Dutch Oven Roasted Chicken

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This Dutch Oven Roasted Chicken is tender and juicy with garlic, fresh herbs and butter. The skin gets perfectly golden brown and crispy, and with mini potatoes cooked along with it, this recipe is an easy one pot meal!

Chicken dinners are always a family favorite! Cooking whole chickens is a great way to feed a crowd and they’re perfect for special occasions or everyday meals.

Overhead view of a whole roasted chicken served with mini potatoes and chopped fresh herbs on top.

This air fryer whole chicken is our go-to for busy weeknights, and the hands off nature of this sous vide whole chicken is perfect for entertaining!

Now we have this Dutch oven chicken to add to the dinner rotation! I love using my Dutch oven as it retains heat so it evenly cooks a whole chicken on all sides.

While this recipe is a complete meal, we’ve also been enjoying it with a side of sous vide green beans and sometimes this air fryer broccoli!

Don't forget to check out the dutch oven roasted chicken story!

Why this recipe works

It’s a one pan meal that’s also perfect for meal prep! Cooking the potatoes and chicken together makes it an easy roast for Sunday dinner and leftover chicken can be shredded for salads or sandwiches during the week!
Using a Dutch oven means the chicken turns out incredibly moist, tender and juicy, but the skin still gets unbelievably crispy!
Placing butter underneath the chicken skin and rubbing bacon fat on top ensures the skin gets extra golden brown and crispy.
Adding some chopped pancetta adds savory flavor, but the crispy bits of pork belly also add amazing texture!
Broiling the potatoes at the end, while the chicken rests, gets them deliciously caramelized before serving!

Ingredients

For the full list of ingredients and quantities, refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

You’ll need 1 whole chicken for this recipe. I usually go with a 3-5 pound chicken depending on how many people we’re serving. Just make sure the chicken you buy fits in your Dutch oven.

For seasoning the chicken, you’ll need onion, smashed garlic cloves, pancetta and fresh herbs.

Pancetta is cured pork belly that hasn’t been smoked. If you don’t mind a smoky flavor, you can substitute bacon.

The fresh herbs include sage and thyme. Feel free to substitute other fresh herbs like oregano or rosemary.

Fat is key to getting crispy skin, so you’ll need 4 tablespoons of butter to tuck underneath the chicken skin and 1 tablespoon of bacon fat to rub over the skin. You can substitute olive oil for the bacon fat if you wish.

Pouring a few tablespoons of white wine over the chicken helps bring out the flavors of the other ingredients. You can substitute chicken broth, if you prefer.

To complete the meal, you’ll need ½ pound of mini potatoes. These are placed at the bottom of the Dutch oven and the chicken cooks on top.

Step by step instructions

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and let it sit in the fridge, uncovered, overnight.

Preheat the oven to 475F degrees.

Place the onions, garlic, potatoes and pancetta in the bottom of a Dutch oven (pancetta on top).

Mini potatoes, onions, garlic and pancetta arranged in the bottom of a Dutch oven.

Gently separate the skin on the breast and legs from the meat and stuff with the 4 pats of butter.

Raw whole chicken on a white plate with 4 tablespoons of butter tucked underneath the skin.

Stuff the cavity of the chicken with the halved lemon, fresh thyme and fresh sage.

Whole raw chicken on a white plate with butter pieces under the skin and fresh herbs visible in the cavity.

Place in the Dutch oven.

Prepared raw chicken placed on top of the potato mixture in the Dutch oven.

Rub the bacon fat on the skin and pour the white wine over the chicken.

Roast, uncovered, for 15 minutes, until the skin has started browning.

Reduce the heat to 350F degrees and roast for an additional 2 hours, basting 1-2 times throughout.

The chicken should register 160F degrees when you remove it from the oven.

Side view of a whole roasted chicken in a Dutch oven.

Let it rest for 10 minutes, carve, then serve. **Optional: squeeze the lemon from the cavity over top of the chicken.

