You’ll love this juicy Dutch oven whole chicken roasted with potatoes and fresh herbs. This is an easy one pot meal flavoured with lemon, garlic, and oregano. Plus you’ll love the Greek-inspired lemon potatoes!
There is something that I just love about a roast chicken; it feels like a warm hug and makes your kitchen smell heavenly. Imagine pulling this out of the oven on a Sunday afternoon? Trust me, it just works. I also love to make lemon thyme roast chicken, which has similar vibes to this recipe.
Why this recipe works
Roasting a whole chicken in a Dutch oven ensures that you end up with a deliciously juicy chicken. It is roasted for the first half of the cooking time with the lid on, and is removed for the last half of the cooking to allow the skin to crisp up.
The other best part of this recipe are the Greek inspired potatoes. They are cooked in lemon juice and the fat that comes off the chicken–hello flavour! It may seem like a lot of garlic and lemon, but that’s the secret to Greek cooking.
Ingredient notes
- Start with a good quality whole chicken, I look for chickens that are between 3 to 4 pounds.
- For the roast potatoes, I opt for Yukon gold potatoes as they are thin skinned with a fluffy texture when roasted.
- To keep things simple, I like to use dried oregano for both the potatoes and the chicken.
- Lemon juice, chicken broth and olive oil are the ingredients that make help take the potatoes to the next level. They become deliciously creamy on the inside, and are flavoured with lemon and garlic.
Expert tips
- The key to getting the perfect texture on the potatoes is to actually give them a little bit of a stir around the chicken halfway through the cook.
- If you find your chicken isn’t browning enough during the second half of the roasting, you can pop it under the broiler for 2-4 minutes.
- Allow the chicken to rest for at least ten minutes before carving.
Frequently asked questions
For a 3-4 lb chicken, you can use anything larger than a 5.6 qt Dutch oven.
For this recipe, both! You’ll need to roast in covered for the first 40 minutes and 40 minutes uncovered for crispy, browned skin.
What to serve with this
- A refreshing Greek salad pairs perfectly with the potatoes
- If you’re looking for another vegetable to serve this with I like to make roasted delicata squash or Maple bacon Brussels sprouts.
Dutch Oven Whole Chicken with Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 3 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 1 lemon
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano, divided
- 1 ¼ teaspoon salt, divided
- 1 whole chicken, about 3-4.5 lbs
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F. Toss potatoes with chicken broth, juice of the lemon, 2 tablespoon of olive oil, minced garlic, ¼ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon oregano in the bottom of a Dutch oven large enough to fit your chicken.
- Rub chicken all over with remaining olive oil, and season with remaining salt, oregano and some freshly ground pepper. Stuff the cavity with the halves of the juiced lemons.
- Place chicken on top of potatoes. Cover and roast in the centre of the oven for 45 minutes.
- Remove lid, and give potatoes around the chicken a little bit of a stir (you'll just want to move them around a little bit). Continue cooking uncovered for another 30-40 minutes or until chicken reaches 165F and potatoes are tender.
- If skin hasn't browned enough, place under the broiler for 2-4 minutes.
Notes
- Watch carefully if you choose to broil the chicken for more colour as it can burn quickly.
- Be sure to leave the chicken to rest for ten minutes before carving.
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