Dutch Oven Whole Chicken with Potatoes and Carrots

Roasted chicken is one of life’s all-time comfort foods, and this juicy Dutch Oven Whole Chicken is a classic meal in one pot.  The chicken self bastes in the cast iron pot and makes a flavorful sauce to serve with dinner.

Using a Dutch oven to cook the chicken is similar to using a crockpot, but it will give you more flavor. Unlike the crockpot, more of the liquid evaporates, and the flavors concentrate. The Dutch oven will also allow the chicken and vegetables to brown (the Maillard reaction), which you can’t get in a slow cooker.

This is the best whole roast chicken, and it makes an easy dinner (complete with veggies) for any night of the week. All you need is some crusty bread like our spelt sourdough bread and a tossed green salad for a complete meal.

Why This Recipe Works

• One pot dinner! The chicken and vegetables get cooked together in one pot, allowing all the flavors to meld together while creating an easy, full meal for the whole family. 
  
• Tender juicy chicken. Roasting in a Dutch oven is the best way to keep the chicken tender and juicy while giving it a golden brown, crispy skin. 
  
• Makes a flavorful gravy. The juices cook down and condense more than in a crock pot, giving the sauce a deep, rich flavor. 

Ingredients Needed for Dutch Oven Roasted Chicken

This recipe calls for simple ingredients that are easy to find at any grocery store. Here is what you will need to create our French style roasted chicken recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card for all the details. 

• A whole chicken. Look for a chicken that weighs around 3 to 4 pounds. 
• Seasonings: salt, black pepper, paprika. 
• Vegetable oil. Use an oil with a high smoke point like canola oil, refined olive oil, or peanut oil. 
• White wine. If you don’t want to cook with wine, you can substitute it with chicken broth. 
• Aromatics: We used fresh thyme and garlic cloves. You can add other fresh herbs such as rosemary, sage, oregano, and marjoram. 
• Vegetables. We used carrots, potatoes, and mushrooms. Any root veggies will work great in this recipe. 
• Chicken broth. 
• Dijon mustard. We used the mustard to add a rich flavor to the gravy. 
• Flour. The flour helps thicken the sauce. 
• Butter. When you make a paste out of butter and flour, it is called a Beurre Manie, which is French for kneaded butter. It is an easy method to thicken warm liquid without making any lumps. 

One Pot Whole Chicken:

This whole roasted chicken recipe was inspired by French cooking techniques, and it is such a simple way to serve up a no-fuss dinner, and you will love how juicy the chicken turns out. The Dutch oven does all the work and acts like a slow cooker, but it will also brown the chicken and give it more flavor.

This is a one-pot meal with the chicken and vegetables all cooked in a Dutch oven or braiser.  The chicken is moist and juicy; the vegetables are tender but still firm and the juices created a delicious sauce flavored with white wine, garlic, thyme, and a touch of Dijon mustard.

This recipe is like a pot roast dinner with a whole chicken instead of beef. It is comforting family food that brings everyone together at the dinner table. Serve it with some sourdough bread and a snap pea salad or a classic wedge with buttermilk ranch dressing. Finish dinner with a chocolate cake for a perfect meal.

It would be lovely to roast up one of those fat, organic, free-range chickens for this recipe.  The little farm where we buy our fresh eggs sells their home-grown chickens all ready to cook. 

However, they are sold in lots of six for a cash outlay of $163.  That is a hunka cash and calculates to almost $30 a chicken.  I just couldn’t do it.  I have no problem shelling out the big bucks for a whopping big prime rib roast or a hefty chunk of halibut.  But chicken??  I’m just not there yet. 

How To Make Dutch Oven Whole Roasted Chicken

Here is a brief overview to give you an idea of what to expect when making a whole chicken in a Dutch oven. Scroll down to the printable recipe card for all the details.

1. Prep the chicken. Season the outside and in the cavity of the chicken, then use some kitchen twine (optional) to tie the legs together. 
2. Sear. Heat the Dutch oven and sear the outside of the chicken until golden brown. 
3. Start the chicken without the vegetables. Add the wine and aromatics to the pot and place it in a preheated oven. 
4. Add the vegetables. Continue roasting in the oven until the temperature registered 175*F on the meat thermometer. 
5. Make the sauce. Use the pan drippings in the bottom of the pot to make the gravy. 

More Chicken Recipes to Try

• Roast Chicken with Freekeh Stuffing
• Roasted Honey-Dijon Chicken
• Ginger Chicken
• Smoked whole chicken
• Smoked beer can chicken
• Panko chicken

Tips for Success

• To prevent a large chicken from sticking to the lid of the Dutch oven, apply non-stick spray on the bottom of the lid.
  
• If the lid doesn’t stay on well, spray some aluminum foil with cooking spray and tightly wrap it over the top of your Dutch oven.
  
• Note if the juices run clear, and use an instant-read thermometer to test the doneness of the whole chicken. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh (it should be at 175 degrees Fahrenheit).
  
• The cooking time will vary depending on the size of your chicken. Check the internal temperature of the chicken to determine doneness. If you don’t have a meat thermometer, cut into the chicken and make sure the juices run clear. 

For the best results, use an instant-read meat thermometer  and check the meat intermittently or use a leave-in meat thermometer  so you don’t have to open the oven frequently. The above links are affiliate links from ThermoWorks  . They make the best thermometers we have ever used and we highly recommend them.

