This is how to make a Dutch oven whole chicken with vegetables! It’s super easy in a cast iron pot. Tender oven baked or fried whole chicken are the only way to go for me now! You’ll never go back after you’ve tried this.
I am new to using a dutch oven but LOVE it already! The first thing I tried was this dutch oven whole chicken. It turned out tender and moist with literally no effort from me (other than prepping it). Just one of the easy dutch oven recipes my family loves.
Best Vegetables to Cook with Whole Chicken
Using fresh vegetables like carrots celery and onions are best. I had these at home so I stuffed the cavity full to absorb the juices while it was cooking. Those came out so good that everyone fought over them. I then realized that next time I needed to try and add more in there so we all got a few.
Ok so why do I love cooking this bird whole? Well first off it is the cheapest way to buy it. No prep on the butchers part and stays really moist with the dark meat and white together. If you have never tried to bake a whole chicken at 350 you’re in for a treat.
I love cooking all the things in this thing. The material of cast iron is a great heat conductor so the steam stays in and keeps everything inside as moist as possible. I will say that it does make the most tender quick and easy chicken recipes though.
Ingredient Notes
Ok so I have a few different cast iron pots because I love them so much. For this one I would suggest at least a 7 quart Dutch Oven size so everything fits nicely and there is a bit of room around the bird. You want the steam to surround it.
As for choosing a Whole chicken I prefer one that is organic, around 4-5 pounds and free range has the best flavor.
Vegetables I like to use are fresh celery, onion, and carrots and potatoes. I can find them year round and they are cheap to add lots of flavor.
Seasoned salt and herbs of your choice as well as some Salt and pepper before and after if you like are the basic seasonings I use.
Olive oil will help flavorings stick well to the skin, avocado oil would be a good alternative.
I don’t really measure when it comes to adding herbs on a chicken, but approximated 1 tbsp of each in the recipe below. If you use garlic powder with everything for flavor then by all means include that. I generally just sprinkle each one on until the whole thing is covered to enhance the flavor.
In the past Lawry’s seasoned salt was my go to. If I am lazy I will still use that but now I tend to mix my own up. I am sure you have your favorites so go with it…. This is what my dutch oven roasted chicken looked like once I prepped it with all the herbs and spices.
How do I keep a whole chicken from drying out in the oven?
You don’t want to overcook pot roast chicken, and 3 hrs is perfect for our oven but each one differs slightly so just check. Then remove your lid and cook with lid off for 15 – 20 minutes to brown the skin. As always you will want to let the meat rest when you take it out. From 15 minutes to 30 minutes is good.
Keep it covered too, that is what is great about this cast iron pot. It creates great steam inside until it is tender as ever. Then just at the end you will remove the lid to brown the top. That isn’t necessary either but I recommend that extra step.
What other vegetables can I add?
You could add halved russet potatoes like we did and used them as trivets underneath. Other than stuffing it with carrots, celery and onions you could add other firm varieties like radishes or turnips if you wish.
Other variations people make might be to add 1/4 cup of white wine or broth if you wanted more liquid at the bottom to make gravy with. None is necessary though as the bird emits drippings to allow it to steam.
Can you use potatoes as Trivets?
Yes, that is what I do. Once prepped place the chicken breast side up into your pot. Instead of using a trivet I like to use medium sized potatoes as a stand to keep the chicken off the bottom so it doesn’t get soggy skin. This makes the potatoes flavorful as they are in the drippings. They might be your favorite part actually! This will be the best cooked chicken dinner you’ll ever have.
How to Make Gravy out of the Drippings
The drippings underneath will answer the question of what is chicken broth truly when made homemade. Don’t throw that out! Create a bit of a cornstarch slurry to thicken it into a wonderful gravy from chicken drippings.
Dutch Oven Whole Chicken Recipe
Equipment
- 1 dutch oven
Ingredients
- 5 pound whole chicken, approx 4.5 lbs.
- 4-5 medium potatoes, we used red, left whole
- 2-3 large carrots, leave in large chunks or they will get too soft
- 2-3 stalks celery, cut into large chunks
- 1 small onion, sliced large pcs.
- 1 tbsp Lawrys seasoned salt, or other brand
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Gravy from chicken drippings, click on link to make this
Instructions
- Rinse your chicken. Take items, if any, out of cavity and discard.
- Poke your potatoes and put them in the bottom of your dutch oven in the middle so your chicken can sit upon them and not fall over.
- Rinse vegetables, take top layer of onion off and cut in fourths.
- Put 2 pcs of onion inside chicken cavity as well as carrots and celery in large chunks so they don't overcook.
- Put remaining veggies on the outside of your chicken inside the dutch oven. Rub olive oil on top of meat, set inside on top of potatoes with the breast side facing up. Season outside of chicken skin with seasonings of your choice (I use Lawry's, oregano, garlic powder, etc).
- Put your lid on and put in a preheated oven at 300 degrees for approximately 3 hours
- Check after 2.5 hrs to see if chicken is at a safe 170 degrees using a meat thermometer and putting it inside the breast area.
- You don’t want to overcook it, and 3 hrs is perfect for our oven but each one differs slightly so just check.
- Then remove your lid and cook with lid off for 15 minutes to brown the skin.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Other Dutch oven recipes you’ll love
The best dutch oven stew is here. If you want to make veggies with just smaller pieces, make Dutch Oven chicken breast with vegetables together Baking bread in a Dutch Oven is a great side dish
- Sweet dutch oven peach cobbler is delish.
- You could easily make our 5 ingredient chili in this pot over a campfire or in your oven.
Dutch oven cooking at it’s finest I tell you. If you’ve only tried whole chicken in a slow cooker before this is a nice change!
So I wound up with a 6 lb baking hen, lol. But all I had to do was crank up the temp to 375 and it was totally done in 2 hrs flat. I used Herbes de Province for seasoning and added butter underneath the skin and it was absolutely delicious!! One dutch oven, no mess and enough leftovers to make chicken salad!! Excellent recipe, thank you!!
Have you every done a frozen chicken in the Dutch oven? I was thinking of trying it and maybe increasing temp to 325 or 350. What are your thoughts?
Yes I have a post here when frozen whole https://temeculablogs.com/frozen-chicken-in-oven/, typically need to use sheet pan as it won’t fit in pot
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Websites are VERY VERY expensive to run. If bloggers didn’t have ads we would have to charge you a fee to access our recipes to pay for it
@You, your loss, this recipe is excellent. People do need to get paid for what they do…
😉
This has become one of my favorite go to recipes. It’s so easy! I add a little bit of chicken broth to mine.. Very moist and delicious! Thank you for sharing!
Oh good!