Roasted chicken plated with grits and onion gravy along with peas and carrots

I love using my Dutch Oven for roasting chicken. The chicken always turns out tender because the Dutch Oven traps the moist air preventing the chicken from drying out. The Dutch Oven makes clean up easy and prevents oil from splattering in the oven.

The Chicken

1. Thaw chicken according to the USDA guidelines. It is important that the chicken is completely thawed.

2. Heat a conventional oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Do not use convection as this will dry out the chicken and evaporate all the water. I don’t understand why or how convection does this. I just know I have dried out many roasts by using convection.

3. Rinse the chicken well under cool tap water to remove blood and feathers. Make sure to pull out the neck from the cavity. I place the neck to the side of the chicken and use it later to make chicken broth.

Whole chicken in a Dutch Oven being prepared for roasting in the oven.

4. Tuck wings behinds itself. This one is hard to explain. Imagine clasping your hands behind your head. I take the wing tip and tuck it behind the meaty part of the wing. This moves the wing out of the way so the breast skin can crisp. Place in Dutch Oven.

Whole Chicken in a Dutch Oven salted and peppered with water for roasting in the oven.

5. Fill with water to half way up the side of the chicken. Sprinkle generously with salt, adding salt to the water as well. Sprinkle with pepper.

6. Place the cover on the Dutch Oven and set it in the oven. Roast for three (3) hours.

7. After three (3) hours, remove the lid and return to the oven for another 30 minutes. This will make the skin golden and crispy. Mmm…

Onion Chicken Gravy

Ingredients

  • 1/2 of large yellow onion, diced
  • 4 cups of chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup of flour
  • 1/2 cup of milk

1. Dice half of a large onion.

Diced onions in a cast iron skillet being sauteed for chicken gravy.

2. Add the diced onion to a hot skillet with a good swirl of oil. Sauté onions until golden on the edges. Then add broth or water to sweat the onions until tender. Set a lid on the skillet during the sweating process. Sweating the onions allow them to tenderize without burning.

Once the onions are tender, remove the lid and allow the liquid to evaporate fully.

Sauteed onions in a cast iron skillet with  oil and flour for the roux.

3. Now, it’s time to make the roux. Add two tablespoons of GLUTEN FREE ALL PURPOSE FLOUR or flour of your choice. Roux can be described as the thickening agent. It’s basic ingredients are flour and oil. I toast the flour in the oil until I achieve the color of white, blonde, or brown. Making a roux is the fastest no fuss way to make gravy.

Golden onion roux for chicken gravy.

4. Brown the roux adding oil as needed. Brown the roux until it is blonde.

5. Whisk in the chicken broth, stirring briskly to incorporate the broth into the roux. Allow to thicken on low heat.

Savory chicken onion gravy made in a cast iron skillet.

6. Lower the heat and add milk to achieve the desired desired color and consistency. Be careful not to curdle the milk.

Dinner plate of roasted chicken with onion gravy, grits, and peas and carrots.

Serve with Easy Cheddar Grits [GET RECIPE HERE] and peas and carrots.

Dutch Oven Roasted Chicken

Roasted chicken plated with grits and onion gravy along with peas and carrots
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Additional Time 30 minutes
Total Time 4 hours

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Thaw chicken according to the USDA guidelines. It is important that the chicken is completely thawed.
  2. Heat a conventional oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Do not use convection as this will dry out the chicken and evaporate all the water. I don't understand why or how convection does this. I just know I have dried out many roasts by using convection.
  3. Rinse the chicken well under cool tap water to remove blood and feathers. Make sure to pull out the neck from the cavity. I place the neck to the side of the chicken and use it later to make chicken broth.
  4. Tuck wings behinds itself. Place in Dutch Oven.
  5. Fill with water to half way up the side of the chicken. Sprinkle generously with salt, adding salt to the water as well. Sprinkle with pepper.
  6. Place the cover on the Dutch Oven and set it in the oven. Roast for three (3) hours.
  7. After three (3) hours, remove the lid and return to the oven for another 30 minutes. This will make the skin golden and crispy.

Notes

Serve with EasyCheddar Grits [GET RECIPE HERE] and peas and carrots.

Onion Gravy

onion gravy in cast iron skillet

Ingredients

  • 1/2 of large yellow onion, diced
  • 4 cups of chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup of flour
  • 1/2 cup of milk

Instructions

  1. Dice half of a large onion.
  2. Add the diced onion to a hot skillet with a good swirl of oil. Sauté onions until golden on the edges. Then
    add broth or water to sweat the onions until tender. Set a lid on the skillet during the sweating process. Sweating the onions allow them to tenderize without burning.
  3. Once the onions are tender, remove the lid and allow the liquid to evaporate fully.
  4. Now, it’s time to make the roux. Add two tablespoons of GLUTEN FREE ALL PURPOSE FLOUR or flour of
    your choice. Roux can be described as the thickening agent. It's basic ingredients are flour and oil. I toast the flour in the oil until I achieve the color of white, blonde, or brown. Making a roux is the fastest no fuss way to
    make gravy.
  5. Brown the roux adding oil as needed. Brown the roux until it is blonde.
  6. Whisk in the chicken broth, stirring briskly to incorporate the broth into the roux. Allow to thicken on low heat.
  7. Lower the heat and add milk to achieve the desired desired color and consistency. Be careful not to curdle the milk.

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