?️ Serving Suggestions

This Dutch oven roasted chicken is a complete meal in itself, but if you need to satisfy some hearty appetites, you can add a few side dishes. Whether you’re looking for classic sides like our no knead focaccia bread or something healthier like honey sriracha Brussels sprouts, here are some great sides that will go well with this whole roasted chicken.

• homemade rosemary bread
• whole wheat einkorn bread
• cornbread dressing
• Instant Pot Lebanese green beans
• Dragon tongue beans with farro
• truffle mashed potatoes 
• roasted broccoli with chili
• cauliflower chicken soup
• arugula burrata salad
• strawberry spinach salad

For dessert, serve a Dutch apple pie or an easy strawberry jam cake.

✅ Substitutions and Variations

If you adjust the seasonings, you will get a new flavor each time you make this easy chicken dinner. Try using a lemon pepper seasoning blend and adding a splash of fresh lemon juice. You can use a storebought blend or make the blend that we used in our honey lemon pepper wings. 

You can also try using our pot roast seasoning blend, bbq seasoning rub, or Cajun seasoning. Just change up the spices, and you will have a different flavor every time. 

You can substitute the white wine for beer or red wine. And if you prefer not to cook with alcohol, substitute the wine for more chicken broth. 

⏲ Storage and Reheating

Store leftover chicken in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to three days.

To reheat:

1. Place your leftovers in a pot and add a splash of chicken broth or wine for moisture.
2. Place it in a preheated 350°F oven and bake for 25 minutes or until heated through.
3. Cover it with foil to avoid drying out.

You can also freeze the cooked chicken in airtight containers for up to three months. When ready to serve, thaw them overnight in the fridge. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

Our Dutch oven whole chicken is a delicious, filling meal the entire family will love. This one-pot meal is an easy way to get dinner on the table without having to slave away at the stove for hours. Since you’ll be using a Dutch oven, you simultaneously have the convenience of a slow cooker and get the texture of a perfectly roasted chicken with little effort.

For More Dutch Oven Recipes

• Dutch oven beef stew
• Moroccan chicken stew
• chicken and dumplings
• Dutch oven pot roast
• beef burgundy
• homemade chili beans

Dutch Oven Whole Chicken

This Dutch oven whole roasted chicken is moist, juicy, and tender. It makes a full meal with carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, and a savory sauce. Roasting the chicken slowly in a Dutch oven makes a tender, juicy chicken that gets perfectly browned.

We added the vegetables after the chicken had time to roast in the oven a bit. If you prefer to have super soft vegetables, you can add them in the beginning.

5 from 16 votes

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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours hours

Total Time: 2 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 349kcal

Author: Pat Nyswonger

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken about 4 pounds
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon paprika
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• ½ cup white wine divided
• 4 garlic cloves thinly sliced
• 1 small bunch of fresh thyme sprigs
• 6 to 8 carrots scrubbed clean (slice larger carrots into 3-inch sections)
• 1-½ pounds fingerling potatoes or large potatoes sliced into 3-inch chunks
• 12 small white mushrooms whole and brushed free of soil

For the Wine-Dijon Sauce:

• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 garlic cloves grated or crushed
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons butter softened
• 2 tablespoons flour
• Fresh thyme sprigs for garnish

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Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F
• In a small dish, combine the sea salt, black pepper, and paprika and sprinkle on the inside and outside of the chicken. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine.
• Add the oil to a Dutch oven or brasier pot set over medium heat, and when it is hot but not smoking, add the chicken, breast side down, and brown lightly. Rotate the bird to brown each side for about 8 minutes. Turn the chicken onto its back and drizzle 1/4 cup of the white wine into the pan (save the rest of the wine for the sauce). Add the garlic slices and the thyme sprig bundle. 
• Place the lid on the pot and transfer to the middle rack of the oven. Roast for 45 minutes. Remove the pot from the oven and baste the chicken with a few spoons full of the pan juices. 
• Arrange the carrots, potatoes, and mushrooms around the chicken, add the lid, and transfer back to the oven. Roast for about 30 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer reads 165° in the thickest part of the breast and the veggies are tender.
• Transfer the chicken to a serving platter. Remove the twine from the legs and arrange the vegetables around the chicken. Cover lightly with foil and allow to rest while preparing the sauce.

For the Wine-Dijon Sauce:

• Remove the thyme sprigs and pour the pan juices through a strainer into a small saucepan. Skim off and discard as much of the fat as possible. Add the remaining wine, the chicken broth, and garlic.
• Bring to a boil and cook for about 5 minutes, reducing the liquid to 2 cups. Whisk in the Dijon mustard, taste, and add salt if needed.
• Place the butter and flour in a small dish and blend it together to make a paste. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the butter/flour paste, whisking until it melts.
• Return the saucepan back to the stovetop over medium heat. Continue to cook for 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened. Transfer the sauce to a small pitcher and serve with the chicken and vegetables.

Notes

• If your chicken is large and touches the lid, spray the inside of the lid with non-stick oil spray to prevent the flesh from sticking and ripping when the lid is removed.
• Aluminum foil can be substituted for a lid. Spray the inside of the foil with non-stick oil spray and cover the pot tightly.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 349kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 86mg | Sodium: 82mg

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