How To Make The Best Homemade Dutch Oven Chicken To Wow Your Friends And Family!

This Dutch Oven Chicken recipe is delicious because it combines the rich, savory flavors of roasted chicken with the natural sweetness of autumn vegetables and herbs. The chicken, when browned in butter or bacon grease, develops a golden, crispy skin that locks in juiciness, while the meat stays tender and full of flavor. The stuffing of dill and lemon inside the chicken adds a fragrant, zesty layer to the dish, elevating its taste.

The vegetables—carrots, fennel, cabbage, and apple—are slowly cooked in the Dutch oven, absorbing all the delicious chicken juices and spices like rosemary, garlic, and nutmeg. This slow-cooked process softens the vegetables and infuses them with a deep, savory sweetness. The broth created from these ingredients is rich and comforting, offering a perfect complement to the roasted chicken.

The balance of flavors—from the earthy herbs to the slight tang of lemon and the sweetness of the apple—creates a well-rounded, hearty meal that’s both satisfying and flavorful. The final touch of spooning the broth over the vegetables brings everything together, adding moisture and depth to each bite. This dish is truly a celebration of fall and winter flavors, making it the perfect comfort food for chilly evenings.

To make this Dutch oven chicken recipe, you do not need to own a dutch oven. We use a random one I picked up on sale. If I had to choose, I would recommend Le Creuset. It is a great option for those who are looking for a top brand choice!

It can just as easily be done with a baking dish that is at least 2 inches deep and some tin foil. Also, remember to set up what you need so as to not make things difficult for yourself. Think of the word, Mise en place.

First, remove your whole chicken from the packaging. Place it somewhere away from anything else to avoid contamination. (It is chicken after all and salmonella is no fun). I prefer to remove my chicken over a large metal bowl, or whatever is on hand. This way I can drain any juices from it off into the trash safely. By the way, remember to check the cavity. Many whole chickens have extra “goodies” inside, so take them out before proceeding.

Put the chicken somewhere safe. Drain off all excess liquids. Use paper towels to pat all of the exterior of the chicken dry. This will promote the crisping of the skin. Next, you want to take about 1.5 Tablespoons each of salt and pepper and rub all of the exterior of the chicken with it. This will build the ending flavor. It will further help the chicken skin to dry out for crisping. Now set the chicken in a safe place off to the side.

Place your Dutch oven with the top off onto the stove over a medium heat. Set your oven to 425°f. (If you do not have a Dutch oven, you can do the same with a large pan or cast iron skillet at 350°f for 2 hours).

Now you are going to want to start prepping your vegetables and herbs. Peel your carrots, then roughly chop them into manageable pieces. It doesn’t need to be perfect, this is a home style comforting sort of dish. If you happen to be, or love the Scandinavian way, you could call this a “Hygge” sort of meal. If you do want to impress a little, here is an example of an oblique cut I have done on my carrots. This can be obtained by starting on a bias cut then rotating the carrot ninety degrees and making another bias cut and repeating.

Now take your fennel bulb. Cut the base and top off. Split it down the middle from top to bottom. Cut each half from base to top to make strips or a julienne cut. Repeat this with your onion as well. Then cut your cabbage in half, cut out the stem and slice into about 1 inch strips. Now peel and dice your apple. Also, dice your celery. Mince your garlic. Slice your lemon into rings. Finally, chop your rosemary and dill.

Place your butter or bacon grease into the now hot Dutch oven. (Always save your bacon grease for later projects. This stuff makes everything taste better!) Take your chicken and place your chopped dill and lemon slices inside of it. Don’t forget to truss those legs on your chicken! Place your chicken breast-side-down into the hot pan and let it cook until the skin is a golden brown. Flip the chicken and repeat. Then remove and place back in a safe area. (It is still raw chicken after all.)

Next, after you heat the pan back up for a minute or two, you are going to want to add your fennel, onions, carrots, celery, apple, and cabbage to the pan with about a half tablespoon of salt. Let the vegetables sweat and cook down and stir every minute or so to help the flavors start to build. 

Once they have wilted and the onions have become slightly translucent, add your three bay leaves, half of a tablespoon of nutmeg, rosemary, and garlic. Allow to cook for another minute. Now add three cups of water and scrape the base of the pan while stirring to deglaze it. Remove from heat.

Next, place your chicken on top of the the vegetable in the Dutch oven. Place your cover onto the dutch oven and put the whole thing into the oven. Let cook for about one hour. 

Now remove the top to your dutch oven and continue cooking for another 10 minutes or until the chicken has reached an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees.

As a side note, always remember to save the bones. Save the chicken leftovers for a tasty chicken stock. This can be used later in something else! It helps add more layers of flavor to any dish.

Materials:

-meat thermometer

-Dutch oven