This easy Whole Roast Chicken Recipe is cooked to crispy-skin perfection in a Dutch Oven with Lemon, Garlic, and Rosemary Butter slathered on every bite! Add potatoes to the bottom of the pan and you’ve got yourself a complete, one-pot meal.
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This is my favorite recipe for roast chicken. Cooking it in a dutch oven ensures the chicken is moist and flavorful, but still gets that awesome golden-brown, crispy skin.
Here’s what I LOVE about this roast chicken recipe:
- It uses only five ingredients (assuming you already have butter, salt, and pepper);
- The flavor combination of lemon, garlic, and rosemary creates amazing flavor;
- There is no waste– the lemon zest, juice, and rinds are used, as well as the onion, garlic, and rosemary scraps;
- While it takes a while to roast in the oven, the prep time is only 10-15 minutes!
- You can add potatoes to the bottom of the pan to cook and soak up all those delicious juices while the chicken roasts for an easy one-pot meal. YUM!
And the other thing? A whole roast chicken is a foolproof way to impress people. This recipe comes out gorgeous every time, and it’s perfect for a dinner party or date but also easy enough to make for your family on a whim.
Tips for making the BEST Whole Roast Chicken
- Pat the chicken dry. This will help the skin crisp up to perfection.
- Season the cavity. Add a LOT of salt and pepper inside, and stuff it with the lemon rinds, rosemary sprigs and stems, garlic scraps, and onion scraps. This will help keep it moist and flavor it from the inside out.
- Add the butter mixture under AND over the breast skin. Use your hands for this (then give them a good wash). It’s important to spread the mixture liberally over the entire chicken (every nook and cranny). In addition, I separate the skin from the top of the breast and spread some of the butter underneath, being careful not to tear the skin (intact skin helps the meat stay moist since it keeps the juices in). This creates extra crispy skin and helps flavor the meat better.
- Truss the chicken. Not in a complicated way- I just tie the legs tightly together using kitchen twine. This helps keep everything nice and neat and compact for even, consistent cooking. If the legs splay out too much, they will cook too quickly, causing them to become dry.
- Roast high, then low. Roast the chicken at 475 for 15 minutes- this gets the crispy skin process going. Then, turn the heat down and roast at 350 for approximately 20 minutes per pound, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees (I stick my meat thermometer into the thickest part of the breast as far as it will go, then retract it just a little so it’s not touching the bone. It won’t read accurately if it is touching a bone).
- Let it sit for at least 10 minutes when it’s done. This will ensure that a) the chicken isn’t too hot to handle when you carve it, and b) that the juices have a chance to redistribute. If you cut into it too quickly, the juices will escape too fast and the chicken will become dry.
Roasting a Whole Chicken in your Dutch Oven
I have a blue Cuisinart Classic Enameled Cast Iron 5-1/2-Quart Oval
Here are some tips to roasting a whole chicken in your dutch oven:
- Layer onions and potatoes (or another root veggie) on the bottom so you have a complete meal. The veggies will soak up all the juices as it cooks.
- Keep the cover off when roasting. If the skin browns too quickly on top, you can place the cover on ajar on top to help avoid direct hot heat, or tent it with foil if the cover doesn’t fit/the chicken is too tall.
By the way… a Dutch Oven is also an amazing thing to bake crusty, no knead artisan bread in!
If you don’t have a Dutch Oven…
You can easily make this recipe in a large casserole dish or roasting pan using the same method!
Or, you can use your slow cooker. Just keep in mind, you won’t have any crispy skin if you do this. Slather the chicken in the butter mixture, and set on top of onions (and potatoes, if you want) in your slow cooker. Cook for 4 hours on high. (more on how to cook a whole chicken in your slow cooker)
You may also be interested in another one-pan chicken recipe: Spiced Chicken and Rice with Apples and Raisins. YUM.
Don’t throw the chicken bones/carcass out!
Make homemade chicken bone broth / stock with them. Just store the carcass/bones in your freezer in an airtight bag or container until you’re ready to make it!
