This post contains affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
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.
Could I substitute oranges for the lemons instead? And would it still taste similar or would it change it too much?
Katie – It will change it to a pretty different flavor – but still super delicious! Orange and chicken go super well together!
It will change the flavor quite a bit – but still be super delicious! Orange works, it will just be a bit sweeter.
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.
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.
Maybe the half of your Greek side that is missing would put butter on chicken.
yes dear ..she mentioned that.
What size chicken is this? How many pounds? I would think the bigger the bird, the longer you need to cook it?
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.
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.
In the notes I suggested a chicken under 3 1/2 pounds – but I moved it into the recipe card as well.
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.
I’m using my dutch oven for the first time tonight and am anxious to try this! While I realize I need a meat thermometer, about how long will I need to cook a 3-4 pound chicken? I’m trying to time this with other food. Thanks!
What size chicken are you using?