A Dutch oven roast chicken with veggies is the perfect weekend meal with leftovers for the week. This simple and easy recipe with basic seasoning and fresh herbs gets ready in just 90 minutes.
Table of Content
I find roasting a chicken to be so much fun. You can roast it in almost anything, a roasting pan, skillet, or a Dutch oven. And, with or without veggies. Moreover, the options for marinating can be as simple as salt and pepper to a whole bunch of ingredients.
I have shared with you how to make the perfect roast chicken, stuffed chicken as well as one with a balsamic maple marinated roast chicken, which can be made in a roasting pan. But, we also make a cast-iron skillet roast chicken, so I knew I had to share another favorite using my trusted Dutch oven.
About this roast chicken
There is so much you can add to your roast chicken. And, the best thing about this roast is that you don't need much. A good olive oil, fresh herbs, and some root veggies, and you have a complete meal in 90 minutes.
We cook this chicken uncovered on high for 70 to 90 minutes, which makes the top nice and golden and the veggies at the bottom beautifully caramelized.
The beauty of cooking a roast chicken in the Dutch oven is that the pan juices are just enough to serve alongside your chicken. All the excess liquid in the Dutch oven evaporates during baking, which means your chicken is not stewing in its own juices.
What chicken is best for roasting?
When possible, I buy organic free-range chicken. And yet, you can buy a standard whole chicken at any supermarket. Also, it's best to buy a medium-size, not too small and not too large.
A small chicken is about 1.2 kgs or 2.5 pounds and would feed 2 to 3 people. While a medium-size is 1.75 to 2 kgs (3.5 to 4 pounds) and will feed about 4 to 6 people. Also, leftovers from a roast chicken are always a good thing to have. So, a slightly bigger chicken than you need is not a bad idea.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Chicken - You wanna choose a healthy, not bony, chicken when roasting the whole chicken. So, even if you are a small group of people to eat, it's best to choose a bigger bird and have leftovers. The small ones tend to dry out because they do not have enough meat on the bones.
- Herbs - It's got to be fresh. Make that trip to the supermarket if you have to, but when it comes to roast chicken, fresh herbs are the way to go. I've used rosemary and thyme, and yet sage is also a great option.
- Lemon - Works great outside and inside the cavity of the bird. It flavors the chicken from the inside and I love how soft and juicy it becomes. And, you can also squeeze the cooked lemon over the chicken after it's baked for a little extra kick of lemon.
- Butter - I like olive oil, and yet the butter on the breast keeps the breast nice and moist. Olive oil works too, but if possible, I highly recommend butter. It also gives that wonderful golden color.
- Veggies - I'm using carrots, celery, shallots, and garlic but you can add root veggies you like. Baby potatoes are a great addition too. If you do add potatoes add them to the last 45 minutes of cooking time.
Video and step by step instructions
- Preheat the oven to 210° C or 425 °F.
- In the Dutch oven, add the veggies - shallots, carrots, celery, and garlic halves. Pour the oil and coat the veggies in oil. Then, season with salt and pepper. Add the sprigs of rosemary and thyme, set aside.
- Dry chicken - Clean and pat dry the chicken on all sides with paper towels. And, remove excess fat or leftover feathers.
Tip - A dry skin will give a crispy skin. So, when possible leave the chicken uncovered in the fridge overnight. - Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper - outside as well as inside the cavity
- Cavity - Fill the cavity with halves of onions, garlic, and lemon. Then, truss the chicken, aka tie the chicken legs and tuck the wings under.
- Brush the chicken with melted butter and place the chicken over the veggies in the Dutch oven breast side up. Transfer to the oven on the middle rack and roast uncovered.
- As a guide, you bake the first 15 minutes at 210 °C/ 425 °F. Then, calculate 20 minutes for every 1 lb or 500 grams chicken. Of course, the best guide is until juices run clear or the internal temperature reaches 165 °F / 75 °C.
Tip - The foolproof method would be to use a meat thermometer. The temperature should reach 165 °F or 75 °C in the thickest part of the thigh or 145 °F in the breast. - Next, remove the chicken from the oven and tent it with a foil – let cool for at least 15 to 20 minutes before you carve. Serve with the veggies and use any pan dripping to make gravy.
How to carve a roast chicken
- Once roasted, always tent the chicken and let rest for at least 15 minutes otherwise all the juices will flow out leaving the chicken dry.
- First, cut the two quarters at the hip joint. When cooked, this does not need any effort. Each quarter can then be cut into thighs and legs giving you four generous pieces.
- For the breast, find the centerline. Place a sharp knife on one side of that line and press down firmly. This will crack the ribs. Do the same on the other side. This will make removing the center bone easy.
Then, carve against the bone with a sharp paring knife. It is easy if you follow the rib cage giving you two perfect breast pieces. - While you will get 6 generous pieces, the rest of the chicken has lots of meat on it. In fact, some of the most flavorful bits are around the bones. So, do not throw the chicken and bones.
- Use the bones to make stock and use the leftover chicken for sandwiches, wraps, and chicken pot pie kinda dishes.