Recipes to make with leftover roast chicken:
- Easy Chicken and Dumplings from Scratch
- Chicken Salad with Grapes and Walnuts
- Avgolemono (Greek Chicken Soup with Lemon)
- Cobb Salad with Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
- Healthy 20-Minute Chicken and Mushroom Stroganoff
- Chicken and Corn Enchilada Casserole
- BBQ Chicken Naan Pizza
And check out these other easy recipes you can make in a dutch oven from Pinch of Yum!
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Dutch Oven Whole Roast Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken about 4-5 lbs.
- 2 lemons
- 5 cloves garlic 3 minced, 2 cut in half
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary 3 finely chopped, 1 left whole
- 2 large onions halved and thickly sliced, end scraps reserved
- 4 tablespoons butter (1/2 stick)
- kosher salt see notes
- black pepper see notes
- 1.5 lbs. potatoes cut into 1" pieces, optional
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.
- Melt butter (4 tablespoons) in small bowl (I used my Pyrex measuring cup); add minced garlic (3 cloves), chopped rosemary (from 3 sprigs, about 2 tablespoons), the zest of the two lemons, and plenty of kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Set aside.
- Place the onions in bottom of enameled cast iron dutch oven. Reserve the end scraps. If using potatoes, add them on top of the onions.
- Prepare chicken by removing giblets from cavity and patting dry with paper towels.
- Liberally season the cavity with salt and pepper. LIBERALLY.
- Cut the zested lemons in half; reserve juice and save rinds.
- The butter mixture will have hardened slightly by now. Using your hands, slather the mixture liberally over every part of the chicken and under the breast skin (being careful not to tear the skin).
- Stuff the cavity of the chicken with the lemon rinds, onion scraps, remaining 2 garlic cloves, and rosemary sprig/stems. Place in dutch oven on top of sliced onions and potatoes, if using.
- Tie the legs of the chicken together tightly using kitchen twine.
- Pour reserved lemon juice over the chicken.
- Roast chicken UNCOVERED for 15 minutes at 475, then reduce heat to 350 and cook STILL UNCOVERED for approximately 20 minutes PER POUND, or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees (about 1.5 hours for a 4.5 lb. chicken). The chicken should be uncovered the entire time it cooks, unless it seems like it's burning (see notes).
- Allow the chicken to rest for at least 10 minutes before carving.
Notes
- Basting: If you want to, baste the chicken approximately halfway through cooking process. You don’t have to.
- Salt and pepper: You want to salt and pepper liberally- I’d say at least 1 tablespoon of kosher salt for a 4ish lb. bird (up to 2 tablespoons, if you have a larger chicken that’s more like 8 lbs.). Pepper you can do to your taste- it will give it a nice kick if you use a lot (around 2 teaspoons) but you can definitely get away with only 1/2 teaspoon.
- If chicken is burning: you should cook the chicken uncovered in the dutch oven, but if it starts to burn on top and the internal temperature is not high enough yet, you can place the lid on ajar to avoid direct heat and prevent further burning. Or, you can tent it with foil on top.
- Other vegetables: You can add carrots or other root veggies, that take a long time to cook, in the bottom of the pan in place of or in addition to the potatoes. Note: I actually prefer to roast my potatoes/veggies separately because they get more browned, but it’s super convenient to cook them in the same pot!
- Slow cooker instructions: Place sliced onions in bottom of large slow cooker. Prepare chicken as directed above. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or high for 4-5, until the chicken is falling off the bone. (this method will not make crispy skin, but will still be delicious!
- Make it paleo/dairy free/Whole30: Use olive oil or ghee instead of butter.
- The provided nutrition information does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.
- If you are sensitive to lemon flavor, you may want to use only 1 lemon. Same goes for if you are using extremely large or juicy lemons. Some readers have commented that the flavor is too lemony. I LOVE a really lemony chicken but no harm in cutting the amount in half if that’s not your thing!
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and reflects one serving of the recipe (total servings indicated at top of recipe card). It does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
This recipe first appeared on Bowl of Delicious as “Lemon, Garlic, and Rosemary Whole Roast Chicken.” It has been updated with new photographs, clearer instructions, and the option of adding potatoes based on suggestions from reader comments.
Hugh
I have a new lodge 12 inch cast iron skillet. It is not ceramic or any material other than cast iron. Does this recipe work the same way?
