Dutch Oven Roast Chicken Recipe – Learn How to Roast a Whole Chicken in the Oven!

This whole roast chicken recipe puts your Dutch oven to good use! We cook the chicken covered part of the time to keep the meat tender and juicy, and then uncover it so the skin can get crispy and brown. And a quick and easy garlic herb butter rub adds a ton of flavor and helps keep the meat moist!

Have you ever struggled with dry roast chicken and/or chicken that just never turned golden brown?

This recipe takes the mystery out of it. From here on out, you can count on tender, juicy, and flavorful chicken that’s gorgeously golden outside!

And bonus, this meal is a one-pot wonder! We put potato and carrot under the chicken, so as the chicken roasts, the drippings melt down into the vegetables and they soak up all that savory flavor.

The end result is a full meal in one pot that’s as perfect for a cozy fall or winter evening as it is for a simple, yet satisfying holiday meal. Easter is right around the corner, but roast chicken dinner is also great for an intimate Christmas dinner. And if I’m being honest, some years I make a whole chicken for Thanksgiving instead of turkey!

The Best Method for Roasting a Whole Chicken

Have you ever made a roast chicken that turned out so dry it was almost inedible? Me too! If you’re wondering how to make juicy chicken, the fix is easier than you might think.

We’ll talk about a couple different methods and the pros and cons of each.

Brining

Brining is a common method people use to ensure juicy roast chicken or turkey, and for good reason: it works well! This process is essentially giving raw chicken a good long bath in a solution of water, salt, and sugar (with other herbs, spices, or aromatics added).

The simple brine formula is usually 1 tablespoon of salt + 3/4 teaspoon sugar for every 1 cup of water, with other things like spices and herbs added if desired.

Brining typically takes 12 to 24 hours, but it’s popular because people swear by this method for juicy chicken, turkey, and other poultry. (You can read about the science behind why brining works on Steven Raichlen’s Barbecue Bible and The Kitchn.)

I’m a big fan of brining myself. But the problem arises when I don’t have 12 to 24 hours to wait! Sometimes you just want a full roast chicken dinner on a random weeknight. If you can relate, I’m here for you.

With just 30 minutes of hands-on prep time and less than 2 hours of cook time, this meal fits the bill!

Butter Rub for Turkey and Chicken

When I don’t have time to brine but I still want melt-in-your-mouth-tender, juicy, and flavorful roast chicken, a compound butter rub comes to the rescue!

In this recipe, we mix butter with garlic, herbs, and spices, so it packs a ton of flavor.

Once it’s mixed up, we rub it under the skin directly on the chicken breast, and all over the skin. This helps the skin get nice and crispy outside, and it helps the chicken breast (which is the meat that tends to dry out easily) stay moist and juicy.

But a butter rub is only half the equation! The cooking method in the oven is also important.

Do You Roast Chicken Covered or Uncovered?

This might surprise you because it goes against conventional beliefs, but we’re going to roast the chicken covered for most of the cooking process, and then finish it uncovered.

Using a combination of covered and uncovered cooking does two things:

1. Covered – Traps moisture in the Dutch oven so the chicken retains its juices and doesn’t dry out. Also, cooking the chicken covered for most of the time helps it cook a little faster and more evenly.
2. Uncovered – Allows the chicken skin to turn golden and crispy at the end of the cooking process.

This really is a simple roast chicken recipe. But sometimes simple is the way to go. This combination covered + uncovered roasting method is the best of both worlds! It yields moist, flavorful meat with crispy, perfectly browned skin every time with minimal effort.

Ingredients for Dutch Oven Roast Chicken with Vegetables

Garlic Herb Butter Ingredients

• Unsalted butter – Butter adds rich flavor and also helps the meat stay moist and the skin get crisp.
• Salt and black pepper – These basic seasonings add a ton of flavor.
• Dried ground sage – Sage is a classic component of poultry seasoning, and it pairs really well with chicken.
• Fresh lemon zest – Before we stuff the chicken cavity with lemon, we zest it and add the zest to the garlic herb butter. The bright citrus zest adds another layer of flavor to the chicken.
• Garlic – Garlic serves double duty in this recipe. We stuff a halved head of garlic in the chicken’s cavity before baking, and we crush 2 cloves for the garlic and herb compound butter. If you want your butter lump-free, you can use 1 teaspoon of garlic powder instead of fresh garlic.

