This Dutch oven whole chicken and potatoes is easy to make, juicy and super flavorful. It's made with simple ingredients for a delicious family meal.
Roasted chicken and potatoes is a classic meal that feeds the whole family. Making a whole chicken can be very intimidating for some people, but I assure you this recipe is very easy! This recipe can even be made as an alternative to a turkey on Thanksgiving, especially if you are hosting a smaller crowd. If you love using your Dutch Oven, try my Dutch Oven Short Rib Ragu next!
The chicken is seasoned with fresh herbs, spices and lemon juice. The potatoes are easily thrown into the same pan to give you even less work. You will love this recipe for a weekly meal or to use as meal prep for busy days. If you love roasting chicken, you will also enjoy my Easy Roasted Cornish Hens.
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Why You'll Love this Recipe
- One pan meal. This chicken is made in one pan with everything including the potatoes. It makes for easy cooking and cleanup.
- It's juicy and flavorful. The Dutch oven whole chicken is seasoned with spices, fresh herbs and more for a delicious and flavorful dish.
- Great for leftovers and meal prep. Make this chicken on Sunday and enjoy it as leftovers for the week. It would be great on sandwiches, salads or on its own with your favorite veggies. Use the leftover chicken to make my Air Fryer Chicken Quesadillas.
- Freezer-friendly. Freeze leftover chicken to be used later in soups and salads or when you need a quick meal!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Whole chicken- I used a 4.5-pound chicken for this recipe. You can use any size chicken, you will just have to adjust the roasting time and maybe the size of your Dutch oven.
- Lemon- the lemon is used in the chicken cavity and we will also squeeze a little juice over the skin.
- Onion- both yellow or white onion will work for this recipe.
- Potatoes- the potatoes are optional in this recipe. You can certainly roast the chicken without them. I used yellow creamer potatoes, but any small or fingerling potatoes will work. You can also add sliced carrots or parsnips to the pan.
- Chicken broth- I like adding this to the pan for additional flavor. I recommend using low-sodium broth as you can always add more salt to the dish later if needed. Vegetable broth, white wine or water will also work.
See the recipe card below for quantities and a full ingredient list.
Instructions
Remove the chicken from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking to allow it to warm up to room temperature.
- Season the chicken. Place the chicken inside your Dutch oven or other large pot. Pour the olive oil and lemon juice over the chicken. Add the remaining spices to a small bowl. Season the chicken with the spices all over, under the skin and inside the cavity.
- Stuff the cavity. Place ½ of the onion, lemon, thyme and rosemary into the cavity.
- Add the potatoes. Outside of the chicken, scatter the potatoes. Pour in a cup of chicken broth.
- Roast the chicken. Roast for 20 minutes per pound. Check that the chicken has reached at least 165 degrees F internally. Serve with the potatoes and juices from the pan.
Recipe FAQs
The length of time depends on the temperature you are using. I prefer to roast chicken at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes per pound. For example, a 4-pound chicken will cook for 80 minutes (1 hour and 10 minutes).
I recommend not covering the chicken when cooking to allow the skin to crisp up.
I recommend adding liquid to the Dutch oven with the chicken to prevent it from burning and drying out. However, I prefer to use chicken or vegetable broth instead of water. This helps to create more flavorful pan drippings to serve over the chicken.
First, make sure you have a carving knife, a very sharp kitchen knife or kitchen shears.
Begin by removing the legs. Cut away at the skin and meat around the leg joint and then slice through the joint. You can also use your hands here to rotate the leg and disconnect the bone.
The next step is to remove the wings. This can be done with the same method as you used for the legs.
Next, cut off the chicken breast meat and any meat remaining on the carcass.
Throw away the carcass or save it for later to make a homemade broth.
Storage & Reheating
Store the chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. The potatoes can be stored in a separate container for the same amount of time. The chicken can be stored whole or cut into pieces.
The chicken will freeze very well for about 2-3 months.
Reheat leftovers in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
Top Tips
- Pat the chicken dry before cooking and seasoning, this will allow for very crispy chicken skin.
- My number one tip for flavorful chicken is to make sure you rub the spices underneath the skin. You want the flavor to get into the meat of the chicken, not just sit on the outside.
- Take the chicken out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking to allow it to come to room temperature. This will allow for a more even cook.
- Use a 7 to 8-quart Dutch oven. A round or oval shape will work.
Serving
While the chicken and potatoes are a meal already, you can certainly add some additional sides such as Air Fryer Green Beans. Here are some more ideas.
Side Dishes to Try
Similar Recipes
🍳Recipe
Dutch Oven Chicken and Potatoes
Equipment
- Cutting board
Ingredients
- 1 (4-5 pound) whole chicken
- ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon, cut into quarters
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 1 yellow or white onion, quartered
- 1 pound small potatoes, (I used creamer potatoes)
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Remove the chicken from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking to allow it to warm up to room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Remove the giblets from inside the cavity and remove any excess fat, skin and leftover feathers. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
- Place the chicken inside a Dutch oven. Pour the olive oil and juice from a ¼ of the lemon over the chicken.
- Add the salt, black pepper, garlic and paprika to a small bowl. Season the chicken with the spices all over, under the skin and inside the cavity. Sprinkle over one sprig of thyme and one sprig of rosemary.
- Stuff ½ of the onion, the remaining lemon, one sprig of thyme and one sprig of rosemary into the cavity.
- Outside of the chicken, scatter the remaining onion and the potatoes. Pour in the cup of chicken broth.
- Season the potatoes with ½ teaspoon each of salt and black pepper. Place the Dutch oven onto the middle rack of the oven.
- Roast for 20 minutes per pound (about 1 hour and 30 minutes for a 4-5 pound chicken). Check that the chicken has reached at least 165 degrees F.
- Remove the chicken from the oven, let stand for about 5 minutes. Serve with the potatoes and juices from the pan.
Notes
- Pat the chicken dry before cooking and seasoning, this will allow for very crispy chicken skin.
- My number one tip for flavorful chicken is to make sure you rub the spices underneath the skin. You want the flavor to get into the meat of the chicken, not just sit on the outside.
- Take the chicken out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking to allow it to come to room temperature. This will allow for a more even cook.
- Use a 7 to 8 quart Dutch oven. A round or oval shape will work.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Nancy says
Just made this, the best roasted chicken ever! So much flavor! Three large men couldn’t stop eating it or raving about it!!
Sarah Holt says
Yum! Very glad to hear everyone enjoyed the chicken. I have to make this again soon 🙂
Nancy says
Made this last night! Easy, delicious and moist!
Sarah Holt says
So glad you enjoyed it!