One-Pot Dutch Oven Roast Chicken with Vegetables

On busy days, there’s nothing better than throwing something into one pan and knowing dinner is done. Here is a roast chicken dinner that simply couldn’t be easier!

As far as chicken roasts go, this has got to be one of the easiest recipes out there. 

It’s a classic Dutch oven whole chicken recipe that takes minutes to prepare. If I know I’m going to be busy in the garden or my errands run late, this is always a recipe I can rely on. 

In the winter, I like to adjust the seasonings so they’re comforting and warm. In the summer, I can easily use any fresh herbs growing in the garden. 

If you’re looking for a one-pan meal you can easily adjust to your liking, this is it! You can bake and serve your chicken on a bed of root vegetables for a complete, one-pot wonder of a meal.

Enjoy!

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How to Make Dutch Oven Whole Roast Chicken with Vegetables

Simple ingredients sometimes make the best meals. If you have been hesitant to try your hand at roasting chicken, start with this super simple recipe!

You Will Need

• Instant-Read Meat Thermometer
• Roasting Pan or Dutch Oven
• Aluminum Foil, optional
• Cutting Board
• Shark Knife 

Ingredients

I offer a printable recipe card at the end of this blog post. Check it out for exact measurements!

• Whole chicken
• 3 Large Carrots, quartered or chopped into 1-inch chunks
• 4 Medium Yukon Gold Potatoes, quartered
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil or Melted Butter
• Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic Powder
• Dried Oregano
• Dried Basil
• Dried Parsley
• Chicken Broth, Stock, or Water

Instructions

Be sure your cast iron dutch oven is well seasoned. If you aren’t using cast iron, use 2 tablespoons of oil or melted butter in the bottom of the pot.

Wash and peel your carrots and potatoes. Quarter your Yukon gold potatoes and add to the dutch oven. Quarter or chop or quarter the carrots and add to the dutch oven. 

Season the potatoes and carrots with oregano, basil, parsley, salt and pepper. Toss in the oil so the seasonings stick. Add 1/2 cup liquid of your choice to the vegetables. Set aside the Dutch oven. 

Liberally season the inside and outside of your whole chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Place the chicken on top of your root vegetables, breast side up. Cover with the Dutch oven lid and place in a preheated oven.

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until the internal temperature of your chicken registers 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Usually 45 minutes or so. 

Optional, you can begin your cook time at 350 degrees Fahrenheit and cook until the internal temperature reaches almost 165 degrees Fahrenheit. For the last 10 or 15 minutes of cook time, remove the lid of your dutch oven to get a crisp skin on the chicken. 

However you crisp the chicken skin, be sure to keep an eye on it. It doesn’t take long for it to achieve a nice golden color. But chicken skin can burn quickly.

Please note – cook times will vary based on your oven temperature and cooking vessel. However, as a general rule of thumb, chicken should be cooked until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. 

You can also quickly broil the chicken to get the skin crispy. 

Remove from the oven and keep the lid on, or cover with tin foil, for at least 5 minutes so the chicken can rest. Slice with a sharp knife and serve. 

While the chicken cooks and rests you can prepare other side dishes like salad and biscuits, or dessert. 

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Whole Chicken Recipe Variations

There are a million ways you can serve a whole roast chicken. 

You can serve this exact recipe as a Sunday roast with a variety of prepared side dishes. Since the chicken is slightly seasoned, you can serve it with a variety of sauces.

If you have more time to prepare this dish, you can use a salt dry brine on your chicken. The standard is to dry brine your bird for at least 24 hours prior to cooking. Whereas this recipe you salt the bird prior to roasting. 

For even more variety, you can use different root vegetables. Squash like pumpkin, butternut, and acorn are all options. If you’re looking for even more color, you could consider beets! 

Sweet potatoes, parsnips, onions, and turnips are other root vegetables you can use. Just note that you may have to adjust the seasonings if you use them on other root vegetables. Not all root vegetables work with Italian-style seasonings. 

If you are really pressed for time, you can skip chopping altogether and opt for something like baby carrots or fingerling potatoes from the grocery store!

Finally, you can completely change the seasonings you use. You can use fresh thyme, rosemary sprigs, and other fresh herbs. Simply stuff them into the cavity of your bird so they don’t burn.

Why Not Season Just the Top of the Chicken?

If you season the top of the chicken, you are only seasoning the skin of the chicken. That skin acts as a barrier between you and the chicken meat. 

What do you have more of? Chicken meat! So when you’re able, you want to liberally salt all parts of the bird. 

If you want to flavor the chicken breast itself, you can slide your hand under the chicken skin and separate the skin and the connective tissue from the meat. This is where something like a compound butter comes in handy. If you don’t know how to make a compound butter, a seasoning blend works perfectly!

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Leftover Roast Chicken Recipe

During the summers, I love turning a leftover roast chicken into chicken salad. Throw together some avocado oil mayonnaise and add it to a bowl with the leftover chopped chicken and some chopped celery and your lunches for the rest of the week are ready!

I also love to take the bones from a roast chicken and put them in a crockpot overnight to make chicken stock.

Other uses for leftover chicken are endless. Add chopped chicken to pizza, pasta, salads, and more!

Roasting Pan vs. Dutch Oven – Which Do I Use?

A roasting pan may or may not have a lid. A roasting pan may or may not have a wire rack insert that you rest your meat upon. This wire rack helps you remove meat from the pan, especially when the meat is tender and falling apart. 

A roasting pan would work fine for a recipe like this. However, you may want to remove the wire rack insert and cover the roasting pan with aluminum foil. Covering the chicken will make sure the skin of the chicken doesn’t burn. 

I prefer a dutch oven because they retain heat well, I don’t have to waste aluminum foil, and they’re easy to clean. 

You could even use a cast iron skillet for a recipe like this! Just make sure the bed of vegetables you’re cooking on isn’t overwhelming the sides of your cast iron skillet. Again – cover your bird with aluminum foil prior to roasting. 

White Meat Vs. Dark Meat 

Which do you like better? Comment on this blog post and let me know! 

More From The Learning Life

Simple ingredients can make the best recipes. Like how we can turn a quart of cream into beautiful butter, or a flat of strawberries and some sugar and pectin into strawberry jam! 

The next time you’re looking for a one-pot meal, don’t overthink it! If you’re looking for even more homesteading inspiration, follow me on Pinterest! Over there, I share all kinds of rustic recipes, low-tox living choices, and homestead tips for city dwellers. 

Dutch Oven Roast Chicken Recipe Card

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