Whole Roast Chicken with Vegetables Ingredients

• Olive oil – We drizzle a little bit of olive oil in the bottom of the Dutch oven so the vegetables don’t stick.
• Yellow potatoes – You can also use red or white potatoes. I don’t recommend starchy potatoes (such as Russet) here, because they tend to disintegrate.
• Carrots – The naturally sweet, earthy flavor of carrot is a great addition to roast chicken dinner.
• Onion – Onion adds savory flavor and aroma.
• Chicken stock – We only use a little bit of chicken stock so that the vegetables don’t dry out as they roast. As this meal cooks, the chicken drippings will also help keep the vegetables from drying out.
• Salt and black pepper – These basic seasonings make sure the chicken isn’t bland.
• Fresh lemon – Before roasting, we stuff the chicken cavity with a halved lemon to add bright, citrusy flavor.
• Fresh garlic – We stuff a halved head of garlic into the chicken cavity before baking. This adds a ton of flavor and aroma.
• Whole chicken – Look for a whole chicken that’s about 4 pounds. For the crispiest skin, pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
• Rosemary and thyme – Fresh herbs elevate a meal by adding depth of flavor and aroma. Piney rosemary and citrusy thyme pair really well with chicken, and make this simple dish feel special.

How to Roast a Whole Chicken in a Dutch Oven with Vegetables

Make the Garlic Herb Butter

Add the butter, 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, dried ground sage, 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest (discard the rest of the zest or use it for something else), and 2 cloves smoothly crushed garlic to a small bowl. Stir to combine.

Prep the Chicken

Pat the chicken dry. Stuff the cavity with the halved lemon, halved head of garlic, 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, and 2 sprigs fresh thyme (you might only be able to fit one half of the lemon and one half of the garlic head, which is fine).

Rub 1/3 of the butter under the skin on the chicken breasts. Rub the rest of the butter mixture all over the chicken skin.

Assemble and Roast the Chicken and Vegetables

• Preheat the oven to 425F.
• Drizzle the olive oil in the bottom of a 6-quart Dutch oven. Add the potato, carrot, onion, chicken stock, 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Toss gently and then spread the vegetables out evenly.
• Tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Tuck the wing tips under so they don’t burn. Place the chicken breast-side-up on top of the vegetables in the Dutch oven. Place the remaining 2 sprigs rosemary and 2 sprigs thyme on the sides of the chicken on top of the vegetables.
• Put the lid on the Dutch oven and roast covered for 1 hour 15 minutes. Then remove the lid and roast uncovered until the chicken is fully cooked, about 15 to 30 minutes more. (According to the FDA, poultry needs to reach an internal temperature of 165F. You can test this with an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of the chicken thigh without touching the bone.)
• The chicken skin should be rich golden brown and crispy at the end of cooking; if it’s not, you can broil it briefly to brown the skin.
• Let the chicken rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Transfer the chicken and vegetables to a serving platter; garnish with more fresh rosemary and thyme. Strain the pan drippings and serve them to drizzle on top if desired.

Tips

• To make sure your potatoes don’t disintegrate during roasting, leave the skin on and don’t cut them into bite-sized pieces. This is why I like to use medium-sized yellow potatoes. The skin is thin so I usually eat it anyway, and I cut each potato in half so they’re big enough to hold up well during roasting.
• Don’t open the Dutch oven during the covered cooking phase. This allows the heat to stay trapped inside and helps the chicken cook evenly and retain its moisture.
• Once you’re comfortable with the method, customize the herbs and spices to make this dish your own. For example, you could do Greek roast chicken with oregano, rosemary, garlic, and lemon, or Middle Eastern roast chicken with seven spice blend.
• You aren’t limited to potatoes and carrots here! You can use any type of root vegetables you like. If you want to lower the carbs, opt for low carb root vegetables, such as radish and celeriac. Just make sure to cut the vegetables into large pieces (I leave radishes whole), so they don’t break down too much during roasting.

