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This creamy lemon and herb pot roasted chicken is simple to make, decadent, and bursting with fresh flavors. See how easy it is to make chicken in a Dutch oven!
Try my Sunday Pot Roast or Red Wine Braised Short Ribs next.
Why you’ll love it
Since publishing this chicken pot roast recipe, lovely readers have described it as everything from “mystical” to “swoon-worthy” and “literally the best roasted chicken“. Something special definitely happens in the oven to make the dreamy, rich sauce with fresh herbs and white wine!
This creamy whole roasted chicken is moist and juicy, and the potatoes melt in your mouth. It’s a one pot meal that might just be the tastiest thing you’ll make in your Dutch oven. Maybe my favorite part is how it’s really, really easy to make for a beautiful Sunday dinner!
What you’ll need
- Chicken – I like to make this with a 4 pound chicken since it’s cooked for quite a long time, so aim for one that size. Basically, 3-4 pounds should be good.
- Lemon – a whole lemon infuses the chicken with brightness and a touch of acidity to balance the creaminess
- Seasoning rub – salt & pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika add so much flavor directly to the meat
- Garlic – a generous amount to amp up the savory flavor
- Butter and chicken broth – for richness and moisture as the base of the sauce
- Heavy cream – using heavy cream ensures the sauce is perfectly rich and doesn’t separate
- White wine – use a dry variety that you enjoy the taste of. Try sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio.
- Fresh rosemary, tarragon, oregano, and parsley – these fresh herbs pair perfectly with poultry
- Potatoes – baby potatoes cook right along in the pot with the chicken
Pro tip
- Use heavy cream for this recipe as a lower fat alternative is highly likely to curdle. Some readers have discovered this the hard way! I recommend measuring it out and letting it warm up a bit on your counter rather than adding it straight from the fridge.
How to roast a chicken in a Dutch oven
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
It’s a simple two-step process. First, cook the seasoned chicken along with the lemon, garlic cloves, rosemary, butter, and broth for 45 minutes. Then add in the potatoes, tarragon and oregano, cream, and wine. Let the sauce reduce and chicken become golden, garnish with chopped parsley, and enjoy! Easy peasy.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- I used a 5.5 quart Dutch oven. Make sure your Dutch oven or baking dish is deep enough that there’s at least an inch and a half clearance from the top after you’ve added the potatoes in so that it doesn’t bubble all over your oven.
- Use an instant read thermometer to ensure the chicken is properly cooked.
- Melamine cooking spoons are tried and true ones I use every time I’m cooking since they don’t scratch pots and pans.
- For the liquid measurements, my go-to is this measuring cup set.
- If you have leftover herbs, store them in a herb keeper to keep them fresh.
Substitutions and variations
- This is one recipe that doesn’t lend itself well to any kind of substitutions. It’s been tested extensively, so give it a try as written for the same delicious results!
- It is super important to use heavy cream here. Don’t substitute for anything with a lower fat content. It won’t turn out as intended, and the sauce will break.
What to serve with this pot roast chicken
- I like it with steamed vegetables, my Easy Asparagus Recipe, or these Glazed Carrots.
- Craving a big salad to go with it? Dress up spring mix and veggies with my Creamy Balsamic Dressing, or try this refreshing Creamy Cucumber Salad.
- A dinner roll or slice of fresh crusty bread is fantastic to dip into the sauce.
Leftovers and storage
- This chicken and potatoes recipe makes excellent leftovers. Store in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container.
- Reheat slowly in a saucepan until warmed through. Use a low heat.
- I don’t recommend freezing this one due to the creamy sauce.
If you made this Dutch oven chicken recipe, leave a star rating and review below! Talk to me if the post didn’t answer all of your questions. Tag me #saltandlavender with a photo on Instagram!
Creamy Lemon and Herb Pot Roasted Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken about 4 pounds
- 1 lemon
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 5-6 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 6 cloves garlic peeled
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup chicken broth or stock
- 2 cups heavy cream see note
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 2 tablespoons fresh oregano
- 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon
- 1.5 pounds baby potatoes
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 425F.
