables and farfel nicely, and also has a large capacity for the chicken stock.
- Roasting pan with rack – I like my Lagostina Roasting Pan. The light coloured interior browns the farfel and chicken nicely and it’s very sturdy without being too heavy.
- Parchment paper – This is one of my most used kitchen accessories, and this recipe is no different: I always line the bottom of my roasting pan with parchment.
- Wooden spoon.
- Knife.
- Cutting board.
COOKING DIRECTIONS
This recipe is simple, but with a few tricks you can make it exceptional!
- Leave your chicken uncovered in the fridge for several hours minimum: the air will dry out the skin and make it extra crispy.
- Don’t skimp on the fat! While you can certainly use oil to fry the farfel (I like avocado), the traditional method is to use schmaltz.
- If possible use homemade chicken stock to cook the farfel: it will give your dish even more delicious flavour.
MAKE AHEAD STORAGE
You can prepare the chicken the day before and leave it in the fridge if you’d like.
This Roasted Chicken with Mushroom Farfel will keep for up to three days in the fridge, and can easily be frozen and reheated later.
FINISHED DISH
Enjoy your Roasted Chicken with Mushroom Farfel!
OTHER CHICKEN DISHES
Delicious Breaded Chicken Pasta
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?
I’d love to know how it turned out! Please let me know by leaving a comment and rating below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #cooking.with.carbs.
Pin the image below if you would like to make this recipe later!
Roasted Chicken with Mushroom Farfel
Equipment
- Large heavy bottommed pan (I like to use my Le Creuset braiser)
- Wooden spoon
- Roasting pan with rack
- Parchment Paper
- Knife
- Cutting Board
Ingredients
Roasted Chicken
- 1 Whole chicken
- 1 tsp Oregano dried
- 1 tsp Chilli powder
- 2 tsp Garlic powder
- 1 tsp Onion powder
- Several turns of a pepper mill
- 1 tsp Chilli flakes optional
- 2 tsp Kosher salt
Farfel with Mushrooms
- 2 Bags farfel
- 2 tbsp Oil or schmaltz
- 1 Whole white onion
- 4 cups Chicken stock
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 Package Crimini mushrooms
- 3 cloves Garlic minced
Instructions
ROASTED CHICKEN
- Prep the chicken several hours before you plan to cook it by placing it on the rack and rubbing it down with your spice mix (dried oregano, chilli, garlic, onion, and 2 tsp of kosher salt).
- Put it in the fridge uncovered for at least 2 hours.
- Line a roasting pan with parchment and place a rack inside.
- When you’re ready to cook, heat the oven to 450 F.
- Put the chicken in uncovered and set a timer for about 30 minutes.
FARFEL WITH MUSHROOMS
- Turn the stove to medium and add the oil or schmaltz in a large heavy bottomed pan (I like to use my Le Creuset braiser).
- While the oil is heating, take out a large cutting board and cut up your veggies. I like to mince my garlic very fine, do a small dice on my onion, and slice the mushrooms.
- When the oil is glistening and hot, toss in the mushrooms. Cook them for a few minutes until all the water has been drawn out, then add the onions and garlic and cook until the onions are translucent and the garlic is fragrant.
- As soon as the veggies are ready, pour in the farfel: add more oil/schmaltz if needed. Mix it up, and allow it to toast for a few minutes before pouring in the stock.
- Once all the stock is in the pan add the salt and leave it to simmer, uncovered, until the chicken timer goes off (likely another 20 or so minutes).
ROASTED CHICKEN AND FARFEL WITH MUSHROOMS TOGETHER
- Remove the chicken from the oven and turn the oven down to 375 F.
- While the oven temperature goes down, lift up the rack with the chicken and turn it horizontal to rest above the pan. Juices will drip into the roasting pan, leave them.
- Once the farfel has absorbed most of the liquid in the braiser, transfer it to the roasting pan and level it out.
- Place your chicken rack back on top of the farfel, and put the whole thing back in the oven.
- Leave the chicken and farfel to roast for another hour, then check on it for doneness.
You can never go wrong with a great chicken dinner. This looks and sounds delicious. I know my family would enjoy this for sure.
I totally agree: who doesn’t love a roast chicken? Please let me know what you think after you make it!
Anneke 🙂
I’m in love with your roasted chicken with farfel. I’m running to Amazon and I’m crossing my fingers so they sale farfel….
They definitely do Enriqueta! I’ve seen the brand I mention in the post in 3 packs on Amazon. Good luck, and please let me know what you think after you make it 🙂
Anneke
My mouth is watering like crazy right now. I have never tried farfel or cooked with schmaltz but this looks like the ultimate chicken dinner to me.
It really is so good! I hope you’ll try it and let me know what you think 🙂
Anneke
I’ve never tried Farfel before and reading your post makes me want to try it now. The ingredients and instructions are nice and easy to follow too . I love eating cous cous so I am sure this recipe is going to be just what I enjoy! I like it that you can add different flavorings like garlic to it. Sounds absolutely delicious!
Thank you so much. Yes, if you like couscous I think you’ll enjoy farfel as well! It’s really tasty. If you make it, please let me know what you think 🙂
Anneke
Thanks a lot for sharing this very helpful recipe! loved it!
So glad you loved it Allyssa. Thanks for your review!
Anneke 🙂
That roasted chicken looks scrumptious. I have never tried farfel and i am intrigued.
Love the nutty flavor of the farfel! It’s such a great side! This was absolutely delicious!
This roasted chicken with mushroom farfel has me drooling! The roasted chicken looks amazing and I am loving the addition of mushroom farfel. Thank you for sharing this recipe, I cant wait to make this!
I love roasted chicken and I have tried so many amazing recipes to date but… farfel… this is the first one for me! Which makes me absolutely excited – can’t wait!
This will be a great recipe for a family celebration! It’s quite easy to make and looks absolutely delicious! Saving the recipe!
Best recipe ever. I remember this from my childhood but this is the first time I could actually duplicate the taste and the smell!
Hi Diann, I’m so happy to hear that you loved it as much as we do. This is a core memory from my childhood as well, and I’m so glad I was able to help you duplicate it from yours. Enjoy!