Dutch Oven Whole Roast Chicken

dutch oven whole chicken roasted on a bed of vegetables

4.92 from 92 votes

This Dutch Oven Roast Chicken is perfect for dinner! Roasting a chicken in a Dutch oven ensures it's tender and moist, with a golden brown and crispy skin. Cooked over a bed of potatoes, carrots, parsnips, onions for the best one pot meal.

Prep Time30

Cook Time1 45

Total Time2 15

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Calories: 1008kcal

Author: Tania

Equipment

7 to 8 quart Dutch oven preferably oval shaped
Kitchen twine

Ingredients

For the vegetable bed

4 medium yukon gold potatoes quartered
3 medium carrots peeled and cut into medium-large chunks
3 medium parsnips peeled and cut into medium-large chunks
2 medium yellow onions peeled and quartered
½ a lemon halved
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

For the chicken

4.5 to 5 pounds whole chicken giblets removed
½ a medium yellow onion peeled and quartered
½ lemon halved or quartered
4 sprigs fresh rosemary divided
4 sprigs fresh thyme divided

For the herbed butter

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
5 cloves garlic finely minced
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary minced
2 teaspoons thyme leaves
Zest of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Optional: Let chicken sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. This way, it will cook more evenly from the start.
Prepare the vegetable bed: Place the cut up vegetables (potatoes, carrots, parsnips, onions, lemon) in the bottom of a large 7 or 8-quart Dutch oven pot, preferably an oval-shaped one. Toss with a few generous drizzles of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
Make the herbed butter: In a bowl, mix the herbed butter ingredients (listed above) until evenly combined. Set aside.
Prep chicken: Thoroughly pat the chicken dry with paper towels, including inside the cavity. This will help the skin get golden and crispy.
Rub chicken with the herbed butter: Carefully insert a spoon under the skin to create pockets, mainly on the breast and legs (be careful not to tear it). Then, using the spoon, insert a very generous amount of the herbed butter inside these pockets, pressing to spread evenly. Rub the rest of the butter all over the top on the outside, including the wings and legs.
Stuff the cavity of the chicken with ½ a medium onion (quartered), ½ a lemon, 2 sprigs rosemary and 2 sprigs thyme. Tie the chicken legs with kitchen twine. Note: Tying the legs helps with even cooking and makes it more presentable. If you don't have kitchen twine, don't worry about it.
Arrange chicken in Dutch oven: Place the prepared chicken on top of the vegetables in the Dutch oven pot, breast side up. Place the remaining 2 sprigs of rosemary and thyme around the chicken. Optional: Tuck the wings tips under, or clip them so they don’t burn.
Roast covered: Cover the chicken with the lid securely, and roast at 400°F for 1 hour 15 minutes.
Finish roasting uncovered: Then, remove the lid, increase oven temp to 425°F, and finish cooking uncovered for another 30 minutes to allow the skin to crisp up. See notes below for more information on cooking times by pound.
Adjust as needed: While cooking uncovered, 1) If the vegetables look like they are starting to burn, add a few splashes of chicken broth around the sides. 2) If the chicken is still not fully done, tent browning spots with foil and return to the oven for another 10-15 mins. The chicken is ready when the center of the breast reaches 165°F (and 180°F in the thighs).
Rest and carve: Let the chicken rest for 10-15 minutes before carving. Serve with the vegetables and spoon over the juices. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Cook times Temperature

Roast for about 20 minutes per pound. COVERED at 400°F, except during the last 30 minutes which should be UNCOVERED at 425°F.
- 4-pound chicken: 1 hour covered, 30 minutes uncovered.
- 5-pound chicken: 1 hour and 15 minutes covered, 30 minutes uncovered.
- 6-pound chicken: 1 hour and 30 minutes covered, 30 minutes uncovered.
Check for doneness: Use an instant read thermometer. It should reach 165°F in the thickest part of the breast, 180°F in the thighs.

For everything to fit with enough room for heat circulation, use a 7 or 8-quart Dutch oven pot.
If using a 6 qt Dutch oven, reduce the amount of vegetables and use a smaller chicken (3.5 to 4 pounds)
Cut vegetables into large-ish chunks. Since they cook with the chicken from the start, larger pieces will hold their shape better.
Note that the vegetables won’t be “roasted.” Instead, they braise and simmer in the chicken's juices and drippings, so they will be soft and tender with a little bit of a char around the edges.
How to soften butter quickly: Pop it in the microwave oven, 10-15 seconds at a time, until soft but not melted.
Try not to open the oven too much while the chicken cooks, as this will let heat escape and cause a temperature drop.
Prep ahead: The herbed butter can be made in advance and refrigerated. Prior to using, allow it to soften at room temperature.
Store leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave oven.

Substitutions and Variations

Yukon gold or red potatoes are best since they are firm enough for a long cook time. Don’t use Russets, as they won't hold up.
Other veggies: Swap or add large chunks of celery or fennel, or your favorite root vegetables.
Mushrooms: Add cremini mushrooms during the final 20 minutes of roasting.
Herbs: Replace fresh herbs in the butter rub with half the amount (or a little less) of dried Italian seasoning.

Tania's note: I made a minor recipe tweak. The original recipe called for 425°F during both the covered and uncovered stages. However, after re-testing, I found that starting at 400°F first, then increasing to 425ºF results in much more tender chicken.

Disclaimer: Nutritional values (per serving) are approximates only.

Nutrition