- Add the chicken to a Dutch oven. Prick the lemon with a knife in several places, and then insert the lemon in the chicken's cavity. Sprinkle the chicken with salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and garlic powder. Place the rosemary sprigs and garlic cloves around the chicken. Cut the butter into smaller slices and place it around the chicken. Pour the chicken broth into the Dutch oven. Cover and place in the oven and roast for 45 minutes.
- Meanwhile, chop the oregano and tarragon and cut the potatoes into halves.
- Add the cream, white wine, oregano, tarragon, and potatoes to the pot. Place it back in the oven and cook for another 45 minutes, uncovered.
- Before serving, remove the rosemary sprigs. Chop the parsley, and then sprinkle it on as you’re ready to dish up.
Notes
- I can’t say this strongly enough: use heavy cream and do not sub for something lower fat as it will curdle. Heavy cream is 36% fat or higher.
- Make sure your Dutch oven or baking dish is deep enough that there’s at least an inch and a half from the top after you’ve added the potatoes in so that it doesn’t bubble all over your oven. My Dutch oven has a 5.5 quart capacity.
- Serves 4-6 depending on portion size.
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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What a wonderful dish. I loved the chicken and herb
flavor SO much. Almost had a bearnaise sauce taste. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
So glad you enjoyed it!! ????
Natasha, I found this recipe the other day, saved it on PINTEREST, and decided to make today. My Niece also saw it and is making it today as well. I bought a 7lb bird so I’m adjusting the broth and seasonings accordingly. Can’t wait to see how it turns out!!
That’s great! I hope everyone enjoys it! ????
I’ve just bought all the ingredients to make this dish and I’m so excited about it. I bought a monster 7 lb chicken. How do you think I should adjust the timing?
Hi Jackye, I would add another 25-30 minutes to the first part of roasting (so roast for 70-75 min with the lid on, then remove the lid and roast for another 45 min). You may also want to add another quarter cup of chicken stock or water since you’ll be roasting it for that extra half hour. I would definitely check with a meat thermometer to ensure that it’s fully cooked, but I also don’t want you to over-cook it since 425F is a pretty high temperature. I hope you enjoy this recipe!!
Thanks for the advice Natasha, I’ll let you know tonight how it turns out.
This recipe looks delicious ! Do you think you could just through all the ingredients into a slow cooker and cook it for 5-6 hours?
Thank you! I don’t see why you couldn’t give that a try. I’m not sure if the chicken skin will crisp up, but it should still be tasty. If you do try, let me know how it went. ☺️
This makes me really want to buy a big pot like that – I don’t have a dutch oven and I keep saying I want one! Maybe for my birthday coming up I’ll finally get it 🙂 Looks SO good. Comfort food at its best.
Thank you Allie! It’s definitely an investment (I got mine on sale when a kitchen shop went out of business), but it’ll last forever.
I went out today and bought my first 8 quart Dutch oven just because of this recipe . My husband says dinner better be very tasty tonight for the price of the cookware! Lol . Looking forward to making it in a few hours!
Haha! Sounds like a great excuse to buy new cookware!! I really hope you guys enjoy it. Let me know! ????
oh my gosh!! what an amazingly delicious recipe, and the photos are just so so good. love it! Xx
Thanks so much!!
OMG Natasha this looks SO GOOD! It is making me want winter to come right now so i can cozy up with this chicken. But then we would need to skip fall. Hmm. Pinning for later! 🙂
Thank you!! I cozied up with it in the summer in my freezing office hahaha.
Ever make this on the grill?
I haven’t tried this particular dish on the grill because it cooks in the sauce so I’m not sure how you’d do that. Rotisserie chicken on the BBQ is delicious, though! You could probably make a similar cream herb sauce to go with it.
That sauce!! Middle of summer or not I want a big plate of this now!!
Thanks Cathy!! I ran out of leftovers on Wednesday… I want a plate of it now as well 🙁
This chicken looks fantastic, Natasha! Love those tiny potatoes and that sauce looks delicious! This is comfort food at it’s finest! Cheers!
Thank you!!