Elizabeth
It should be fine to use your skillet! My cast iron skillet is my all time favorite thing to cook in and I’m surprised I haven’t tried this recipe in it yet. Let me know how it comes out! :)
Naz
Can I make ahead for a large group of people by roasting the chickens halfway cooked and when the guests are almost ready to eat, I put them back in the oven?
Naz from Singapore
Elizabeth
I’m going to say no on this one. If uncooked chicken is left at the wrong temperature for too long, your risk of foodborne illness is higher (here’s an article from Livestrong confirming it: http://www.livestrong.com/article/543621-can-you-partially-cook-a-chicken-then-finish-cooking-it-later/). What I will suggest is cooking it fully and leaving it in the oven on warm for up to an hour before you carve it. That will give you a bit more flexibility. Another option is to fully cook the chicken ahead of time, carve it so it’s ready to serve, and put the pieces skin side up in the oven at a high temperature for a short amount of time to crisp up the skin and warm it up a bit. The other option is just to cook it, carve it, and just serve it at room temperature within an hour of taking it out of the oven. Hope this helps! :-)
Kristen
How do you regulate temperature on the dutch oven? Since it’s stovetop, isn’t it just high, medium, low? How do you recommend we cook the chicken after braising it?
Elizabeth
The awesome thing about a Dutch oven is that you can use it on the stovetop AND in the oven! This recipe is for inside the oven. The Dutch oven is used similarly to a casserole dish or roasting pan in this case. Hope that helps!
Amanda L
This has become a weekly dinner in my house! YUM!
Elizabeth
Yay! So glad you like it!
Jennifer
Hey! GREAT recipe. I shared it on my weekly #whatsfordinner recap this week. This time I tried it with lime and no rosemary. still tasty!
http://www.juniperinherhair.com/creamy-thai-sweet-potato-curry-magic-green-sauce-roasted-chicken-cauliflower-mash-creamy-roasted-red-pepper-pasta-recap/
Elizabeth
Thanks so much Jennifer! Awesome post yourself, and love the idea of using lime! I think that would be AWESOME with some cumin as well… yummy!
Pat
I made this for dinner tonight. It was absolutely delicious and cooked well….all parts moist. I had the thermometer set for 160 and then pulled to rest for a 6.8 Lb bird. Only thing I noticed was that I had a lot more liquid than in the picture so I strained the new potato slices and onions out to make gravy. Rather than chuck them, I fried the onions up to carmelize them in the Dutch oven and after removing them, then made the gravy with the liquid. The onions had a nice sweetness combined with a light lemony flavor.
Elizabeth
So glad to hear you made good use out of the liquid! Sounds absolutely delicious. Glad you liked it, and thanks!
Toni
I made this last night and it was delicious and super easy to make!! It will be my new go to whole chicken recipe!
Elizabeth
SO glad you liked it!!
Keena
It’s in the oven!! Found on Pinterest and reminds me of a roasted chicken recipe my grandma used to make!! Thanks for the recipe, smells delicious already :) :)
Elizabeth
Yay! Hope you like it! :-)
Pat Smith
Looking for something to cook today. I have chicken breast already thawed. How do I alter this or do you recommend that I not substitute with breast meal?
Elizabeth
Hi Pat! I have a post with similar flavors but made with boneless skinless breast meat: Rosemary and Garlic Roast Chicken Breasts and Potatoes. You can certainly make it without the potatoes, and add lemon juice to it before and/or after cooking for some lemon flavor! In this recipe I use a sturdy sheet pan to roast the chicken rather than a dutch oven. Hope this helps!
Carla
I hope this tastes as good as it smells! It was so easy to prepare and I love that it only calls for a few ingredients.
Elizabeth
Thanks, Carla! Hope you liked it :-)
Johnathan
My dutch oven is only oven safe up to 450F; however, your directions call for 475F for the first 15 minutes. Is it ok to put it at 450F, and maybe just lengthen the time?
Elizabeth
Personally, I always take those instructions with a grain of salt (har har- cooking pun!). Kind of like the expiration dates for food- if it’s a day or two past, and it smells fine, I usually just go for it! That said, I am not a professional manufacturer of dutch ovens :-) To be on the safe side if you are nervous, it would be fine to put it in at 450 for a little bit longer. Hope you like the recipe!
