A roasted chicken so good it could get you wifed up! I make no guarantees with that statement but cooking your man a chicken like this is sure to get his attention. A woman who can roast a chicken this juicy and delicious deserves to get wifed up. Keep on reading for a dutch oven roasted chicken recipe you’re sure to keep in your recipe book for years to come.
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One pot meal
You’ll roast your whole chicken on top of your vegetables which will give them an even more savory flavor. This recipe will make suggestions for vegetables but feel free to get creative and add things like:
- radish
- turnips
- rutabagas
- celery
If you make it in summer, you could even add summer squash or fresh green beans (snaps, if you’re southern) to the oven when it’s time to take the dutch oven lid off. There are lots of possibilities with this one so don’t get tied down to the exact recipe!
Can I use different herbs to season this roasted chicken?
Absolutely you can! I often change the herbs based on what’s producing in my herb garden. But don’t forget that you can use dried herbs as well!
Don’t be afraid to swap out some of the herbs. Don’t have thyme but you do have sage? Add it. This original recipe I was given didn’t call for rosemary but I added it because I love rosemary! Oregano is another herb I like to use in this recipe too.
I cannot speak for herbs like mint or lemon balm but my intuition says those may not taste as great in this savory chicken recipe.
Really make this recipe your own. It’ll still be great even with small changes that add flavor.
What you’ll need for this dutch oven roasted chicken recipe
- a dutch oven
- whole chicken about 4 lbs is best
- an onion and whole garlic cloves
- some carrots and potatoes or other favorite root vegetables
- salt and pepper
- paprika and onion powder
- thyme, rosemary, and/or sage (dried or fresh)
- olive or avocado oil AND butter
Why is this roasted chicken so good?
In the south we say crazy things like “it’s so good, it’ll make you wanna slap ya mama… but don’t.”
This dutch oven recipe roasts this chicken in its own juices which allows the chicken to be more tender and bursting with flavor.
The vegetables underneath swim in those juices too and the whole dish is just lip-smacking good.
Just trust me here… this is a recipe you want to try!
Maybe you’ve never cooked a whole chicken and don’t know what to do. This recipe is fool-proof. Follow the directions and pat yourself on the back later when your whole family is rubbing their bellies and singing your praise for a delicious dinner!
Important steps not to miss
When the recipe says to pat the chicken dry, do this. Don’t skip it. Use paper towels to throw away but getting the water off the chicken’s skin helps it to be more crispy while keeping the meat tender and juicy.
Not a fan of paper towels? Rinse chicken and allow it to drain and air dry for a few hours before preparing this chicken to be roasted.
Be sure to actually stuff the inside of the chicken when it tells you to do so. The first time I made this recipe, I didn’t think stuffing the inside was important and my dutch oven roasted chicken dinner I was so excited to serve lacked a LOT of flavor in the meat. Don’t make my mistake.
When the recipe says to take the lid off and continue cooking, be sure to do that so your chicken skin will crisp up good and the chicken will finish cooking properly.
How to prepare and roast your chicken in the dutch oven:
- Preheat oven 450 degrees.
- Lay down paper towels and pat dry chicken.
- Cover breast side of chicken in 2 TBSP olive oil.
- Mix together salt, pepper, paprika, thyme, and onion powder.
- Rub inside and outside of the chicken with the mixture.
- Stuff chicken with half onion slices, one half of garlic bulb, 2 sprigs of rosemary, 2 sprigs of thyme, and 1 TBSP of butter.
- In the dutch oven, layer the vegetables then add 2 TBSP of butter and 1 TBSP olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Add any leftover herbs on top of vegetables.
- Place chicken breast-side up on top of the vegetables.
- Cover dutch oven with lid and cook for 35 minutes.
- Remove lid and continue cooking for 20-25 more minutes or until chicken registers at 165 degrees on a meat thermometer. Splash a little buttery chicken juice on the chicken before allowing it to finish cooking.
- Cut chicken as desired and serve with vegetables on the side.
Seems like a lot of chicken parts left over…
Not to worry! Those bones, that gristle & skin… all have a great place to go if you’re willing to stretch this one chicken a little further.
Like soup? You can get another meal out of this chicken if you take a gander at this post later.
This is a crowd-pleaser recipe, too. Potato soup using broth made from the bones of this chicken.
If you have extra chicken left over, make chicken alfredo the next night!
Always have chicken broth on hand by using the bones from this recipe to make your bone broth to be frozen or canned: chicken bone broth how-to.
Save this for later! You’ll be glad you did…
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Dutch Oven Roasted Chicken
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat oven 450 degrees.
- Lay down paper towels and pat dry chicken.
- Cover breast side of chicken in 2 TBSP olive oil.
- Mix together salt, pepper, paprika, thyme, and onion powder.
- Rub inside and outside of the chicken with the mixture.
- Stuff chicken with half onion slices, one half of garlic bulb, 2 sprigs of rosemary, 2 sprigs of thyme, and 1 TBSP of butter.
- In the dutch oven, layer the vegetables then add 2 TBSP of butter and 1 TBSP olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Add any leftover herbs on top of vegetables.
- Place chicken breast-side up on top of the vegetables.
- Cover dutch oven with lid and cook for 35 minutes.
- Remove lid and continue cooking for 20-25 more minutes or until chicken registers at 165 degrees on a meat thermometer.
- Cut chicken as desired and serve with vegetables on the side.
