Cooking chicken breast in the Dutch oven couldn't be easier! This recipe for Dutch oven chicken breast with potatoes and vegetables is a complete, and very comforting, meal that's ready in only about 45 minutes.
Did you know you can cook chicken breast in the Dutch oven? Yes you can, and it's super simple to do! I'm sure after trying it, this chicken breast recipe for the Dutch oven will soon be in your weekly dinner rotation. It's a very comforting recipe that tastes like a Sunday dinner, but with a Wednesday evening time commitment! You only need about 45 minutes and 10 basic ingredients!
Chicken breasts are first browned in butter, then finished off in the oven with baby potatoes, carrots and onions, all smothered in a flavorful (but not too heavy) gravy. All the cooking for the chicken breast, potatoes and vegetables is done in the Dutch oven, saving you lots of pots and pans to wash!
And, by finishing the chicken breasts in the oven rather than the stove top, you are also saving yourself a lot of hassle and attention - no need to adjust the burner temperature or stir the pot to avoid scorching the bottom. Instead, you can use that window of time to wash your (very few!) dishes from prep or put together a nice salad to go alongside.
Before we go any further, are you wondering - what is a Dutch oven, and why should I use one? Read on for more!
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What is a Dutch oven?
A Dutch oven is a thick-walled cooking pot that comes with a tight-fitting lid. They are usually made of cast iron, cast aluminum or ceramic. The metal can either be coated in enamel, or seasoned (just like a cast iron skillet).
What are the benefits of cooking in a Dutch oven?
There are many benefits to cooking with a Dutch oven. For me, one of the biggest benefits is the ability to use it both on the stovetop and in the oven. This mean you can both brown food and simmer sauces on the stovetop, then move the whole thing directly into the oven to finish cooking.
And this is exactly what we will be doing with this Dutch oven chicken breast recipe! (It's nice to finish the food in the oven because it's more hands-off; no need to stir or adjust the stove temperature, as I mentioned above.)
Another benefit is that the Dutch oven looks nice enough to serve the food from right at the table. So, you can start on the stovetop, move to the oven, and finish at the table. This means less dishes to clean up at the end of the night - always a good thing!
Overall, owning a Dutch oven is great because it's a super versatile piece of kitchen equipment that should last you a really long time. You can make soups, stews, braised meat dishes, and even bread in the Dutch oven. Here's a great article discussing even more Dutch oven benefits and uses!
Recipe ingredients
Ingredient notes
- Chicken breast: for this recipe, you will need boneless skinless chicken breast.
- Baby potatoes: I love using baby (aka "new") potatoes; they are so small so you don't need to cut or peel them, saving time on prep. But, if you don't have baby potatoes, you can just cut up regular potatoes!
- Onion: I used yellow onion, which is a good all-around onion for cooking. But, if you don't have yellow onion, you can use whatever type you have.
- Chicken broth or stock: you can use either store-bought or homemade. And, if you don't have chicken broth, you can substitute any type of broth you do have, like beef or vegetable.
Step by step photos
1. Before you do anything else, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Then, you can start by prepping the veggies. First, peel and slice the onion.
2. Next, peel the carrots and cut them into about ½ inch (~1.3 cm) slices. If needed, scrub the baby potatoes. (The ones I bought were pre-washed, hooray!). Set the veggies aside for now.
3. Now you can turn to the chicken breasts. All you need to do is season them on both sides with salt.
4. Next, place the Dutch oven on the stovetop set to medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and let it melt. When the butter is hot, add the seasoned chicken breasts.
5. Let the chicken cook without touching it for about 3 minutes. Check underneath the chicken with tongs. If you see a nice brown color, flip the chicken pieces.
Otherwise, you can let them cook for another minute or so, until they are browned to your liking, before flipping.
6.When the chicken breasts are browned on both sides, remove them from the Dutch oven, and set them aside. They won't be fully cooked, but that's ok.
7. Now add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the Dutch oven and allow it to melt. Then add in the onion, kosher salt, dried thyme, and garlic powder.
8. Let the onion cook for about 3 - 4 minutes, stirring frequently. The onion should be softened, and just starting to pick up some color at this point.
9. Now you can sprinkle in the flour. You don't have to be delicate about it, just pour it in and stir it around so it coats the onions evenly. Cook the onion and flour for another minute.
10. At this point you can pour in the broth. Stir everything together - and make sure to use your wooden spoon to scrape up all those brown bits stuck to the bottom of the Dutch oven!
11. Now you can add in the baby potatoes and carrots from earlier.
12. Turn the heat up to bring the mixture to a boil, then turn it down to maintain a simmer. Stir occasionally, and let everything simmer together for about 5 minutes.
13. Now you can nestle the browned chicken breasts back into the Dutch oven; make sure they are at least partially submerged in the gravy!
Add the lid on top and place it in the preheated oven to finish cooking.
14. When the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F and the potatoes and carrots are tender, the dish is done! You can check the chicken temperature with an instant read thermometer. To test the doneness of the carrots and potatoes, pierce them with a fork.
Once the chicken is cooked, it's a good idea to let it rest for about 5 minutes. I like to remove the chicken from the Dutch oven for the resting period, so it doesn't continue to cook in the hot liquid.
Substitutions and add-ins
I kept the ingredients and seasonings in this Dutch oven chicken breast recipe pretty simple, to cut down on prep time and to make the recipe as accessible as possible. So, that means there are a ton of opportunities to customize this recipe to suit your own tastes!
