Dutch Oven Whole Roast Chicken

1. Make a bed of veggies

First, preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Cut the veggies into medium-sized chunks and add them to the bottom of your Dutch oven. Add a few drizzles of olive oil, along with salt and pepper. You can also add extra seasoning of your choice, such as garlic or onion powder.

2. Make the herbed butter

Combine the softened herbed butter with garlic, herbs, lemon zest, salt and pepper.

3. Rub chicken with herbed butter

Start by carefully separating the skin from the chicken meat to create pockets (mostly on the breast and drumsticks), and rub about half of the herbed butter mixture in between. Then, rub the rest of the butter on top of the skin, including the legs, wings, and breast.

Stuff the cavity chopped onions, quartered lemons, and fresh herbs (I use fresh rosemary and thyme). Then, tie the legs with kitchen twine as best as you can. This will help the chicken cook evenly and look presentable.

Then sit the prepared chicken on top of the bed of vegetables and add a few sprigs of fresh herbs.

4. Roast the chicken

Cover with the lid and roast in a preheated 425 degree F oven for about 1 hour and 15 minutes. And then, uncovered for 30 minutes. This is for a 5-pound chicken.

The chicken will start browning while covered, and the last 30 minutes of uncovered roasting time will allow the skin to crisp up. The chicken is done when it reaches 165 degrees F in the thickest part of the thigh. Let it rest for 15 minutes before serving.

See below or in the recipe card notes for more guidelines on cook times.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Prepare the vegetable bed: Place the cut up vegetables for the vegetable bed (potatoes, carrots, parsnips, onions, lemon) in the bottom of a large 7-8 quart Dutch oven pot, preferably an oval-shaped one. Toss with a few drizzles of olive oil, plus salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Make the herbed butter: In a bowl, combine the herbed butter ingredients: softened butter, minced garlic, minced rosemary, thyme leaves, lemon zest, Kosher salt (2 teaspoons) and pepper (½ teaspoon). Set aside.

Pat the chicken dry with paper towel thoroughly, including inside the cavity. Rub half of the prepared herbed butter under the skin (carefully separate the skin from the flesh to create "pockets" for the butter, mainly around the breast and legs). Then, rub the remaining half butter on the outside, all over the top, legs, and wings. Tip: Patting dry the chicken thoroughly will help you get crispier skin.

Stuff the cavity of the chicken with 1 quartered and peeled onion, 1 quartered lemon, 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, and 2 sprigs fresh thyme. Tie the chicken legs with kitchen twine. Note: Tying the legs with kitchen twine helps with even cooking and makes it more presentable. If you don't have kitchen twine, you don't have to tie it. It will be fine.

Place the prepared chicken in a roasting pan, breast side up. Tuck in wings under the chicken, or clip the wing tips to prevent them from burning. Place the remaining 3 sprigs of rosemary and 3 sprigs of thyme around the chicken.

Cover with the lid securely, and roast for 1 hour and 15 minutes COVERED. Then, UNCOVER and roast for another 30 minute to allow the skin to crisp up and turn more golden brown. If the vegetables look like they are burning, add a few splashes of chicken broth. It's ready when a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees F. Tip: Avoid opening the oven too much to prevent the heat from escaping. If needed, rotate the chicken if you notice certain spots browning more, or tent any spots that are browning too fast with aluminum foil. Note: See notes below for more information on roasting/cooking times.

Let it rest in the Dutch oven for 15 minutes before serving, along with the vegetables. Enjoy!

Substitutions and additions:

Vegetable bed: celery, baby potatoes, a head of garlic (cut in half), baby carrots, beets.

Fresh herbs: You can use dried herbs for the herbed butter. Use about half or one third of the fresh herbs amount, to taste.

Additions: Toss the vegetables with your favorite seasoning blends.