Crispy skin, delicious flavour, and oh so moist, this Garlic Herb Butter Roasted Chicken in a Dutch Oven is going to have you drooling! It only takes a few simple steps to make this dutch oven roast chicken and it comes out perfectly every single time. This dutch oven whole chicken is perfect for holidays or for a Sunday dinner.
Garlic Herb Butter Roasted Chicken in a Dutch Oven
Every time I make a whole chicken, I always wonder why I don’t do it more often. The whole chicken always comes out juicy, flavourful, and the house smells amazing as the chicken roasts. The best part is the skin, a whole roasted chicken in a dutch oven always leads to super crispy skin as the pot allows the skin to crisp up while keeping the meat from drying out.
I love roasting my own chicken as it’s easy to mix up the flavours and change things up (compared to buying a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken) and it is surprisingly easy to make. Today, I’m sharing with you one of my favourite roast chicken recipes, garlic herb butter roasted chicken. It’s my go-to whenever I have friends or family over and it’s great for an intimate holiday dinner.
Can you roast a chicken in a dutch oven?
Yes! I know some folks like to use a roasting rack so your chicken isn’t sitting in the liquid it produces but you can mimic the same effect in a Dutch oven if you don’t own a roasting rack. Also, an added bonus to using a Dutch oven for roasting your chicken, the lid keeps the chicken super moist without having to worry about basting it continuously! Once the dutch oven chicken is in the oven, I just let it work its magic as I go do something else.
Bonus tip: If you put some vegetables in the Dutch oven with your chicken, it’ll taste amazing as it roasts with your chicken and you have a one-pot meal! For this recipe, I use potatoes, garlic, and bread. I use these items to prop up the chicken so it simulates using a roasting rack as it keeps the chicken from sitting its liquid while it roasts and they absorb all the delicious drippings from the chicken. You can also use other root vegetables if you wish.
Note: if you put the bread on the bottom of the pot, it will get mushy from the chicken’s liquids. You can either toss it (I mostly use it to prop up the chicken), or make sure you position most of the bread to the side of the Dutch oven (the bread comes out SO crispy and delicious if you go this route).
What You’ll Need To Make a Garlic Herb Butter Roasted Chicken in a Dutch Oven
- bread — I just use a standard loaf of bread, nothing special.
- potatoes — I recommend using russet potatoes as they hold their shape best.
- garlic — I always recommend using freshly peeled garlic. The more the merrier.
- olive oil — or another netural oil of your choice.
- salt and pepper
- chicken — I use a 3 to 3.5 lb whole chicken. If you have a larger Dutch oven, you could roast a larger chicken. This is around the largest I can fit into my 5.5 QT.
- soften/room temperature garlic butter — zap the butter on low for a few seconds in the microwave if you’ve forgotten to take it out of the fridge ahead of time.
- basil — I love fresh basil in this dutch oven chicken recipe.
- lemon — the lemon adds a touch of brightness to the chicken.
- thyme — if you’re not a fan of thyme, you can skip it but I love the flavour and smell fresh thyme imparts on the whole chicken.
How To Roast a Chicken in a Dutch Oven
- Heat the oven to 375F.
- Chop up your slices of bread and potatoes into 6 and crush 1 bulb’s worth of garlic cloves. Gently toss the potato and garlic with a bit of olive oil and salt/pepper.
- Place an even single layer into the Dutch oven and then place the rest into the Dutch oven towards the side. Leaving a space in the middle for the chicken. The little well you made lets the chicken roast without sitting in it’s own liquid for a long period of time. Check out the image below to see what I mean!
- Next you’re going to want to salt your chicken before rubbing an even layer of garlic butter mixed with chopped basil onto the entire chicken. For maximum flavour, get some of the butter under the chicken’s skin as well (especially the breast area).
- Once done, you can stuff the chicken’s cavity with some crushed garlic cloves and half a lemon before placing it into the Dutch oven.
- Place a couple pieces of thyme around the chicken and place the lid on the Dutch oven.
- Place your Dutch oven in the lowest rack of your oven and let cook for 1 hour.
- After an hour, remove the lid, and thyme, and let the chicken roast for another 30 minutes. Use a meat thermometer to make sure the thickest part of the chicken thigh is at least 165F/75C to tell when the chicken is ready.