Crystal @ The Holliday Collective
Just made this recipe last night and I was super impressed. Thanks for sharing and rekindling my love with roasted chicken. I have a similar dutch oven and also really like cooking things in it. Thanks for sharing!
Elizabeth
Thanks, Crystal! So glad you liked it :-)
Karla
Made this today in the slow cooker, and it turned out fantastic! Even my kids, who are the pickiest eaters, loved it. I look forward to roasting it in my dutch oven next time. Now I am making a chicken stock out of the carcass and will use the leftover chicken for the chicken pot pie recipe you mentioned. Thanks for all the great recipes!
Elizabeth
Yay! So glad you liked it! :-)
Jane
How long does it take to cook?
Elizabeth
Depends on how big the chicken is- 20 mins per pound, plus 15 minutes initially. See the recipe instructions above for more detail, step #11! :-)
Nancy Pearson
Amazing and so simple! I’ve made it several times and I didn’t have fresh rosemary but it still came out great! Thanks!!!!
Elizabeth
Yay! Thanks and glad you liked it!
Karla
Hi! I’m looking forward to trying your recipe soon. I’ve never roasted a chicken, and I’m curious as to the size of chicken to get at the store. What size do you use for this recipe?
Elizabeth
Hi Karla! Usually, whole chickens are around 5-7 lbs. It really doesn’t matter the size (as long as it fits in your pot!), but it will take longer to cook if it’s big- 20 mins per pound. Any leftovers you have can be used for all kinds of things- soup, enchiladas, chicken salad, etc., and can be frozen, so I usually err on the side of too big so I have extra meat leftover! Hope this helps and hope you like it :-)
Karla
Thanks so much! I plan to make it next weekend. I’ll let you know how it turns out!
Lindsay
I am just starting to get into cooking, and asked for a Dutch oven for Christmas- to my mothers surprise! This was my first meal I made to break it in, and it was such a success!! I added potatoes to the bottom of the pot as well. It did take a bit longer to cook, but they were so flavorful! Thanks so much for the recipe!
Elizabeth
What an awesome Christmas present! So glad the recipe worked out for you :-)
melanie
Hi! I’m excited to try this in my new dutch oven! I have some red potatoes and brussel sprouts and am wondering if I can just throw them in around the chicken? Any suggestions, recommendations? Thanks!
Elizabeth
If you have room, go ahead and throw them in there! Just to warn you: the juices (and fat) from the chicken will be absorbed by the veggies, so they will turn out soft rather than crispy roasted, and they will also not be quite as healthy as they would be steamed or roasted without the chicken. But, that also means they will be delicious :-) If this matters to you, I suggest roasting them with EVOO, salt, and pepper on a separate rimmed baking sheet on the bottom rack of your oven while your chicken cooks for about 40 mins. Hope that helps!
melanie
Yes, it does! Thank you!
Beth
I made this tonight and it was wonderful! I was hoping for leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch, but DH and a visiting nephew left nothing but a few bones.
Due to an onion allergy and the lack of fresh lemons at our local ship, I did make a couple alterations… I substituted the zest and juice of a large orange, stuffed the body cavity with another orange cut into 1/4″ slices, and omitted the onion. I also added 3 cloves of roasted garlic in the body cavity. All other instructions were followed as written.
I served the chicken with a garden salad, butternut squash Mac & cheese, and toasted French bread sprinkled with parmasan. The entire menu was a hit – definitely worth repeating!
Thanks for the recipe! Love it!
Elizabeth
So glad you liked it! LOVE the substitutions you made- thanks for sharing them!
Linda
Put chicken in my Dutch oven,according to recipe,how ever..I put the cover on and put in oven 475* for 15 minutes. I didn’t see the bottom of recipe,it said place in oven uncovered. The knob of my Dutch oven melted! Maybe when you have pictures in the beginning you could mention wether or not to use cover or not for people like me that didn’t read on.lol thanks. Linda
Elizabeth
Oh No!!!!! I think you can get replacement knobs, if that’s any consolation. If you call the company, you may even be able to get one for free. Great idea, I’ll add that in :-)
Linda
Thanks for responding! Just took it out of the oven,waited 20minutes and carved…so good,moist,flavorful. Thank you!