Sometimes creativity comes out of hunger

This idea came to me today while I was busy in the kitchen making brine for pickles. I had a whole chicken defrosting, and I was unsure how to prepare it. I was tired of the same butter and typical spices I normally season the chicken with. I wanted something new to look forward to.

Well, I started going for it thinking of what sounded delicious and got my pen out as I went.

This recipe has flavors that are a little sweet because of the balsamic vinegar, and savory because of the spices and garlic. I made this easier on myself by cutting up the veggies and placing them right onto the Dutch oven with the chicken. And I’m sure you’ll appreciate this too. Because the marination of the juices and the veggies is devine.

The chicken came out juicy, savory, and delicious! The veggies came out better that I could have hoped for.

Note: Typically the rule is that a whole chicken takes 20-25 minutes per pound to cook at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. With that being said, I used a smaller organic costco chicken. And it all took me around 2 hours from start to finish. You do the math, and temp it occasionally. This way you will get something fully cooked through, yet juicy!

Kristina Rudnitskiy

One Pot Balsamic Dutch Oven Chicken

Delicious One Pot Balsamic Chicken cooked with vegetables in a dutch oven

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 2 hours hrs 25 minutes mins

Servings: 6

Course: Main Course

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 Whole Chicken
• 4 Golden Potatoes
• 3 Carrots
• 3 Beets
• 3 Celery
• 1 Bulb of Garlic

For the Chicken

• 2 tbsp Melted Butter Unsalted
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
• 3 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Pepper
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1/2 tsp Oregano
• 1/2 tsp Thyme
• 1 tsp Fresh Parsley

For the Veggies

• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
• 1/4 tsp Pepper
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1/4 tsp Oregano
• 1/4 tsp Thyme
• 1 tsp Freshly Chopped Parsley

Equipment

• Dutch Oven

Method

 

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Wash the chicken with cold water. Then pat down to dry.
3. Place the chicken in the Dutch oven. Then begin to add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, melted butter, and spices. Rub all over the chicken, under the skin, and into the inside of the chicken. I like to use gloves while doing this, but you don't have to.
4. Place the chicken in the oven with the lid on for 15 minutes.
5. While the chicken is in the oven for 15 minutes, take the time to chop up your vegetables. Add your seasonings and oils to the veggies and mix.
6. Once the 15 minutes have passed, take the chicken out of the oven and place the veggies around the chicken. Be careful, the Dutch oven will be hot!
7. Put the Dutch oven back in the oven. Allow it to cook for 10 more minutes.
8. Drop the temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Allow it to cook this way for 1 hour.
9. After an hour, check the internal temperature in multiple places of the chicken. (Should be between 165-185 degrees to be safe to eat.) If your chicken isn't ready, take time to baste the chicken in the liquid found at the bottom of the Dutch oven.
10. Check your chicken every 30 minutes from here on out until the internal temperature deep in the chicken is in the safe zone in all places you pierce. Take that every half hour and make sure you baste your chicken all over to get those delicious flavors all over your chicken.
11. Once all the temperatures are in the safe zone, remove your chicken from the oven and add your freshly chopped parsley.

Notes

If you have a large chicken that is 20 pounds or larger, you might consider adding the veggies a little bit later into the process. Making sure the chicken has been in the oven for at least 30 minutes at 350 degrees step before adding the veggies. This way, the chicken can be more cooked before the veggies are added. Since the vegetables don’t take as long to cook as the chicken.