Dutch Oven Whole Roast Chicken

A whole chicken roasted in a Dutch oven over a bed of potatoes, carrots, parsnips, onions, and lemon, rubbed with garlicky herb butter for moist meat and crispy golden skin.

American roasting dinner comfort food
Prep 20 min
Cook 100 min
Total 120 min
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 4
    potato , quartered
  • 3
    carrot , peeled and cut into chunks
  • 3
    parsnip , peeled and cut into chunks
  • 2
    yellow onion , peeled and quartered
  • 1
    lemon , quartered
  • olive oil , for drizzling
  • salt , to taste
  • black pepper , to taste
  • 8 tbsp
    unsalted butter , softened
  • 5 cloves
    garlic , finely minced
  • 1 tsp
    fresh rosemary , leaves, minced
  • 2 tsp
    fresh thyme , leaves
  • 1
    lemon , zested
  • 2 tsp
    kosher salt
  • 0.5 tsp
    ground black pepper
  • 5 lb
    whole chicken , giblets removed
  • 1
    yellow onion , peeled and quartered
  • 1
    lemon , quartered
  • 5 sprigs
    fresh rosemary , divided
  • 5 sprigs
    fresh thyme , divided

Instructions

15 steps
  1. 1

    Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

  2. 2

    Place the cut potatoes, carrots, parsnips, onions, and lemon in the bottom of a large Dutch oven.

  3. 3

    Toss the vegetables with a few drizzles of olive oil, salt, and pepper, then set aside.

  4. 4

    In a bowl, combine softened butter, minced garlic, minced rosemary, thyme leaves, lemon zest, kosher salt, and ground black pepper to make the herbed butter.

  5. 5

    Pat the chicken dry thoroughly with paper towel, including inside the cavity.

  6. 6

    Rub half of the herbed butter under the skin, separating the skin from the flesh to create pockets around the breast and legs.

  7. 7

    Rub the remaining herbed butter on the outside of the chicken, over the top, legs, and wings.

  8. 8

    Stuff the cavity of the chicken with 1 quartered onion, 1 quartered lemon, 2 sprigs rosemary, and 2 sprigs thyme.

  9. 9

    Tie the chicken legs together with kitchen twine.

  10. 10

    Place the chicken breast side up on top of the vegetable bed in the Dutch oven, tucking the wings underneath or clipping the wing tips.

  11. 11

    Arrange the remaining 3 sprigs rosemary and 3 sprigs thyme around the chicken.

  12. 12

    Cover the Dutch oven securely with the lid and roast.

    ⏱ 75 min
  13. 13

    Uncover and continue roasting to crisp and brown the skin.

    ⏱ 30 min
  14. 14

    Check that a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh reads 165 degrees F.

  15. 15

    Let the chicken rest in the Dutch oven with the vegetables before serving.

    ⏱ 15 min

Refine

Tell me what to change — “make it dairy-free”, “double it”, “actually it was 2 tbsp of butter”.

Source

Recipe by Tania