A Small Thanksgiving Dinner: Roast Chicken with Figs
Thanksgiving for two to four without a 15-pound turkey: a roast chicken with figs and pan gravy, ready in under two hours, from a Victoria halal butcher.
Ingredients
- 1 (about 4 lb) whole roasting chicken$41.34
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil$21.00
- 1 lemon, halved
- 1 head garlic, halved across the middle
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme or sage
- 2 red onions, cut into wedges
- 10 dried figs, halved$12.89
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth$16.49
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp butter
Prices from the merchant’s current catalogue.
Thanksgiving in Canada falls on Monday, 12 October 2026, the second Monday of October, where Parliament fixed it on 31 January 1957 (The Canadian Encyclopedia). Not every table needs a turkey. A whole roast chicken feeds four, cooks in about an hour and a half, and leaves the oven free for the sides.
This one roasts on a bed of red onions, with dried figs added for the last half hour so they soften in the pan juices. The figs turn jammy and the gravy picks up their sweetness, which is most of what people love about cranberry sauce, without the can.
Everything linked here comes from Halal Urban Fresh Meats & Grocery in Victoria: a halal , , for the gravy, and . The shopping box below adds them to your cart in one go.
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Halal Urban Fresh Meats & Grocery · Victoria
Whole Roaster ChickenWhy not roast two? Roasting two chickens is just as easy as one. Use leftover cooked chicken in chicken enchiladas, soup, chicken salad, pasta dishes, or sandwiches.$41.34
Dried FigsJasmine Foods 100% natural dried figs — soft, plump, and naturally sweet with a delicate seedy crunch. A wholesome snack on their own, or chop into oatmeal, baking, and cheese boards. No additives.$12.89
Chicken BrothHouse-made halal chicken broth, gently simmered in-store from chicken for a golden, nourishing stock. Perfect as a base for soups and risotto or sipped warm. Sold in a single-serve deli tub.$16.49
Extra Virgin Olive OilJasmine Foods organic extra virgin olive oil, pressed from the rich groves of the Mediterranean. Robust and fruity with a peppery finish, it's a versatile pantry essential for drizzling, dressing, and sautéing. Certified organic. 750 ml.$21.00
One tap puts every item above in your cart from Halal Urban Fresh Meats & Grocery. You can change quantities before checkout. Items sold by weight are charged on their actual weight.
How to tell when a roast chicken is done
Use a thermometer, not the clock. Health Canada's safe internal temperature for a whole bird is 180°F (82°C), measured in the thickest part of the breast, and 165°F (74°C) for pieces such as legs and thighs (Health Canada). Keep the probe off the bone, which conducts heat and gives a false reading.
The resting time isn't optional. It lets the juices settle back into the meat, so they end up on the plate rather than the board, and it gives you fifteen minutes to make the gravy.
To invite a person to your house is to take charge of his happiness as long as he be beneath your roof.
— Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, The Physiology of Taste (1825)
Four people is still a houseful of happiness to take charge of. A chicken makes it a manageable one.
Good to know
How long does it take to roast a 4 lb chicken?+
At 425°F (220°C), a 4 lb chicken takes about 65 to 80 minutes, plus 15 minutes of resting. Ovens and birds vary, so go by a thermometer: Health Canada's safe temperature for a whole bird is 180°F (82°C), measured in the thickest part of the breast.
Can I roast a chicken instead of a turkey for Thanksgiving?+
Yes. A 4 lb chicken serves four and roasts in well under two hours, against most of a day for a large turkey. It suits a small table, and leaves the oven free for stuffing and vegetables. For six to eight people, roast two chickens side by side.
Can I make the gravy ahead?+
You can make it up to two days ahead with broth and butter thickened with flour, then stir in the pan juices from the roast as you reheat it. Keep it in the fridge and bring it to a simmer before serving.
How long do Thanksgiving leftovers keep?+
Health Canada says to refrigerate or freeze poultry leftovers within 2 hours and to use chilled leftovers as soon as possible, within 2 to 4 days. Reheat them to 165°F (74°C). Freeze anything you won't eat in that time.
Method
- 1
Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
- 2
Pat the chicken dry all over with paper towel, then season it inside and out with the salt and pepper.
- 3
Put the lemon halves, half the garlic and the herbs inside the cavity, and tie the legs together with kitchen string.
- 4
Scatter the onion wedges and the rest of the garlic in a roasting pan, set the chicken on top, breast up, and rub it with the olive oil.
- 5
Roast for 45 minutes, then scatter the figs around the chicken and pour ½ cup of the broth into the pan.
- 6
Roast 20 to 35 minutes more, until a thermometer in the thickest part of the breast, not touching bone, reads 180°F (82°C) and the juices run clear.
- 7
Lift the chicken onto a board, cover it loosely with foil and let it rest for 15 minutes.
- 8
Meanwhile, spoon the figs and onions into a dish. Set the pan over medium heat, stir the flour into the juices for 1 minute, then whisk in the remaining broth and simmer until it thickens, about 3 minutes. Stir in the butter.
- 9
Carve the chicken and serve with the figs, onions and gravy.
Tips
- For two, roast the whole bird anyway: the leftovers make the best sandwiches of the long weekend.
- Wash your hands, board and knife after handling raw chicken, and don't rinse the bird: Health Canada warns that rinsing spreads bacteria wherever the water splashes.
- Make the gravy richer by adding a splash of the fig-soaking liquid, or a spoon of fig jam.
- A duck works the same way with a longer, slower roast; pour off the fat as it renders.