- For super crisp skin, you can brush on some extra butter on top of the chicken and set your oven to broil for 5 minutes (keeping an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t burn).
- Once done, let your chicken rest for at least 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
Tips and Notes on Making This Roast Chicken in a Dutch Oven
- Getting the garlic herb butter under the skin of the chicken breast makes the chicken that much more delicious! Don’t skip this step. I use a long spoon to help gently separate the skin from the chicken so the butter can go in-between. If you’re unsure of what I mean, the recipe video will show you how to do it.
- Other vegetables you can use to prop up the chicken with are sweet potatoes, squash, onions, etc. You want hearty root veggies that won’t turn to mush as it roasts.
- I use a Staub round Dutch oven for this recipe, a perk about the Staub is that the lid has little nubs on the underside so your chicken is self basting. The moisture drips back down onto the chicken because of the little nubs and you don’t have to baste the chicken! I have a Le Creuset as well but I prefer the Staub for roasting due to the lid.
- The best part about making your own roast chicken is now you can set aside the bones of the chicken to make a nice stock with. Here’s how I make chicken stock in the Instant Pot and chicken stock on the stovetop.
- If your chicken was previously frozen, make sure to pat it dry before adding seasoning and rubbing the butter on it. If the chicken has moisture on the skin, it’ll steam in the oven instead of roast.
- Always make sure the chicken is fully thawed before roasting.
- For even crispier skin, store the dry raw whole chicken uncovered on a plate in the refrigerator overnight so the skin can dry out more.
- Use a meat thermometer to make sure the thickest part of the chicken thigh is at least 165F/75C to tell when the chicken is ready.
Make Ahead Tips
- Meal prep: once cooled, store the cooked chicken in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge. Feel free to portion it out into containers to make your lunches easier.
- Freezer: allow the Dutch oven chicken to cool before shredding the chicken and transferring into an airtight container before storing them in the freezer. Shredded chicken can last for up to 3 months.
If you didn’t get a chance to grab a stick of garlic butter at the store, you can make your own at home. Allow the butter to soften to room temperature and then mix in around two cloves of finely minced garlic with a pinch of salt. You can mix in finely chopped chives as well if you desire.
No, you don’t but I love the flavour that is infused throughout the chicken by stuffing it. Slice the lemon if you have trouble fitting it into the cavity.
At the very minimum, the Dutch oven needs to be 5.5QT. If you have a larger one, great! But any smaller, the chicken will not fit. If you’re having trouble placing a lid over the chicken in the Dutch oven, you can tent the top with tin foil instead.
If you use a chicken larger than mine, add an extra 20 to 25 minutes per pound and then check for doneness with a meat thermometer.
Nope! The lid of the Dutch oven will trap the moistness so you can skip basting the chicken. Skipping the basting will also allow the chicken’s skin is crisp up nicer.
What To Serve with a Whole Chicken
- Lemon Parmesan Brussels Sprouts
- Maple Brussels Sprouts
- Sourdough Stuffing with Sausage and Sage
- Brioche Stuffing with Rosemary and Sausage
- Roasted Carrots with Pistachio Herb Relish from Rhubarbarians
- Oven Roasted Broccoli with Nutritional Yeast from Killing Thyme
How to Use Leftover Roast Chicken
- Add it to a pasta. Shred the leftover roast chicken and add it to my Cold Chicken Pasta with Broccoli and Peas, Cold Chicken Spinach Pasta Salad, or Easy Chicken Pepperoni Pasta Salad.
- Add it to a salad. Use the chicken in this Chopped Chicken Salad, Chicken Cobb Salad, Spinach Strawberry Salad, or Blueberry Salad.
- Add it to a soup. Try my Salsa Chicken Soup.
- Stuff it. Try stuffing leftover roast chicken into this Healthy Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes or a Baked Potato to try a potato into a meal.
Garlic Herb Butter Roasted Chicken in a Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 6 slices bread, or a small loaf
- 2-3 russet potatoes, more if you’d like
- 2 bulbs garlic
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 3-3.5 lb chicken
- 1 stick garlic butter, room temperature (113 grams)
- 6-10 fresh basil leaves
- ½ lemon
- fresh thyme
Equipment
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375F.
