Dutch Oven Chicken Recipe: An Easy One-Pot Meal

January 31, 2025

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By Lynne on January 22, 2025 » Leave a review

This Dutch Oven Chicken features tender, juicy chicken cooked with aromatic herbs, garlic, and vegetables, all simmered to perfection in a rich, savory broth. The result is a comforting one-pot meal with a golden, crispy skin and tender, fall-apart meat you’ll love!

Dutch Oven Chicken is made with carrots and potatoes in the bottom of the pot and a succulent gravy so it can be served as a complete meal on its own. Ready in just over an hour, this delicious meal is perfect for a slow evening when you have some time to devote to flavor and presentation. It would be lovely for a date night!

What is a Dutch Oven?

This kitchen staple is a heavy, wide, fairly shallow pot with a tight-fitting lid. While you generally see a cast iron Dutch oven, often they are coated in enamel, these versatile pots are great for cooking soups and stews, roasting chicken or turkey, searing meats and veggies, and even baking bread!

It’s not an overstatement to say that every serious home chef should have one of these pots in their kitchen!

What do I need to make Dutch Oven Roast Chicken?

You will need the following equipment to make this recipe.

Ingredients for Dutch Oven Chicken

Many of these ingredients are pantry staples, but you may need to stop and pick up a few extra ingredients for this recipe. Here’s what you need:

Salted butter – You can use unsalted butter and just add a pinch of salt to taste.
Garlic cloves- You can substitute 1 ½ teaspoons of garlic powder for the fresh garlic in this dish.
Fresh rosemary – If you’re using dried rosemary instead of fresh herbs, you can use ½ teaspoon in the butter mixture and leave it out of the cavity of the chicken.
Black pepper
Chili powder – Replace this with smoked paprika if you prefer.
Lemon zest – Be sure to zest the lemon before cutting it into wedges.
Lemon – This brings brightness to this hearty dish.
Whole fryer chicken (about 4 pounds)
Baby Dutch potatoes – You can replace these with Yukon gold or baby red potatoes but you may need to halve or quarter them to make them bite-sized.
Carrots – You can also use baby carrots instead of whole carrots.
Yellow onion – If you have a white or sweet onion, that will work too.
Chicken broth – This keeps the chicken moist as it roasts. You could also replace it with vegetable broth.
Salt – This brings out the natural savory flavor of the chicken.

You can find a detailed ingredient list and instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post!

First set of process photos for Dutch Oven Chicken.

How to Make Dutch Oven Whole Chicken

First, preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. While it heats, combine the butter, garlic, rosemary, pepper, chili powder, and lemon zest in a small bowl and mix until well combined. Set aside.

Prepare the Chicken

Place chicken onto a sheet pan or cutting board, remove the gizzards, and dry the outside with paper towels.
Lift the skin on the breast side of the bird (opposite the backbone) and slide your fingers under it to form a pocket.
Stuff about ⅓ of the butter mixture under the skin of the chicken and then slather the rest of the bird in the butter.
In the cavity of the bird, add 2-3 wedges of onion and lemon plus 2-3 sprigs of rosemary. Set the chicken aside.

Bake the Chicken and Veggies

In the bottom of the pan, add the baby potatoes, carrots, the rest of the onions, chicken broth, and salt. Place the chicken on top of the vegetables, breast side up. Cover with a lid and place your chicken in the preheated oven for 45 minutes.
Uncover and let the chicken cook for another 15- 20 minutes until the skin is golden and the internal temperature of the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°F on the meat thermometer.
Remove the chicken from the oven and pull it out of the Dutch oven to a clean cutting board. Allow it to rest for 10 minutes before carving.
While the chicken rests, remove the vegetables from the Dutch oven and set aside.

Second set of process photos for Dutch Oven Chicken.

Make the Gravy and Serve

Place the Dutch oven with the remaining liquid on the stovetop over medium heat and whisk in 2 Tablespoons of all-purpose flour. Cook for 2 minutes continuously whisking.
Whisk in 2 Tablespoons of additional salted butter.
Serve the chicken and vegetables warm with the gravy.

