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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!
Dutch Oven Grecian Chicken
Ingredients
- whole chicken
- 2 lemons, sliced into thin rounds
- ¾ 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!
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hey there! I made this tonight and it came out so good!! It wasn’t crispy golden brown but it was juicy and flavorful! I made mashed potatoes for the side and put the juices from the bottom of the pan over the potatoes, YUM. I love garlic- it was just great! Thank you. I will be making this again!
Hands down one of the best whole chicken recipes I’ve ever made. I added 3 slices leeks to the bottom of the pot. My husband and I were blown away about how much flavor was infused into the meat without really having to do anything. It will be on a rotation over here for quite some time. Thank you so much!
YAY! So glad you liked it!
What size Dutch oven do you use? I’m looking to buy one and want to make sure I am able to fit a whole roasting chicken.
Anything over 5.5 should be great!
This sounds excellent! We’re going to try this one for sure!
This sounds so good, it will for sure be a new favorite in our house! Stopping by from Clever chicks Blog Hop.
Wow, that a stunner or what?? Absolutely and positively in love with chicken. So much so that we are featuring this week at Munching Mondays #109! Thanks so much for sharing and see you soon!!