- Chop up your slices of bread and potatoes into 6 and crush 1 bulb’s worth of garlic cloves. Gently toss the potato and garlic with a bit of olive oil and salt/pepper.
- Place an even single layer into the Dutch oven and then place the rest into the Dutch oven towards the side. Leaving a space in the middle for the chicken.
- Salt your chicken before rubbing an even layer of garlic butter mixed with chopped basil onto the entire chicken. For maximum flavour, get some of the butter under the chicken’s skin as well (especially the breast area).
- Once done, you can stuff the chicken’s cavity with some crushed garlic cloves and half a lemon before placing it into the Dutch oven.
- Place a couple pieces of thyme around the chicken and place the lid on the Dutch oven.
- Place your Dutch oven in the lowest rack of your oven and let cook for 1 hour.
- After an hour, remove the lid, and thyme, and let the chicken roast for another 30 minutes. Use a meat thermometer to make sure the thickest part of the chicken thigh is at least 165F/75C to tell when the chicken is ready.
- For super crisp skin, you can brush on some extra butter on top of the chicken and set your oven to broil for 5 minutes (keeping an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t burn).
- Once done, let your chicken rest for at least 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Always make sure the chicken has fully thawed before roasting it.
Nutrition
Other Chicken Recipes to Try
- How to Cook a Whole Chicken in the Instant Pot
- Instant Pot Cashew Chicken
- Sheet Pan Chicken Teriyaki Meal Prep
- Teriyaki Chicken Thighs
- Air Fryer Korean Fried Chicken
- Chicken Katsu
Other places to connect with me
Instagram: @carmyshungry
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carmyycom
Email: [email protected]
Click here to see the Dutch Oven Chicken Web Story.
MIa
Super simple and SO delicious! The bread was a really good addition that I would’ve never thought of!
Carmy
Thank you! :)
Marstarh20
I just made this recipe. It’s amazing. I used some leeks abs farmers rainbow carrots. I also put a spin on it and used some cannabis oil with my butter. (Legal in CA)…. turned down the temp just a little… AMAZING!! Will definitely make again!
Carmy
So glad you enjoyed!!
trisha
what kind of bread do you use/recommend?
Carmy
Hi Trish,
To be honest, whenever I make this, I just use whatever I have on hand or is on sale at the store!
Kate
Easy and delicious!
Carmy
Thank you!:)
Jessica
What size Dutch oven do you need to use for a whole chicken?
Carmy
Mine is 5.5 Qt
Crista
Can’t wait to try this out in my new dutch oven! Are you using a pre-made garlic butter? If not how do you make it?
Carmy
Hi Crista, yes, I’m using pre-made garlic butter as mentioned in the ingredients list. You can make your own by combining softened butter with garlic powder or minced garlic. Hope you enjoy!
Matthew
Love this recipe very moist delicious chicken, and while cooking fills the house with such a wonderful aromatic fragrance! –Thank you for sharing
Carmy
So glad you enjoyed it!! :)
Margaret Norris
This looks delicious! I am taking dinner to my in-laws and am wondering if it would work to roast for an hour at home. Wrap the pot in a towel, head to their house (a 20 minute drive) and then roast for the last 30 minutes and rest there. What do you think?
Carmy
I would not recommend this. Please refer to this post from the US Department of Agriculture: https://ask.usda.gov/s/article/Is-it-safe-to-partially-cook-chicken-to-finish-cooking-later
Mike Garcia
Ok, I just put it in the Oven!!
Carmy
Enjoy!!!
Mindy
One of my go-to recipes now. I love how crispy the bread gets.
Ben
The only thing I love more than these flavors is how easy it is to make. I’m going to make this tomorrow.
Julia
This looks so delicious! I love the skin!
Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer
ALL OF THIS! I want ALL OF THIS :) This looks incredible and I LOVE how easy the recipe is! I cannot wait to make this over the weekend! That bread trick is epic!
Eva
I belong to those who don’t roast their own chickens, for some reason it feels intimidating. But I recently got myself a Dutch oven and your post is so easy and worth it!
Elaine
I have a whole chicken, so this is so good that I have stumbled upon this recipe. It looks absolutely amazing and does sound like a very easy one to follow. Can’t wait!
debbie
Nothing more comforting than a roasted chicken. I loved your recipe and so did my family, they were circling the kitchen asking what was cooking. It smelled so good in the oven. This will be on our regular dinner rotation.