Storage and Reheating

You can store leftover roast chicken covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.

To reheat leftover chicken, you can use the oven, stovetop, or as a last resort – the microwave.

For the oven method, preheat the oven to 350F. Put your chicken in an oven safe dish, add 1 cup of chicken broth (or water), and cover with foil. Bake until the chicken is warm throughout, about 20 to 25 minutes.

To use the stovetop, place the chicken in a pot and add enough broth or water to just cover the bottom of the pot. Cover the pot and cook on medium heat until the chicken is warm throughout, about 10 minutes.

Dutch Oven Roast Chicken Dinner FAQs

How Long Do You Cook Whole Chicken in the Oven?

The answer to this question depends on 3 things:

1. Chicken size
2. Cooking temperature
3. What type of vessel you’re using to roast the chicken

Here we’re using a 4-pound chicken. We roast it at 425F in a Dutch oven.

In this recipe, we roast a whole chicken covered for 1 hour, 15 minutes, and uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes.

The key is that we have to make sure the whole chicken is fully cooked without drying out. It generally takes dark meat a little longer than white meat, so we have to cook the entire bird until the dark meat is done.

According to the FDA, poultry should reach an internal temperature of 165F to be considered safe to eat. As a matter of personal preference, I like my dark meat cooked to 170F to 180F so that the connective tissue has more time to break down, resulting in melt-in-your-mouth-tender meat. But remember that because we’re cooking a whole bird, the longer you cook the dark meat, the more you run the risk of drying out the white meat.

You can test the meat’s internal temperature with an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken thigh without touching the bone.

Can You Roast Chicken with Vegetables in the Same Pan?

Why, yes! And that’s exactly what we do here.

We use a Dutch oven and cook root vegetables (here, potatoes and carrots) under the chicken. As the chicken roasts, the flavorful savory juices drip down and seep into the vegetables. The potatoes literally melt in your mouth.

How Do You Make Chicken Skin Crispy?

Here are my three best tips to help you get gorgeously golden, crispy chicken skin every single time:

1. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
2. Rub the compound butter on the skin (and under the skin directly on the chicken breast).
3. Uncover the Dutch oven for the last phase of roasting.

What Are the Best Vegetables to Roast Together with Chicken?

Root vegetables! Root vegetables grow underground, and a few examples are potato, rutabaga, carrot, parsnip, turnip, beet, radish, onion, and garlic.

This type of vegetable is usually hearty and sturdy, which means it holds up well to roasting along with chicken.

What Do You Serve with Roast Chicken?

One of the best things about this one-pot meal is that because it has both chicken and vegetables, it’s a full dinner in itself! But if you like a variety or if you want to make the meat stretch, you can serve this chicken with a few other side dishes.

Here are some healthy side dishes for chicken:

• Green peas or green beans – No recipe needed! I prefer frozen peas or beans over canned peas or beans if they’re not in season. I like mine with butter and salt.
• Leafy green salad – Dress your salad the French way with olive oil, Dijon mustard, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or a splash of white wine vinegar.
• Easy Yorkshire pudding – This is a classic British side dish paired with a roast dinner! The pudding essentially acts like a vessel to pour pan drippings or gravy in.
• Sweet potato casserole with marshmallows – Reminiscent of Thanksgiving dinner, this sweet potato casserole is as delicious with roast chicken dinner as it is with turkey.
• Kale gratin – If you want a low carb side dish for chicken, this cheesy, decadent gratin is perfect.

More Chicken Dinner Recipes to Try

• Chicken a la King
• Green Chicken Enchiladas with Salsa Verde
• Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken
• 1-Hour Dutch Oven Coq au Vin (French Chicken in Red Wine)