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Simple Roast Chicken

Prep Time5 minutes
Active Time4 hours
Yield: 5 people
Author: Stephanie

Equipment

  • Dutch Oven

Materials

  • 1 whole 1 whole chicken The size doesn't matter much, just big enough to feed your family!
  • 1-2 onions quartered
  • garlic salt to taste
  • lemon pepper to taste
  • dried thyme to taste
  • 1 quart water ( or less)

Instructions

  • First thing is quarter your onions and place at the bottom of the pan or Dutch oven. If you are using large onions one might be enough, otherwise use 2 small onions. You are creating kind of a shelf so your chicken isn't sitting on the bottom of your pot. 
  • Take your thawed whole chicken and run it under cold water to wash. I wash the cavity of the chicken as well. Pat it down with paper towels to dry it. Place it on top of the quartered onions, with the legs and breast side up.
  • Liberally sprinkle the chicken with garlic salt, lemon pepper, and dried thyme to taste. I don't measure this, I just put a good amount. You can also use fresh herbs. Really, you can season your chicken up with whatever you like. But these are the spices and seasonings we like.
  • Add about a quart of water, or less, to the bottom of the Dutch oven. You just want your chicken to be up off the bottom of the Dutch oven and adding water also helps the chicken to stay moist and produce all the juices.
  • Place your lid on and stick it in an oven at 275° for 2-3 hours. The cook time will depend o the size of your whole chicken. At the 2 hour mark, check the internal temperature of your chicken. If it is around 130-140 degrees you can move onto the next step. If it is below that, keep cooking it slow until it reaches that. If you are ready to move on, remove the lid and up your oven to about 400° and cook for an additional 30-45 minutes. The higher temperature will help the outside of the chicken to crisp up.
  • Now check your internal temperature, in the thickest part of the thigh, until it reaches 170° before removing from the oven.
  • Place on a cutting board and let the chicken rest for a minute. It should fall right off the bone or you can use a sharp knife to slice thin pieces off. Our favorite sides are a bed of rice or roast potatoes to make a complete meal.