Carmy
So glad you enjoyed! I LOVE how aromatic the kitchen smells when this roasts!
Leslie
Look how perfect your chicken is! It’s literally falling off the bone in your first pic! Looks so amazing!
Patti
This recipe had my attention with the words garlic and butter. I don’t own a roasting rack, so I love to place my chickens on top of vegetables both in the oven and in the slow cooker. It makes the potatoes taste so good.
Pam Greer
Oh my gosh, this makes the best chicken!! I love how juicy and delicious it is and those potatoes are amazing too!
Amanda
Such an easy and delicious meal!
Kelly Anthony
I love cooking with my dutch oven but I’ve never cooked a whole chicken in it. I can’t wait to try something new especially when it looks this good.
Adela
Oh myyyy, this is the bomb! Super easy too. My go to for whole roasted chicken. Zuni roasted chicken used to be my go to, and it is also delicious, but your recipe is way faster and oh so deli! Thanks!
Carmy
So happy you enjoyed! Thanks for the comment and rating!
Jessica T
I just got a whole chicken at the farmer’s market, something I’ve never cooked, so I was wondering what to do with it. The first thing about your recipe was that you and I have the same Dutch oven. I love my Staub Cocotte! The second was that I had every ingredient on the short list, except I used carrots instead of bread this time. Once my homemade wheat loaf came out of the oven, this beautiful chicken went in. My house smells amazing right now, I can’t wait for dinner. This is definitely a dish I will make again as it is very easy to prep and allows for yummy leftovers. Thank you!
Carmy
I am so glad you found and enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for leaving a rating. And aren’t the Staubs just such a gem? They can do anything!
Brenda
Amazing!
Carmy
Thank you!
Barry Scott
Making it again tomorrow night. First time was when I broke in my new dutch oven. Great recipe, chicken came out delish and loved the idea of propping it up on the stale bread. Brilliant.
Carmy
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Kathleen
That was the best roasted chicken I haver ever made. It was easy, packed with flavor and delicious.
Carmy
So happy you enjoyed this, Kathleen!
Candace Burlison
I followed this recipe for my first ever whole chicken in my brand new dutch oven. It turned out great!! I was so proud of the end result I’ve decided that I’m going to make it for Friendsgiving this year with our quarantine circle. Thanks for giving me something to boost my confidence while I learn to cook like a real adult!!
Carmy
I am SO happy to hear that this recipe came out wonderfully for you. Enjoy your upcoming Friendsgiving <3
Sandra
Thank you. I had an amazing goto Roast Chicken recipe once. The other day I was looking to use my recently acquired LeCreuset French 5.3qt Dutch oven and came across your recipe in my search. My family and I love your recipe so much that I can’t see myself going back, Ever! I haven’t tried it with the bread, only the potatoes. I do remove the roasted potatoes roasted at the end of the cooking time to a parchment-lined baking sheet and I roast them for an additional 15 minutes while the chicken is resting, getting them extra crispy. While all that is going on, I take my dutch oven and skim the extra fat out of the pot and make a pan gravy with all the golden bits at the bottom of the dutch oven. So yummy.
Sandra
Thank you. I had an amazing goto Roast Chicken recipe once. The other day I was looking to use my recently acquired LeCreuset French 5.3qt Dutch oven and came across your recipe in my search. My family and I love your recipe so much that I can’t see myself going back, Ever! I haven’t tried it with the bread, only the potatoes. I do remove the roasted potatoes at the end of the cooking time to a parchment-lined baking sheet and I roast them for an additional 15 minutes while the chicken is resting, getting them extra crispy. While all that is going on, I take my dutch oven and skim the extra fat out of the pot and make a pan gravy with all the golden bits at the bottom of the dutch oven. So yummy.
Carmy
Yum! I did that yesterday as well! I did a quick broil of the potatoes to crisp them up and we are enjoying the leftovers today :) Thanks so much for your comment, I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed this recipe!
Goli K.
