Dutch Oven Whole Roast Chicken
User Reviews
4.9
Dutch Oven Whole Roast Chicken
Description
The Dutch Oven Whole Roast Chicken recipe starts by mixing melted butter with minced garlic, chopped rosemary, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. This mixture is spread liberally beneath the skin and on the surface of the chicken to infuse rich herb and citrus flavors while keeping the meat tender during roasting. The chicken is seasoned inside the cavity and stuffed with lemon rinds, garlic cloves, onion scraps, and rosemary sprigs, adding moisture and fragrance from within as it cooks.
Set atop a layer of thick onion slices and optionally potatoes cut into chunks, the chicken roasts uncovered at 475°F in the Dutch oven, promoting a golden, crispy skin. The vegetables cook beneath the bird, absorbing juices and seasoning. The high heat cooking seals in juices, while the thick pot helps distribute heat evenly.
This roast works well as a main dish served alongside the roasted vegetables and can be accompanied by additional sides like root vegetables or salads. It's a straightforward comfort meal with clean, bold lemon and herb notes.
Instructions include optional basting and tips for managing cooking if the top browns too quickly by tenting or partially covering. Alternative slow cooker preparation is provided for a softer, non-crispy skin version. Adjust salt generously for best flavor penetration, and consider modifying lemon quantity to suit taste preferences. Additional root vegetables can replace or supplement the potatoes for variation.
Ingredients
- 1 chicken about 4-5 lbs, whole
- 2 lemon plural
- 5 cloves garlic 3 minced, 2 cut in half
- 4 rosemary 3 finely chopped, 1 left whole, sprigs, fresh
- 2 onion halved and thickly sliced, end scraps reserved, large
- 4 tablespoons butter (1/2 stick)
- kosher salt see notes
- black pepper see notes
- 1.5 lbs. potato cut into 1" pieces, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.
- Melt butter (4 tablespoons) in small bowl (I used my Pyrex measuring cup); add minced garlic (3 cloves), chopped rosemary (from 3 sprigs, about 2 tablespoons), the zest of the two lemons, and plenty of kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Set aside.
- Place the onions in bottom of enameled cast iron dutch oven. Reserve the end scraps. If using potatoes, add them on top of the onions.
- Prepare chicken by removing giblets from cavity and patting dry with paper towels.
- Liberally season the cavity with salt and pepper. LIBERALLY.
- Cut the zested lemons in half; reserve juice and save rinds.
- The butter mixture will have hardened slightly by now. Using your hands, slather the mixture liberally over every part of the chicken and under the breast skin (being careful not to tear the skin).
- Stuff the cavity of the chicken with the lemon rinds, onion scraps, remaining 2 garlic cloves, and rosemary sprig/stems. Place in dutch oven on top of sliced onions and potatoes, if using.
- Tie the legs of the chicken together tightly using kitchen twine.
- Pour reserved lemon juice over the chicken.
- Roast chicken UNCOVERED for 15 minutes at 475, then reduce heat to 350 and cook STILL UNCOVERED for approximately 20 minutes PER POUND, or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees (about 1.5 hours for a 4.5 lb. chicken). The chicken should be uncovered the entire time it cooks, unless it seems like it's burning (see notes).
- Allow the chicken to rest for at least 10 minutes before carving.
Notes
- Salt the chicken liberally inside and out, about 1 tablespoon kosher salt for a 4-5 lb bird; adjust pepper to taste.
- Basting halfway through roasting is optional but can enhance the skin's crispness and flavor.
- If the chicken skin begins to burn before fully cooked, tent loosely with foil or place the lid ajar to reduce direct heat.
- Root vegetables like carrots can be added to the Dutch oven along with or instead of potatoes; though roasting veggies separately yields better browning.
- For a softer skin version, cook the prepared chicken on low or high in a slow cooker for several hours; though it won't be crispy.
- Taste sensitivity to lemon suggests adjusting the number of lemons used according to preference.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 554 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 554kcal | 28% |
| Carbohydrates | 12g | 4% |
| Protein | 37g | 74% |
| Fat | 40g | 62% |
| Saturated Fat | 15g | 75% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 7g | 41% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 15g | 75% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 173mg | 58% |
| Sodium | 237mg | 10% |
| Potassium | 540mg | 11% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 4g | 8% |
| Vitamin A | 659IU | 13% |
| Vitamin C | 37mg | 41% |
| Calcium | 61mg | 6% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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