Traditional Dutch Oven Chicken & Potatoes
Dutch Oven Magic: Effortless Chicken & Potatoes
Busy weeknights call for simple, satisfying meals. This Dutch oven chicken and potatoes recipe fits the bill perfectly!
Easy Steps, Big Flavor:
Skip the complicated dishes! This recipe uses all chicken pieces for juicy flavor. Seasoned to perfection, they roast in the oven for a crispy golden brown crust. Tender potatoes and a burst of vibrant herbs round out this delicious meal.
Perfect for Weeknights and Beyond:
This recipe is a lifesaver for busy weeknights. It’s a crowd-pleaser perfect for families or potlucks, and with minimal pots used, cleaning up is a breeze! This is a summer staple at our house.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
Ingredients
Scale
Potatoes
- 5 lbs of potatoes ( russet or golden ), peeled and cut into bite-size chunks
- 1/2 lb of bacon cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 Tbsp salt
- Fresh ground black pepper
Chicken
- 2–4 lbs of chicken thighs/breasts/legs (whatever you prefer about 1/2 lb of chicken per person)
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 1 Tbsp hot sauce
- 1 tsp paprika
- 4 teaspoons black pepper, divided
- 2 Tbsp kosher salt, divided
- 4 cups all purpose flour, for dredging
- Bacon grease + Crisco Shortening, for frying
Instructions
Chicken
- Gather the ingredients.
- Add the chicken thighs to a mixing bowl. Add the buttermilk, paprika, 1 tablespoon of the salt, and 2 teaspoons of the black pepper. Mix and make sure the chicken is covered with the buttermilk mixture. Refrigerate for 2 hours to marinate.
- Add the flour and remaining 1 tablespoon salt and 2 teaspoons black pepper to a baking dish. Using tongs, remove the chicken 2 to 3 pieces at a time and coat well in the seasoned flour. Be sure to press the flour into the meat and cover completely. Shake off excess and reserve on a baking sheet.
- When all the pieces of chicken are dredged in the flour, add about an inch of oil to a heavy, deep frying pan. Over a medium-high flame, heat the oil to 375 F.
- Test the oil to make sure it’s hot. Add the chicken, being careful not to overcrowd the pan, and cook for 7 to 8 minutes per side, or until the outside is browned and the meat is cooked through. The thickest part of the meat should register at least 165 F on a meat thermometer.
- When each piece of chicken is browned and cooked through, transfer the chicken to another dutch oven either in your oven or over a burner that has 1 inch of water in the bottom and a raised rack to steam the chicken while you are finishing the potatoes. You can also place the chicken on a prepared baking sheet and cover with foil in an oven at 150 degrees.
Potatoes
- In a Dutch oven placed on a grill grate or directly on the embers of the fire, cook bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon grease leaving approximately 4-6 Tbsp in the dutch oven. Add onions and cook until transparent, about 5 minutes.
- Put potatoes into a large mixing bowl. Add seasoned salt and pepper, to taste. Mix all ingredients well. Put potatoes into the Dutch oven. Cook, covered, until potatoes are browned and tender, stir often. About 20 minutes.
Notes
- It takes a whole lot more seasoning than you think it will so taste test throughout until you reach the taste that you like most.
- Start with your chicken first as you want your chicken to sit and steam for at least 30 minutes while you finish the potatoes.
- A cast-iron pot is a tried-and-true tool for frying chicken. In addition to its durability, its thick walls also retain heat very well. That means that the oil temperature drops less when you put a batch of chicken in, helping create crisper skin and more uniform cooking. If you don’t have a deep cast-iron skillet, a Dutch oven also works well.
- To test if the oil is hot enough, drop a small piece of the coating from the chicken into the oil. If the coating begins to bubble and fry quickly, this is the perfect temperature to fry in.
- Correct oil temperature is key to cooking up crispy fried chicken. Don’t overcrowd the pan, or the oil temperature will drop, making your chicken greasy. If you’re frying in batches, place the fried chicken on a cooling rack set on a baking sheet in a 200 F oven until ready to eat.
Keywords: Main Dish, Dinner, Dutch Oven, Chicken, Potatoes
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