I thought it was time that I demonstrated the cooking power of a Dutch oven. Roast chicken made in a Dutch oven is simply perfect. It’s moist, succulent…and absolutely tasty. You will have no complaints.
The best thing about it? It is so easy to make. You can have literally no cooking skills to deliver a meal fit for a king. It literally is as simple as throwing it into a Dutch oven and there you go…done!
Ok, you need to do a little bit but I promise you, nothing complicated.
Listen to this post…
What size Dutch oven do I need for a roast chicken?
Well, it really depends on the chicken. The Cuisinart Dutch oven I am using here is a 5-quart version. It is perfect for a 1 kg chicken…enough room to roast some vegetables too. It is quite a small bird and the meal is for two…with some left overs.
If you are cooking for a larger group, then obviously you are going to need a bigger chicken. Most places sell chickens that are up to 1.6 kg. In that case, you would ideally need a Dutch oven that is between 6 – 7 quarts.
How to roast a chicken in a Dutch oven
The simple and least complex answer is to throw your vegetables into the Dutch oven, put the chicken on top, lid on and put it in the oven for 90 mins at 370f.
That is the basic answer and yes, I am simplifying it. The long answer is that it is not much more complicated.
For this roast chicken, I bought it pre-marinated with peri peri. You can of course do this yourself and I recommend that you do so. It will definitely taste better if you let it marinate longer and stab the chicken to let the flavors seep into the meat.
I used a selection of vegetables…potatoes, chantenay carrots, shallots, bell peppers and a few chilies. For those who have never tried adding chilies to roasts, I highly recommend them. They add a lovely flavor and you will definitely taste the difference…greater depth to the taste.
Layer the base of the Dutch oven with the potatoes, carrots and any other starchy vegetable. I don’t put the peppers or chillies in at this stage because they don’t need as long to cook. I add them with half an hour of cooking time left.
I add some olive oil…a few glugs straight from the bottle. I then season it with salt and pepper. I also like to add oregano to taste too…and the smell is lovely.
To prepare the chicken, I insert a sliced shallot and a couple of slices of lemon into it. I then place it on top of the vegetables.
Roast chicken made in a Dutch oven is simply perfect. It’s moist, succulent…and absolutely tasty
I should also mention that because this chicken is marinated, it will have a lovely color at the end. If you are not marinating it, I suggest searing it before you start in order to add some lovely brown color. Trust me when I say that it will make a difference at the end.
Time to put it into the oven…turn on the oven to 370f. I don’t preheat the oven when I am using a Dutch oven as you can damage it with thermal shock. Always heat from cold.
After an hour, I take it out and put the rest of the vegetables in…the peppers and chillies. Back into the oven for another half an hour.
When it is done, take out the chicken and make sure it is properly cooked through…leave it to rest for 10 minutes or so. Ideally you should use a digital thermometer…but make sure the juices run free.
That is pretty much it…time to serve!! It really is that simple.
Let me know if you are a fan of Dutch oven roast chicken…do you have any tips that you want to share? Leave a comment below if you do…anyway, I hope you enjoy the pictures.
See you soon…Jayne x
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