Your Dutch Oven Is The Secret To Effortless Roast Chicken

A lot can go wrong when you're roasting a chicken. The meat can get dry, different parts can cook at different rates, vegetables surrounding the chicken can overcook, or the skin can burn even though the rest of the chicken is undercooked. But what if you could put chicken and vegetables in a pot, place it in the oven, walk away while it cooks, and end up with a juicy and tender chicken as part of a delicious one-pot meal? Then it's time to seriously consider a Dutch oven. 

A Dutch oven is a type of casserole dish with high, thick walls and a tight-fitting lid. Traditionally made from cast iron, its construction helps it absorb and retain heat, making it great for stovetop uses like braising meat and simmering stews but also for oven-safe roasting. Because Dutch ovens distribute heat evenly, including up the sides and across the lid, they can avoid the hot spots and uneven cooking associated with traditional chicken roasting pans. That ensures every part of the chicken and any veggies in the same pot cook at a consistent temperature, preventing both burning and undercooking. They can also cook at high temperatures and retain that heat for longer periods after being removed from their heat source, relative to other pots and pans. All you need to know is how long to cook a chicken for tender versus crispy results to ensure you get exactly the texture you're looking for.

Turning the chicken into a one-pot meal is simple and relatively fast. You need to cover the bottom of the Dutch oven with hardy vegetables like onions, carrots, parsnips, and potatoes, but the prep work is minimal. Just peel them and cut them into roughly equal-size pieces, but you can do that part ahead. Then just pop the chicken in and cover it with the lid. As the chicken cooks, its juices flow onto the vegetables, making them rich and flavorful. And it pays to buy and cook chickens whole. A whole chicken is several dollars per pound cheaper than boneless, skinless breasts and at least a couple dollars cheaper for the same weight as skin-on, bone-in thighs. 

Dutch ovens can sometimes be an investment, but some models are more expensive than others. The Le Creuset 6.75-quart signature oval Dutch oven costs several hundred dollars. But you can get a Lodge 7-quart oval Dutch oven for just over $100 or a Crock-Pot 7-quart Dutch oven for less than that. And if you generally tend to cook smaller chickens, you can use an even smaller pot. 

The only drawback is how long it takes. The oven does most of the work, but a larger bird cooked slowly needs two to three hours, making it a weekend endeavor for many cooks. You can take off the lid at the end of the cooking process and place it under the broiler to get a nice crispy skin. Just make sure you use your oven mitts.