While the chicken rests on a cutting board, place the Dutch oven with the potato mixture back in the oven at 500F degrees and cook until the potatoes caramelize, about 5-10 minutes.

Expert tips

Leaving the chicken uncovered while it sits in the fridge allows the skin to dry, which helps ensure perfectly crispy skin when roasting.
To help the skin get crispy, you can also pat the outside of the chicken dry with paper towels before salting the chicken.
Chicken is safe to eat at 165F degrees. I typically cook the chicken to 160F degrees and remove from the heat. The temperature will continue to rise to 165F degrees as you let it rest for 10 minutes. Use an instant read thermometer to check the temperature.
If the skin of the chicken starts to brown too much, cover it loosely in aluminum foil while it finishes roasting.
Depending on the size of your chicken, you may need to adjust the roasting time slightly.
Don’t forget to remove the giblets before cooking, and hold onto the chicken carcass to make this crockpot chicken broth.

Side view of a whole roasted chicken with chopped fresh herbs on top.

Common questions

Do you need to let the chicken sit in the fridge overnight before roasting it?

It’s not absolutely essential, but I recommend doing it to allow the chicken to dry out. This will help it get tender and juicy. The salt also draws moisture out of the skin, so the skin gets extra crispy as it roasts.

Do you need to stuff the cavity?

Again, it’s not absolutely necessary but I don’t recommend skipping this step. The lemon and herbs inside the cavity help to add flavor and moisture.

Do you need to tie or truss the chicken?

You can, if you wish, but I didn’t for this recipe.

Can you use a frozen chicken for this recipe?

If you have frozen whole chicken, let it defrost completely in the fridge first before preparing to roast it. This ensures quick and even cooking.

What size Dutch oven do you need to roast a whole chicken?

To fit a 3-5 pound chicken along with potatoes, I recommend at least a 5.5 quart Dutch oven. If you have a larger Dutch oven, that works too.

Can you use another type of pan instead of a Dutch oven?

A Dutch oven works best for this recipe as it retains heat so it cooks the chicken evenly and keeps it moist and tender. However, in a pinch, you can use a roasting pan. You just might need to adjust the oven temperature and roasting time. If you only have a roasting pan, I recommend trying this whole roasted Indian chicken or this whole roasted Moroccan chicken.

How do you get crispy chicken skin ?

There are a few things you can do to ensure you get crispy chicken skin. Salt the chicken and let it sit uncovered overnight in the fridge. This helps draw out the moisture. Placing butter underneath the skin and rubbing bacon fat on top also gets the skin golden brown and crispy. Lastly, roast the chicken uncovered, and do so on a high heat for the first 15 minutes. This crisps up the skin and seals in the juices.

What do you serve with a whole roasted chicken?

Chicken goes with almost anything! While this recipe includes mini roasted potatoes, here are a few other side dishes I love to serve with this Dutch oven chicken: spicy braised green beans, sous vide asparagus, sous vide corn on the cob and honey roasted parsnips.

Close up view of a Dutch oven chicken with golden brown and crispy skin.

Storage and reheating

You can store the leftover roast chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

You can also freeze roasted chicken. Just let it cool in the fridge, then remove it from the bones and place it in an airtight container or freezer safe bag. It will last in the freezer for up to 3 months.

You can reheat leftover chicken in the oven at 400F degrees for 10-15 minutes or until it is warmed through. If the chicken has been frozen, just let it defrost in the fridge overnight first.

Ways to use leftover roasted chicken

Leftover chicken can be shredded and added to soups or ramens like this spicy chicken ramen.
Add shredded chicken to salads like this strawberry spinach salad.
Use it in place of turkey in these leftover turkey hand pies, leftover turkey ramen or turkey lentil soup.
Add leftover chicken to risotto, fried rice or use it on a flatbread pizza.
Save the chicken bones to make this Instant Pot chicken bone broth!

Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it turned out!