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Dutch Oven Whole Roast Chicken


Making this dutch oven whole roast chicken with potatoes couldn’t be any easier. Marinate the chicken overnight and the rest is the breeze. This yogurt marinated roast chicken will turn out moist, tender, flavorful with roasted skin.

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dutch oven with roasted chicken

Recipe Features

  • Whole chicken and potatoes are cooked together in one pot.
  • This is a perfect recipe to serve to the family at dinner time.
  • The dish is naturally gluten-free and made with minimal and easy-to-find ingredients.
  • The prep takes less than 10 minutes, and the cooking is completely hands-off.

Key Ingredients

tabpletop with ingredients to make roasted chicken

Ingredient Notes

Whole Chicken. I like to get organic whole chicken from local Aldi; these chickens are certified humanely raised, and dutch oven roast chicken turns delicious.

Yogurt. I make this chicken with whole milk plain Greek yogurt.

Lemon. You will need one lemon, or you can sub for the bottled lemon juice. If you love the lemon flavor, feel free to add the zest of the lemon too.

Garlic. I recommend using seven or more cloves to really enhance the flavor. You can either mince the garlic or use a Microplane.

Smoked Paprika. To add that smokey flavor to the chicken.

Potatoes. Red potatoes would work the best here.

Onions. If possible, use Vidalia sweet onion for a sweeter and more mild flavor.

Optional. Feel free to add different root vegetables instead of potatoes, like carrots or sweet potatoes.

Step-by-step Instructions

  1. In a large glass mixing bowl, add the following ingredients: yogurt, paprika, minced garlic, lemon juice, and salt. Mix with the spoon to combine and make the marinade.
glass bowl with yogurt marinade for chicken

2. Add chicken to the bowl with the marinade, rub all over to cover in marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight or at least for 8 hours.

bowl with marinated chicken

3. The following day, gather the rest of the ingredients-Preheat the oven to 400F degrees. Slice onions, add to the dutch oven to cover the bottom, wash and dice potatoes in half an inch cubes.

dutch oven with cubed potatoes

4. Add, the whole covered in marinade chicken, on top of the potatoes, cover with lid. Place the dutch oven in the preheated oven on the middle rack and bake covered for 1 hour.

dutch oven with raw chicken inside

5. Then, take the lid off and bake for 15-20 minutes more to get the crispy skin. The chicken is done when internal temperature measures at 165C degrees at the thickest part of the chicken thigh area without touching the bone.

baked whole chicken inside the dutch oven

Recipe Tips

  • For the best flavor, when making dutch oven chicken don’t skip the marinating overnight step.
  • Adding Salt. Make sure to add salt to the marinade.
  • Layer onions in the dutch oven first. 
  • Choose the right dutch oven size. Make sure the dutch oven is the right size and will fit the whole chicken and potatoes. And check that the lid will fit on top as well. I like to use Lodge or Le Creuset brand enameled dutch oven to make this recipe; it cleans wonderfully too.
  • Preheat the oven to 400F degrees before placing the dutch oven inside. 
  • For moist chicken, first cook covered for 1 hour, then uncovered for 20 minutes.
  • The total cooking time will depend on the size of the chicken
  • Once the chicken is cooked, let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before cutting.
  • Save or freeze the carcass to make the chicken broth later. 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

When cooking chicken in Dutch Oven do I cover it?

I recommend cooking chicken for 1 hour covered to make sure it’s completely cooked. Then uncover and bake for 20 more minutes to get them crispy and roasted skin.

Recipes to make with leftover chicken

grey plate with roasted chicken leg and potatoes

More Chicken Recipes

Did you try this recipe? I love hearing from you! Don’t forget to rate and leave a comment below.

grey plate with roasted chicken leg and potatoes

Dutch Oven Whole Roast Chicken

Natalia-Flavorful Home
Making this dutch oven whole roast chicken with potatoes couldn't be any easier. Marinate the chicken overnight and the rest is a breeze.
5 from 4 votes
Prep Time 8 hours
Cook Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time 13 hours 20 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Russian

Equipment

  • dutch oven
  • large mixing bowl

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup yogurt whole milk
  • 7 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 tbs lemon juice plus zest if desired
  • 4 tsp smoked paprika
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 whole chicken aprox. 5 lbs
  • 2 sweet onion medium
  • 5 potatoes

Instructions
 

  • Making marinade. In a large glass mixing bowl, add the following ingredients: yogurt, paprika, minced garlic, lemon juice, and salt. Mix with the spoon to combine and make the marinade.
  • Marinating chicken. Add chicken to the bowl with the marinade, rub all over to cover in marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight or at least for 8 hours.
  • Next day. The following day, gather the rest of the ingredients-Preheat the oven to 400F degrees. Slice onions, add to the dutch oven to cover the bottom, wash and dice potatoes in half an inch cubes.
  • Bake covered. Add, the whole covered in marinade chicken, on top of the potatoes, cover with lid. Place the dutch oven in the preheated oven on the middle rack and bake covered for 1 hour.
  • Bake uncovered. Then, take the lid off and bake for 15-20 minutes more to get the crispy skin. The chicken is done when internal temperature measures at 165C degrees at the thickest part of the chicken thigh area without touching the bone.

Notes

For the best flavor, don’t skip the marinating overnight step.
Adding Salt. Make sure to add salt to the marinade.
Layer onions in the dutch oven first. 
Choose the right dutch oven size. Make sure the dutch oven is the right size and will fit the whole chicken and potatoes. And check that the lid will fit on top as well. I like to use Lodge or Le Creuset brand enameled dutch oven to make this recipe; it cleans wonderfully too.
Preheat the oven to 400F degrees before placing the dutch oven inside. 
For moist chicken, first cook covered for 1 hour, then uncovered for 20 minutes.
The total cooking time will depend on the size of the chicken
Once the chicken is cooked, let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before cutting.
Save or freeze the carcass to make the chicken broth later. 

Nutrition

Calories: 481kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 30gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 101mgSodium: 904mgPotassium: 1237mgFiber: 6gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 881IUVitamin C: 48mgCalcium: 119mgIron: 3mg
Tried this Recipe? Leave us a Comment!
Natalia | Flavorful home
Natalia is a recipe developer, food photographer, and home cook. She started Flavorful Home to document her recipes and share home cooking tips. She loves creating flavorful and nutritious meals while keeping the cooking process simple and joyful!
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Recipe Rating




1 Comment to Dutch Oven Whole Roast Chicken
Beck & Bulow

5 stars
We definitely need these for football season around here! Can’t wait to try them!

01/17/22 @ 12:19 PMReply

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