Traditional Dutch Oven Roast Chicken
Mouth watering and juicy, a traditional oven roast chicken is truly the hallmark of a homemaker.
Dutch oven roast chicken is one of my favorite meals to create. As a homemaker your day can become full quickly, especially when you have little children underfoot. Whenever I know it will be a long day, out comes a chicken.
People believe eating healthy requires stacks of dishes in the sink and multiple sides to every meal however It doesn’t get any easier than a one pot dinner. All you need is a dutch oven and a cutting board.
For years I shied away from roasting whole chickens because I thought they were so much work. Little did I know that not only are they incredibly easy, possibly the easiest dinner to make, but also one of the best uses of random vegetables.
Roast chickens are incredibly versatile. Adjustments to seasonings allow for either a herb crusted savory meal or a spicy oriental dish, the choice is yours. Personally I love an herb crusted chicken. Adding your own home grown fresh herbs to any dish really elevates the flavor and brings me such joy. Plus I always love something that incorporates the kids.
Preparing a whole chicken
One can easily thaw a chicken throughout the day by using the cold water thawing method. This allows you to thaw meat quickly while keeping your bird within a safe temperature range to avoid bacterial growth.
Many chickens come with the neck attached and organ meat stuffed into the cavity. Simply remove those (make sure you save them for broth!).
After you have removed the neck and organ meat, take a knife and separate the skin on the breast from the breast itself. You are not removing the skin but creating an opening between the skin and the meat. You will use this to season your bird. This step is optional however following through produces a chicken with more flavor and crunchy skin.
On the stove melt butter with your herbs of choice. For this particular bird I used dehydrated carrot tops (they sub nicely for parsley), salt and pepper.
Before basting I place my bird into the dutch oven. This way all the extra seasonings are in the pot and there is less clean up. Using a basting brush lift up the skin and coat the underside and the top of the breast meat with your herb butter mixture. This is where so much flavor comes from, allowing the seasonings to penetrate the meat while roasting. Use the remainder of your herb butter to coat the entire outer side of the bird.
With your knife create three to five slices through the breast and here you will stuff whole garlic cloves and fresh herbs. Herb combinations for a traditional roast chicken could be:
- Rosemary and Thyme
- Parsley and Sage
- Dill with mustard and fresh cracked black pepper
- Rosemary and Sage
- Marjoram and oregano
Looking for a gourmet touch? Pour a small amount of red wine into your pot and place half a lemon in the cavity. Preserved lemons add a wonderful flavor and aroma to any chicken.
Vegetable sides for a roast chicken
A traditional roast chicken goes well with any side. I personally add all my veggies into the dutch oven with my bird. They absorb the drippings and taste amazing. You can put anything in with a chicken. A mixed assortment is my favorite.
- Carrots and onions with a side of mashed potatoes.
- Carrots, radishes or parsnips and onions with whole garlic cloves.
- Baby potatoes, mushrooms and onions.
- Butternut squash, onions and garlic.
- Sweet potatoes and green onions.
You can always keep it simple with a side of green beans and mashed potatoes or a side salad. The combinations are endless.
Roasting a whole chicken
Once you’ve surrounded your bird with veggies and herbs place the lid on your dutch oven and set him in the oven at 425ºF for one and a half hours. Remove the lid for the last 10 minutes to finish browning the skin. Serve with sliced sourdough bread and you have a gourmet meal!
Traditional roast chickens are the meal the keeps on giving. I remove any remaining meat and use it for tacos or caesar salad the next day.
Another beauty of a traditional roast chicken is when finished you have a whole carcass to use for bone broth. Use those bones, you paid for them!
Traditional Dutch Oven Roast Chicken
Ingredients
- Whole Chicken
- Fresh Herbs
- 1 Onion
- 8-10 Small Roasting Carrots
- 3-5 Garlic Cloves
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 1/2 Lemon optional
Instructions
- Chop onion and slice carrots and set aside.
- Thaw and remove neck and organ meat from whole chicken.
- Preheat oven to 425ºF.
- Prepare basting herb butter by melting butter and adding desired fresh herbs with salt and pepper to taste.
- With a sharp knife, seperate breast skin from meat but do not remove from the bird.
- Place chicken in dutch oven.
- Coat the inside of the breast skin and the whole bird in herb butter. Pour remaining butter into the bottom of the dutch oven.
- Using a sharp knife create 3-5 slits in the breast meat and stuff with garlic cloves and any remaining fresh herbs.
- Surround chicken with chopped onion and carrots, sprinkle with fresh squeezed lemon juice and place lemon inside cavity.
- Roast for 90 minutes at 425ºF, removing the lid for the last 10 minutes to brown the skin.
