Dutch Oven Grecian Chicken is a simple, easy, and crazy delicious whole roasted greek chicken full of lemon, garlic, and oregano flavor!
While my brother in law was in town recently, he tried to make as many meals with the family as he could fit in.
My husband’s family loves to cook big family dinners together- and this recipe is a spin off a delicious Grecian Chicken recipe my brother in law made for us one night.
Grecian chicken was immensely popular with his greek friends in Chicago where he went to law school- but the recipe usually involves taking a separated whole chicken and cooking it in a casserole dish with more liquid.
I changed it up so that the chicken cooks in a dutch oven- giving it crispy, delicious skin- and it requires a lot less effort!
This dutch oven grecian chicken is my new favorite way to slow roast chicken!
Tips to Perfect Whole Roasted Greek Chicken
The only real work here is stuffing some lemons and garlic into the chicken and seasoning the bird up.
After that, just toss it in the pan and cook for about an hour and a half- and you’re done!
The chicken also gives off a delicious cooking liquid that is very gravy like, and very lemony.
The garlic also turns a delicious golden brown and has an incredible caramel flavor. I like to add a little of this to cous cous for an insanely delicious flavor!
I prefer using a chicken under 3 1/2 pounds – I feel they provide more flavor in this recipe. Look for free range organic chicken if possible.
While butter doesn’t seem like the proper Greek way (hello, olive oil!), every family I’ve eaten this dish wish from Greece uses butter for the flavor. I realize this is very Americanized, and you can use either – but the butter gives a lovely richness to the chicken skin that I just don’t quite get with olive oil. Go ahead and use oil if you prefer it though!
Other One Pot Chicken Dinners You’ll Love:
Click to watch videos of my favorite chicken dinners – and then click on the link below for the printable recipes!
Roasted Greek Chicken Drumsticks
One Pot Lemon Chicken and Asparagus
Whole Roasted Montreal Chicken
Dutch Oven Grecian Chicken Recipe
Click the video to see me make this recipe!
Dutch Oven Grecian Chicken
Ingredients
- whole chicken
- 2 lemons, sliced into thin rounds
- 3/4 cup garlic, peeled
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- salt and pepper
- 1-2 pats of butter, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees / 190 c
- Stuff 1/2 of one lemon into the chicken's cavity with 5-8 garlic cloves.
- Generously salt and pepper chicken.
- Add to dutch oven and throw in rest of lemon and garlic.
- Sprinkle chicken with oregano.
- If you like extra crispy chicken skin, add a pat or two of butter to the top.
- Add lid and cook 1 1/2 hours, checking temp every 20 minutes after an hour. You want the temp to get to 160, and then remove the lidded dutch oven, as it will keep cooking to reach the safe internal temperature of 165 degrees for a chicken.
- Let dutch oven sit for 10 minutes after removing from oven to allow for carryover cooking, and so the juices have a chance to rest.
- Remove from pan, and carve!
Susan Helms
This was wonderful! I added chopped leek inside and 1 under, used only 1 large lemon, fresh rosemary in cavity. Spread melted butter on top. Love, love , love!
KL
I wanted this to be better. It was incredibly bland and mediocre at best.
David
YOU’RE bland and mediocre XD
Karen M. Chapman
I tried roasting a chicken like this today. I never want to buy one of those “deli “ roasted chickens again. This was tender, tasty and um sooo good. That you for sharing this receipe. It is a keeper
Oma
In the cook time it says 45 minutes, but in the directions is says to put the lid on and cook for 1 1/2 hours….Am I reading this wrong or is it a misprint?
Courtney ODell
Sorry about that, sometimes my app gets a mind of its own! The printed instructions are the correct ones 🙂
betty
This recipe was a TOTAL fail. The chicken was soggy, bitter and awful. I was finished is barely an hour with a soggy stewed mess. I followed the recipe exactly with a freshly bought chicken, exact size as suggested and followed the recipe exactly. Two whole sliced lemons was over powering and made the whole thing bitter. It did not brown at all. Rather was a stewed soggy mess. Definitely do NOT expect a browned chicken from a small fryer stewed in a pot with a huge amount of lemons. It seemed unlikely to me, but I trusted the recipe. But sadly the recipe is just a total fail!
Margie
Trying this recipe tomorrow ?
Lori
Making this recipe for the second time. It is amazing!!! I love dutch oven cooking and the skin gets crispy and brown even though you leave the lid on. This recipe has simple, lovely flavors and my family devoured it. This is one of my go to recipes now. Thank you!!
Katie
Could I substitute oranges for the lemons instead? And would it still taste similar or would it change it too much?
Courtney ODell
Katie – It will change it to a pretty different flavor – but still super delicious! Orange and chicken go super well together!
Courtney ODell
It will change the flavor quite a bit – but still be super delicious! Orange works, it will just be a bit sweeter.
Michael
Being half greek, I grew up on greek chicken, I can say that butter would never be used to make greek chicken. Olive oil is used to make greek chicken.
Morgan
So do you feel better that you corrected her recipe. If you read the blog she stated that butter is not Greek but it taste better to her.
Thor the Great
Maybe the half of your Greek side that is missing would put butter on chicken.
barb
yes dear ..she mentioned that.
Brenda
What size chicken is this? How many pounds? I would think the bigger the bird, the longer you need to cook it?
Courtney ODell
Yes- as I said in the post it really varies by chicken size, oven, altitude, etc – so please check your chicken’s internal temperature after 45 minutes, and then add more time as you see fit. I’d check every 6-8 minutes after that.
Jeremiah
I think most of us get that there are lots of variables that go into cooking whole chickens, but this is the first time I’ve ever seen a recipe not give a lbs range, which is why the last three comments are asking about the size.
Courtney ODell
In the notes I suggested a chicken under 3 1/2 pounds – but I moved it into the recipe card as well.
Andrea
Did leaving the rind in the lemon and make it bitter? I have cooked like with rinds left in the lemons and it made the meal bitter.