This is how to make a dutch oven whole chicken! It’s super easy and flavorful using this method. Tender oven baked or fried whole chicken inside a cast iron pot are the only way to go for me now! You’ll never go back after you’ve tried this and other dutch oven recipes.
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. (affiliate links present)
Chicken Roast Dutch Oven
Using fresh vegetables I had at home I stuffed the cavity full to absorb the juices while it was cooking, and those came out really flavorful as well. In fact everyone fought over them and I realized that next time I needed to try and add more in there so we all got a few. You may never cook it another way ever again after this…….
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.
FIRST – You should sign up for my free newsletter so you get new posts emailed to you twice a week and never miss out on anything! If you’re new to using this enclosed cast iron pot, let me share a little information:
- This is the dutch oven I have and love.
- I recommend having a good set of oven mitts to lift it in and out of your oven.
- You need a good trivet if you’re going to put this directly on the table to serve.
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.
Dutch Oven Chicken Ingredients
- Cast iron dutch oven, I have the 7 quart model
- Whole chicken
- Vegetables (I used celery, onion, and carrots and potatoes)
- Seasoned salt and herbs of your choice
- Salt and pepper before and after if you like
- Olive oil will help flavorings stick
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.
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?
Keep it covered. 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 vegetables can I add?
- Halved russet potatoes – like we did and used them as trivets underneath
- Stuffed with carrots, celery and onions are great to add flavor naturally
- White wine is fabulous but I guess you could use broth instead
- I wouldn’t add rice, just cook that separately
Should I use a trivet?
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 cook a whole chicken and vegetables in a Dutch oven
- 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 1/2 of onion inside chicken cavity as well as a few pcs of carrots and celery cut into large chunks so they don’t overcook.
- Put chicken in middle of pot with breast side facing up. Put remaining veggies on the outside of your chicken inside the pot itself.
- Rub olive oil on chicken skin, and season skin with seasonings of your choice (I use Lawry’s, oregano, garlic powder, etc).
- Put your lid on the pot roast chicken 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 165 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 – 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.
Then when you slice it the meat will remain super tender. Slicing early will dry it out. It is not only a cheap meal but healthy too. It’s gluten free, keto friendly, and packed with protein.
What is the best thing to cook in a Dutch oven?
- 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!
Dutch Oven Whole Chicken
Equipment
- 1 dutch oven
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken, approx 4.5 lbs.
- 4-5 medium potatoes, we used red, left whole
- 2-3 carrots, leave in large chunks or they will get too soft
- 2-3 stalks celery, cut into large chunks
- 1 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.
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
The ads on your site are crazy and beyond annoying. I will never view your site again. Greedy.
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!