This Greek dutch oven roast chicken has crispy skin and delicious flavor. The potatoes at the bottom of the pan make it a complete, fantastic one-pot meal.
If you love our Greek dutch oven roast chicken, you will also love our Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings, tzatziki chicken bowls, and homemade chicken gyros!
What cooks say:
“Turned out extremely juicy and delicious! My kids loved this too!”
KATE
Why you will this roast chicken
Here is what you need to make it
- A whole chicken. Get the best chicken your budget allows.
- Lemons. I use the juice and the zest.
- Honey. It makes the skin extra crispy and delicious.
- Yukon gold potatoes. They are perfect for this recipe. I leave the skin on, it is perfectly edible and creates nice crusty edges.
- Whole garlic cloves. Unpeeled. The garlic cooks inside its papery leaves and comes out sweet and buttery with a mild lovely flavor.
- Olive oil, sea salt & freshly ground pepper and herbs.
Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
How to make it
STEP 1. Preheat oven to 190°C / 375°F.
In a bowl mix four tablespoons of olive oil, the juice and zest of two lemons, two tablespoons of honey, two tablespoons of thyme leaves, two tablespoons of chopped sage leaves, and two tablespoons of dried oregano. Add two to three teaspoons of sea salt and one teaspoon of freshly ground pepper (or to taste). Mix well.
Quarter the potatoes and add to the Dutch oven. Sprinkle two tablespoons of olive oil all over. Sprinkle one tablespoon of oregano—season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Tuck 5-6 whole cloves of garlic, unpeeled between potatoes.
STEP 2. Dry the chicken well with paper towels. Rub the skin all over with the olive oil marinade. Make sure you reach every nook and cranny and season the cavity of the chicken well with extra sea salt and pepper. Truss the chicken legs with kitchen twine. Add the chicken breast side down on top of the potatoes. Tuck two-three rosemary sprigs and thyme sprigs between chicken and potatoes.
Cover the pot with the lid and place it in the lowest rack of your oven—Cook for 30 minutes.
STEP 3. Remove from oven, and turn chicken breast side facing up. Put the lid back on—Cook for 30 minutes.
Remove the lid, and roast the chicken for another 30 minutes. Brush 1 tbsp olive oil on top of the chicken and sprinkle some dry oregano.
STEP 4. For super crisp skin, set your oven to broil for 5 minutes (keeping an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t burn).
Insert a meat thermometer to the thickest part of the chicken thigh to ensure the temperature is at least 74°C / 165°F, and the chicken is ready.
Suggestions & Substitutions
- Substitute fresh herbs with dried versions in a pinch. You can also use just dry oregano. Oregano, lemon, and olive oil are distinctly Greek flavors, and you can do no wrong.
- You dont have to leave the garlic skins on. You can chop up the garlic or remove the garlic skins and add the cloves in with the potatoes.
What to serve with roast chicken
- Salad. An authentic horiatiki tomato salad is perfect.
- Vegetables. Try our broccoli cauliflower salad or these roasted cauliflower steaks.
- Sauces and dips. An authentic tzatziki yogurt sauce or a spicy feta dip-tirokafteri.
- Bread. This Greek peasant bread is terrific as well as our olive oil and oregano bread loaf.
Storage and reheating
- Let the chicken cool to room temperature (within 2 hours of cooking) and store it in an airtight container or tightly wrapped in foil/plastic wrap for up to 4 days. The chicken can be stored in the freezer for up to 4 months.
- Flash-freeze the potatoes by spreading them on a baking sheet and freeze until solid, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Their texture may become slightly mushy when reheated unless re-crisped in the oven or air fryer.
- Reheat the chicken in a medium-hot oven for 15 minutes or microwave with a splash of broth to keep it moist.
- The potatoes are best reheated in an oven or air fryer for crisp texture. Avoid microwaving if you want them crispy.
More Greek chicken recipes
Greek Dutch Oven Roast Chicken
Equipment
- A 5 QT dutch oven
- Meat thermometer
Ingredients
- 4 lb whole chicken
- 1 lemon juiced and zested
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons thyme leaves
- 2 tablespoons sage leaves chopped
- 2 tablespoons dry oregano
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 2-3 rosemary sprigs
- 2-3 fresh thyme sprigs
- 5-6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- dry oregano
The potatoes
- 1.5 lb Yukon gold potatoes skin-on, quartered
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoons dry oregano
- 5-6 whole garlic cloves unpeeled
- sea salt to taste
- freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 190°C / 375°F.
- In a bowl mix four tablespoons of olive oil, the juice and zest of two lemons, 2 tablespoons of honey, 2 tablespoons of thyme leaves, 2 tablespoons of chopped sage leaves, and 2 tablespoons of dried oregano. Add two to three tablespoon of sea salt and one teaspoon of freshly ground pepper (or to taste). Mix well.
- Add the potatoes to the dutch oven. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of olive oil all over. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of oregano—season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Tuck 5-6 whole cloves of garlic, unpeeled between potatoes.Mix potatoes and seasonings well.
- Dry the chicken well with paper towels. Rub the skin all over with the olive oil mix. Make sure you reach every nook and cranny and season the chicken cavity with sea salt and pepper.Truss the chicken legs with kitchen twine.
- Add the chicken breast side down on top of the potatoes. Tuck two-three rosemary sprigs and thyme sprigs between chicken and potatoes.
- Cover with lid and place dutch oven in the lowest rack of your oven. Cook for 30 minutes.
- Remove from oven, and turn chicken breast side facing up. Put the lid back on—Cook for 30 minutes.
- Remove the lid, and roast the chicken for another 30 minutes. Brush 1 tablespoon olive oil on top of the chicken and sprinkle some dry oregano.For super crisp skin, set your oven to broil for 5 minutes (keeping an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t burn).Insert a meat thermometer to the thickest part of the chicken thigh to ensure the temperature is at least 165F, and the chicken is ready.
- Let chicken rest for 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Remove all of the papery leaves around the cloves.
- Put the cloves, still in their own skins, into the dutch oven with the potatoes. During cooking, the garlic will become soft and sweet.
- The paste can be squeezed out of each clove’s skin to be eaten with the chicken and potatoes. Most of the time, the garlic skin is fragile and gets crispy, and can be eaten as is. Try it! It is delicious.
Nutrition