Amazing! This recipe is accurate and will give you an absolutely delicious meal. Remember to increase bake time by 20 min if you are putting more veggies around the chicken. The bread pieces are my favourite as they cook in the juices of the chicken. And I love that you don’t need to add any liquid to the dish … the whole thing cooks with the steam from the cooking chicken and it’s drippings. Mouth watering… 😋
Dani
I am making this tonight snd I can’t wait!! I was wondering what potatoes you use for the recipe?? Thanks in advance
Carmy
Hi Dani! I just use plain ol’ russet potatoes! Hope you enjoy :)
MollyBrooke
I’m making this today! I can’t wait! I’ll report back with the results! I like how simple the directions are in this recipe. It’s not as intimidating like some other recipes I looked at for roasted chicken!
Carmy
I hope you enjoy :)
Kim
Amazing! I added dill and celery seeds to the herb mix and after it was dine, squeezed the lemon juices over the meat. Amazing!
Jeff
Modified it by avoiding the bread and adding carrots, but otherwise followed it to a T. Amazing meal, and all the family loved it.
Carmy
So glad you enjoyed, Jeff!
Lori
What if the chicken is 5.5 pounds? I assume I need to adjust the cooking time. And if the Dutch Oven is oval, does this recipe not work as well as the round one pictured above?
Carmy
I would increase the cooking time but I don’t know off the top of my head. I suggest using a meat thermometer to check for doneness. You can absolutely use an oval dutch oven. Also, just make sure the dutch oven is large enough that you can put the lid on. My dutch oven can’t fit a larger chicken without me having to make a tinfoil tent instead of using a lid.
GMP
We’ve used this recipe for over a year now. It is awesome! We use fingerling potatoes, carrots, onion, garlic cloves, rosemary and lemon on the bottom. WOW! SO GOOD! My son started using a little roasted garlic and shred lemon rind under the skin (half a stick of butter ) and it’s his signature dish. AMAZING! Thanks for the recipe. We still need to try some bread but I think there is not any room left in the Dutch oven. Eating the bread would be amazing. The veggies taste real good cooking/roasting under the chicken with the butter.
Carmy
I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe! You must try it with the bread! It’s SO good! :)
Frances
I made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious! I don’t often cook a whole chicken, but I was eager to try it out in my Dutch oven. It did not disappoint. This recipe will be in regular rotation in my house!
Lisa K
This chicken recipe is so freaking goooood! I probably make it twice a month. Not only is it delicious fresh out of the oven, but it honestly makes the BEST leftovers. Also, the bread in the pot is genius! I know it sounds weird, but regret it if you try it. I use gluten-free bread and it works great.
Carmy
So happy that you enjoy! Love the gluten-free bread sub!
Jere
This chicken is the perfect meal for my family and I love you added the bread with the potatoes. Yum.
Carmy
Thank you, Jere! So glad you enjoyed it!
Allyssa
Perfect for gatherings! It’s very easy to make and super tasty at the same time! Really amazing and highly recommended!
Carmy
So happy you liked it Allyssa!
Amy
Came out perfectly!
Colleen
This was a delicious, but totally simple meal. I added some carrots, too and it was a hit.
Natalia
What a great recipe to make for my family! Tender and flavorful meat is just what they like, specially chicken. Definitely going to give this a go, thank you so much for the recipe!
Chenee
I love roast chicken! This recipe looks like it’s gonna be my new favorite! I love the addition of the bread and potatoes.
Linda
Tried this recipe and I’m amazed by the result. So flavorful and really goes well with lemon rice!
Amanda Dixon
This chicken was absolutely perfect! The skin was so crispy, and the garlic herb butter added such a nice flavor.
Erin
2 bulbs of garlic?! Haha. I so love this recipe. I’m all over how simple this recipe is. I hope to make it this week!
Alex
Oooh, I’ve never used bread like that in a chicken dish! I have to try that soon. And garlic + herb butter is just the best. This looks awesome!
Hayley Dhanecha
Simply love garlic in my cooking and this chicken with garlic herb butter sounds so good, sharing this recipe with my friend who loves garlic and chicken!
M Brown
This chicken looks moist, juicy, and relatively easy to make as well. Thanks for sharing!
Liz
The bread sounds interesting, what is the purpose of it? Thanks
Carmy
Hi Liz, I go over it right before the ingredients breakdown in the blog post. It helps keep the chicken from getting soggy. It also tastes great!
Lisa
I was questioning the addition of bread but it made the chicken oh so good. The bread at bottom was so flavorful and the other bread was crispy like a crouton. Just amazing!