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.
Vivian
About how much salt and pepper would you recommend? I’m horrible at eyeballing and I tend to either overseason or underseason.
Elizabeth Lindemann
Great question! 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, 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 with all the other flavors, you can definitely get away with only 1/2 teaspoon. Hope that helps and hope you like it! And thank you for bringing this up- I’m going to add this to the recipe instructions now.
Joyce Disharoon
Bought a Dutch oven and tried this recipe. My husband said it was the best yet. I have been cooking my whole chicken in an Instant Pot to avoid the mess that it makes in the oven. There was no mess cooking in the Dutch oven. I used parsnips instead of potatoes to make it AIP friendly. I also added fresh sage leaves to cavity and ground sage and rosemary to the skin. This will now be my go to recipe for roast whole chicken.
Elizabeth Lindemann
SO glad you liked it!! Love the idea of adding fresh sage- I’ve got two huge plants of it, so I can’t wait to try this next time!
Miriam
It’s in the oven as I type this, very excited to try it…. one question, is there a way to avoid washing the butter off the skin when you pour the lemon juice on the chicken? Can you pour the lemon juice first and then add the butter? Or is there a specific reason for the juice being poured on last? Thanks for clearing this up! :)
Elizabeth Lindemann
That’s a good question that I’ve never really thought about before! There’s no reason really other than that’s how I did it haha! Usually the chicken I’m using is cold, so the butter kind of solidifies after I rub it on, so when I pour the lemon juice on it doesn’t really come off too much. I think you could probably mix the lemon juice with the butter mixture as an alternative! All the flavors kind of meld together anyway as it bakes so whether you pour it on top before or after the butter, or even if you just pour it in the bottom of the pan, it should come out fine. This recipe is VERY forgiving, which is why I like it so much :-) Hope that helps!
Sheila
I’ve made this a few times for company, and it is a hit. It’s my very favorite roast chicken recipe. I love that it can all cook in one pot. I usually put thickly sliced carrots in with the potatoes and onions on the bottom of the pot and then just mix them all together to serve. Because of the lemon and rosemary, they are quite sweet and delicious. This year we are going to have it for Thanksgiving. We’re sick of dry turkey, and this is so easy – it makes it easier to socialize. We’re big fans!!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it, and great idea to use it for Thanksgiving! I really dislike cooking a whole turkey- a chicken is much more manageable. And it won’t make you as sleepy :-) Thanks so much for the comment and review!
Aaron
Question – Once the 15 min has passed, do I need to add the lid back on?
Elizabeth Lindemann
Nope! Uncovered the whole time, unless it starts to burn, put it on ajar. Hope you like it!
Ben
I’ve just made your roast chicken. It’s in the oven now and smells delicious. Our mouths are watering eating for it
Elizabeth Lindemann
Hope you like it!
Wendy Ann
Five stars! This is the best roasted chicken recipe I’ve tried! My son who is very picky loves this dish!
Elizabeth Lindemann
Hooray! So happy you and your son liked it!
Diana
Amazing! The best roasted chicken I’ve ever made!
Elizabeth Lindemann
Thanks! So glad you liked it :-)
Alessandra
We are foodies and cooks. This is by far the best roast chicken we’ve ever made. It comes out moist, flavorful + just plain delicious. The lemon and rosemary aromas flavor the chicken delicately and perfectly. This will become our go-to roast chicken for cold winter nights.
Elizabeth Lindemann
Oh this comment made my day! So happy you liked it :-)
Emily
I have made this several times for my family and guests. I even made it for Christmas Eve dinner last year. It’s so beautiful and delicious! Thank you for sharing !!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it, and for Christmas Eve nonetheless! Thanks so much :-)
Hellen
It was wonderful right out of the oven! I loved using ALL the lemon, too. It did take an hour longer to bake, so I was glad I made it plenty early. It was easy to do and made the house smell great!
Elizabeth Lindemann
Thanks! So glad you liked it :-)
Cheryl
Wow! I’m getting ready to make this again! It is so good, right out of the oven, the next day and OMG the soup from the carcass is to die for. Thanks for this keeper! I even sent pictures to my brother ?
Elizabeth Lindemann
Aw, thanks so much! So glad you liked it, and THANK YOU for not wasting that amazing carcass for soup!
Mary
So good. Followed the recipe exact only I added some carrots to the onion and potatoes and it needed about 35 mins more in the oven. Im eating leftovers now and they’re just as good as when i made it. Will definitely be making this all winter.
Elizabeth Lindemann
Thanks! I’m so happy you liked it!
Sarah
Do I cover it after roasting at 475 for 15 mins??
Elizabeth Lindemann
Nope! Leave it uncovered the whole time, except if it seems like it’s burning, you can put the lid on ajar ?
Tom W.
Made this for my Dad this evening in the dutch oven he inherited from his Mom/my grandma. It came out SO good… he loved it! I think we’ll be making this a lot during the upcoming fall and winter.
Elizabeth Lindemann
SO happy you and your dad liked it! How cool to cook it in an inherited Dutch oven. I love that. Thanks for leaving a comment!
Nancy Perine
Hi there! I had fun looking around your website/blog. Your recipe for Dutch Oven Whole Roast Chicken caught my eye. I happened to have a fresh whole chicken on hand and hadn’t decided what to do with it yet. Your rosemary butter sounded interesting We have an herb garden down behind the condo, so lots of fresh rosemary. Well, I tried it in my new Dutch oven. It turned out yummy and was enjoyed by all. Thanks for sharing! P.S. Nice photos, also!
Elizabeth Lindemann
Thank you so much, and I’m so glad you liked it!!
Carrie Orms
AMAZING recipe!!! In full disclosure I only had lemon juice, not lemons. This is fairly easy to prep, and cooks perfectly as directed. I felt incredibly proud of myself! Thank you for this recipe.
Elizabeth Lindemann
Thanks!! So glad you liked it!
Patrick
Can you add potatoes to the dutch oven?
Elizabeth Lindemann
Absolutely! A lot of other people have left comments that they did and they turned out great. I actually plan on doing it myself and updating the recipe to include them- that way you get a whole meal out of it!
Alynne Shinness
I just made this with no alterations, although the largest chicken I could find only weighed 3 lbs. it was delicious, and pretty as a picture. I made a gravy with the onions and drippings using 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch in 2 T. of cold water, heating the mixture in the Dutch oven until thickened and bubbly – so lemony and delicious. Highly recommended.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Gayla
Absolutely amazing! I cooked mine in the Dutch oven uncovered for the first 30 min, then covered the rest of the time. We made a chicken gravy with the baked juices from the chicken. Great recipe!!!! Thank you!
Elizabeth Lindemann
Yay! So happy you liked it!!