Dutch Oven Whole Chicken with Meyer Lemon is a show-stopping, flavor-packed dish. Its quintessential California flavors include farm-fresh, Meyer lemon, and organic free-range chicken.
Prepare the Chicken - Preheat oven to 425ºF. Take the chicken and remove the giblets. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel.
1 5 lb whole roasting chicken
Stuff the Chicken - Stuff the chicken with the sprigs of thyme and rosemary. Place the chicken inside of the dutch oven.
2-3 sprigs thyme, 2-3 sprigs rosemary
Make the butter and herb mixture - In a bowl, mix lemon juice, butter, chopped sage, rosemary, thyme, kosher salt, and cracked pepper. Brush the chicken with the butter-herb mixture, covering the entire top and sides of the chicken. Stuff the cavity of the chicken with the leftover lemon and onion. Truss the chicken legs by tying them together with baker’s twine.
Cook the chicken - Place the lid on the dutch oven and cook in the oven for 1 hour. Remove dutch oven lid and cook for an additional 20-30 minutes, or until the chicken is golden and crispy. Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes.
Serve - Place on a serving platter with sprigs of rosemary and slices of lemon for garnish.
2-3 sprigs rosemary, 1 lemon
Notes
Storage
The way you store leftover chicken will depend on how much leftover chicken you have. If you need to store most of the chicken, store it in the fridge in the covered dutch oven to lock in the moisture. Alternatively, carve the chicken and store in air-tight containers with the juices. Store the chicken in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat the chicken, slice it, put it on a baking dish or baking sheet, and reheat it in the oven at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes.
Cooking Tips
Make sure the chicken is completely defrosted before you begin preparing it. If the chicken is too cold, the meat will get tough when you cook it due to the temperature change.
If you prefer the chicken to be more juicy than crispy, cook the chicken with the lid on for more time and cook the chicken without the lid for less time. For example, you can cook the chicken with the lid on for 70 minutes then without the lid for 10 minutes.