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

Cook Time: 2

Total Time: 2 15

Servings: 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

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