Cooked chicken and all the fixins' made in one pot.

Recipe Tips

Avoid opening the oven. It can be tempting to check the progress of your chicken during the cooking process but resist. Every time you open the oven you lower the temperature and risk making a dry chicken.
The cooking time will vary based on the weight/size of the chicken. For the process photos of this recipe, I used a 6-pound chicken and it took about 2 hours to cook. However, during the testing of this recipe, my chicken was about 3.5 pounds and it only took a little over an hour to cook. PLEASE, be sure to check the chicken with an instant read thermometer to make sure the internal temperature of the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°F. DO NOT go by cooking time alone.
Dry the skin well before cooking. This will create a nice crisp skin!
You can tie the legs together with some kitchen twine or unflavored dental floss but if you don’t have either of those, don’t worry. I find that it’s often not necessary.
If you have leftover butter mixture, brush it onto the chicken at the very end.
Wait 10-15 minutes before cutting into your chicken so the chicken has time to reabsorb its juices, leaving it moist and delicious.

FAQs

How do I store my Dutch Oven Chicken?

If you have leftover Dutch oven chicken, you can store it in the refrigerator. Allow the chicken and vegetables to cool for no more than 2 hours. Pull the chicken from the bones and transfer it to an airtight container with the vegetables. Your chicken and veggies will last for 3-4 days in the fridge. If you wish to keep it longer, you can move it to the freezer.

To reheat, place the chicken and vegetables onto a sheet pan and heat in the oven for about 15 minutes at 350°F. You can also add individual servings to a microwave-safe plate and heat for 4-5 minutes at 50% power.

Can I make this ahead of time and freeze it?

Yes, this makes a great make-ahead meal! Bake as directed, then allow the chicken and vegetables to cool. Place the vegetables into a resealable bag or airtight container and freeze. Wrap the chicken in plastic wrap and then foil to prevent freezer burn. Place the whole chicken into a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw before reheating in the oven at 350°F for about 20-25 minutes.

What else goes well with Dutch Oven Chicken?

This recipe can be served as a complete meal on its own. If you’re looking to make this simple dinner a showstopper, here are a few ideas for extras.

Bread: Crusty bread like this Italian Bread goes great with this chicken.
Wine: A glass of dry white wine (like Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc) would go great with this chicken.
Salad: A crisp green salad with your favorite dressing would bring freshness to this hearty meal. Try my Winter Salad!

Can I make this recipe in a Crockpot / Slow Cooker?

Yes, you can! This is a great option if you don’t have a Dutch Oven, or are short on hands-on time. Prepare as directed and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours. Move the chicken to a baking pan and finish cooking in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 450°F. When the chicken is golden and the thigh reads 165°F remove from the oven and serve.

Can I make broth from this chicken?

Yes, I love to make my own broth! Add the leftover chicken bones and any pan juices to a crockpot or slow cooker and cover them with 8 cups of water. Add any seasonings or aromatics that you like (I clean out any veggies like celery/carrots/onions/ bell peppers from my refrigerator) and then let the slow cooker run for 12 hours on low. You’ll be left with a delicious broth that you can add in soups, stews or anything else that calls for chicken broth.

Chicken breast from a whole chicken cooked in a Dutch oven.

More Chicken Recipes You’ll Love

If you want something with more flavor than your basic boneless skinless chicken breasts, then try one of these next time:

Chicken Divan– Broccoli and chicken are baked with a creamy white wine sauce in this easy casserole recipe.
Chicken Piccata– a delicious, tender chicken dish with lemon, capers, and paprika that will awaken your senses!
Artichoke Tomato Chicken– Fresh herbs, tomatoes, chicken, artichokes, and cheese make this one easy meal your family will be asking for again and again.
Chicken Panzanella is made with toasted bread cubes, fresh tomatoes, red onion, basil, and fresh mozzarella tossed in olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Chicken Barbecue– Grill juicy chicken smothered in a homemade barbecue sauce, serve it up with salad or veggies, and enjoy a quick and easy meal!

What’s your favorite way to serve chicken?

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Created by: Lynne Feifer