Frequently asked questions
This chicken will keep in the fridge for at least 3 to 4 days. You can also freeze for a month if stored properly.
No, I do not cover my chicken when roasting it because I like a nice deep dark brown and crisp skin.
The most common method to check for doneness in roast chicken is when the chicken juices run clear with no traces of blood. The foolproof method would be to use a meat thermometer and insert it in the thickest part of the thigh. The temperature should reach 165 F or 75 C.
Basting the chicken a few times during cooking helps keep the chicken moist (but don't open the oven door too often as the oven temperature reduces every time you open it).
Also, loosely tent the chicken after roasting. This will keep the moisture in the chicken. And, do not cut the chicken for at least 15 minutes after you take it out of the oven - so the juices stay in keeping the chicken moist.
This roast chicken has veggies with it so its a meal on its own but it also works great with a few other side dishes like
Skinny Mashed Potatoes
Oven-Baked Potato Wedges or Potato Chips
Leek Potato Patties
Homemade Onion and Rosemary Focaccia
Roasted Red Pepper Garlic Tapenade (3 ingredients)
Goats Cheese Crostini
Garlic Parmesan Asparagus or sesame green beans
Easy Swiss Chard Patties or spinach potato patties
Roasted Lemon Dill Potatoes - or garlic roasted potatoes
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Printable Recipe
Dutch Oven Roast Chicken
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Ingredients
- 5 lbs (2.25 kg) Chicken
- 10 Shallots (or 1 large chopped onions)
- 1 Onion halved
- 5 Carrots cut into 2-inch cubes
- 4 Celery stalks cut into 2-inch cubes
- 2 Garlic bulbs, halved
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 4 tbsp Butter melted
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Pepper
- 2 sprigs Rosemary
- 2 sprigs Thyme
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 210° C or 425 °F.
- In the Dutch oven add the veggies - shallots, carrots, celery, and garlic halves. Pour the oil and coat the veggies in oil. Then, season with salt and pepper. Add the sprigs of rosemary and thyme, set aside.
- Dry chicken - Clean and pat dry the chicken on all sides with paper towels. And, remove excess fat or leftover feathers.Tip - A dry skin will give a crispy skin. So, when possible leave the chicken uncovered in the fridge overnight.
- Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper - outside as well as inside the cavity
- Cavity - Fill the cavity with halves of onions, garlic, and lemon. Then, truss the chicken, aka tie the chicken legs and tuck the wings under.
- Brush the chicken with melted butter and place the chicken over the veggies in the Dutch oven breast side up. Transfer to the oven on the middle rack and roast uncovered.
- As a guide, you bake the first 15 minutes at 210 °C/ 425 °F. Then, calculate 20 minutes for every 1 lb or 500 grams chicken. Of course, the best guide is until juices run clear or the internal temperature reaches 165 °F / 75 °C. Tip - The foolproof method would be to use a meat thermometer. The temperature should reach 165 °F or 75 °C in the thickest part of the thigh or 145 °F in the breast.
- Next, remove the chicken from the oven and tent it with a foil – let cool for at least 15 to 20 minutes before you carve. Serve with the veggies and use any pan dripping to make gravy.
Recipe Notes
- Weigh the chicken so you can calculate the baking time.
- Pat dry the chicken before you marinate. Time permitting, leave the chicken uncovered in the fridge for 8 hours. The fridge does a great job of drying the skin.
- Thaw the chicken well before cooking. Chilled chicken results in uneven roasting.
- Leave the skin on when roasting the whole chicken even if you are not going to eat the skin. The skin prevents the meat from drying out and overcooking. Remove excess fat as much as you can.
- Loosen the skin of the chicken on the breast this will allow you to add as much seasoning as possible. Use butter, spices, or herbs on the breast as this prevents the breast from drying out.
- Always season the chicken generously, perhaps a little more than you think it needs. And don't forget to season the cavity.
- If you can, tie/truss the chicken or at least tie the legs and tuck the wings under this makes for a better presentation.
- If you don't have a Dutch oven, use a cast-iron skillet or roasting pan to make roast chicken. All work. The trick is to prop the chicken on a few cut veggies like onions and root veggies. This helps air circulate all around the chicken.
- When baked, always tent the chicken and let it rest for at least 15 minutes. This lets all the juices settle in the meat. If you cut too soon the juices will flow out and the chicken will be dry.
- Invest in a meat thermometer, these are very inexpensive these days. A meat thermometer takes the guesswork out of any roast and is the best way to know if the chicken is cooked perfectly. Also, you don't need to open the oven to oven to check for doneness.Â
Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
Beth
Roast chicken is our favorite and the addition of the thyme and rosemary really make this special!
Julie Menghini
That is one beautiful bird and I love how detailed your information is to make sure I do it right! We love roasting a whole bird but never think about all of those beautiful vegetables which would really make a complete meal. The leftovers would be amazing too!
Sisley White
I am getting so hungry while reading this post. The chicken looks incredible! I can't wait to try it.
Alisa Infanti
I just got a Dutch oven and can't wait to try this!
Beth
Yum! This looks so delicious and tasty! I can't wait to give this recipe a try! My family is going to love this recipe!