Here are some substitution and/or add-in ideas:
- As I mentioned above, if you don't have baby potatoes, you can use any other type of potato. Just cut them into about 1 inch (2.5 cm) pieces. If the skin of the potato is thin, you don't even have to peel them!
- If you don't want to use butter, substitute an equal amount of pure olive oil or avocado oil.
- Try switching out the carrots and/or potatoes for other root vegetables you like, such as: sweet potatoes, parsnips, rutabaga, celeriac, or turnips!
- You can also add in even more hearty vegetables to go along with the carrots, potatoes and onions. Try adding mushrooms (I know, not technically a vegetable!), cauliflower florets, or sliced celery.
- Feel free to substitute or add in other herbs and spices that you enjoy. Instead of dried thyme, I've substituted an equal amount of dried rosemary, which was also delicious. You can also try dried sage, oregano, tarragon, or marjoram.
How long to cook the chicken breasts in the Dutch oven
- After browning, the chicken breasts should take roughly about 15 - 18 minutes in the oven to reach the target temperature of 165 degrees F. But, the exact amount of time needed will vary based on how large the chicken breasts are, and on your own unique oven.
- The most accurate way to ensure the chicken breasts are cooked to the target temperature is to use an instant read thermometer. Make sure you probe the chicken at the thickest part. If you don't have one, you can cut open the thickest chicken breast and make sure it is white all the way through.
- This would also be a great time to use an oven-safe alarm thermometer, shown below. This is a special type of thermometer probe that you can insert into the chicken before placing it in the oven. You can place the lid right on top of the wire. The display is kept outside the oven, which will beep when the food reaches your target temperature.
- This is the same thermometer I used for my baked BBQ chicken thighs recipe. This is a great tool to use because you don't have to keep checking on the chicken, and really helps eliminate the risk of overcooking the chicken!
Storage and reheating tips
- Store any leftovers in the fridge in a covered food storage container. You can keep leftovers in the fridge for 3 - 4 days.
- If you want to keep leftovers for a longer time period, store them in the freezer (again in an airtight container) for 3 - 4 months. The potatoes will be a little soft after coming out of the freezer, but they will still taste good!
- Wondering what's the best way to reheat leftover Dutch oven chicken and potatoes? My favorite way is to place them into a pan with a lid and warm them gently on the stove, stirring occasionally, until heated through. If you need a little more moisture, add a splash of broth or water. You can even use the same Dutch oven as before to reheat the leftovers!
- For best results in reheating leftovers from the freezer, first let them thaw in the fridge overnight.
- If you want to use the microwave to reheat a single serving, cut the chicken into slices or bite-sized pieces first. This will help the chicken heat more quickly and evenly than if you try to microwave an entire chicken breast!
Other tips and tricks
- Here I used Diamond Crystal kosher salt, which is lighter and flakier than Morton kosher and regular table salt. If you want to use table salt or Morton kosher salt, use ½ teaspoon in the gravy rather than the full 1 teaspoon called for. When seasoning the chicken, just salt to taste.
- Are your chicken breasts finished cooking but the potatoes and carrots aren't done? This could happen if the chicken breasts are on the smaller side. Just remove the chicken breasts from the Dutch oven, then place the lid back on. Bake for an additional 5 - 10 minutes, or until the veggies are cooked through.
- The gravy will continue to thicken as it cools; if you still want it a little thicker, you can remove the veggies and chicken from the Dutch oven and simmer the gravy a little longer on the stovetop!
Recipe FAQs
You will need a Dutch oven with a capacity of around 7 - 8 quarts (6.6 - 7.5 liters). Just make sure you have enough room to brown all the chicken pieces without too much crowding. If your Dutch oven is a little larger than that, it will work fine too. The Dutch oven I used here is the 7.25 quart capacity Dutch oven from Le Creuset (affiliate link).
If you don't have a Dutch oven, you can still make this recipe with a little modification. For the portion of the recipe that is done on the stovetop, you can use a large pot instead.
Then, transfer all the ingredients into a casserole dish that has a tight fitting lid and finish baking in the oven. Alternatively, you can use a 9 x 13 inch baking pan that you cover tightly with aluminum foil.
This recipe already has protein, starch, and vegetables, making it very well-rounded as-is! You don't need to add much to make it a complete and satisfying meal.
Try pairing the chicken with a green salad, bean salad, or kale salad, sautéed mixed vegetables, or steamed broccoli. Bonus points for drizzling the gravy overtop the side of veggies also!
These Dutch oven chicken breasts and potatoes would also go well with my recipes for brussels sprouts salad with cranberries and creamy tomato cucumber salad!
The biggest way to ensure the chicken breasts stay moist is to not overcook them! The USDA advises that chicken breasts must be cooked to a temperature of 165 degrees F. So, that's what we are going with here; much beyond that, and you risk drying the chicken breasts out.
For that reason, I recommend picking up an oven safe alarm thermometer as I recommended above - they're great because they will let you know exactly when the target temperature is reached. You don't have to keep checking the food constantly, or, even worse, risk the chicken breasts going way above the target temperature.
Even if you do end up overcooking the chicken, just smother each bite in the delicious gravy that the chicken and vegetables are cooked in - this will really help to re-moisten the chicken and it will still be absolutely delicious!
In my opinion, these Dutch oven chicken breasts taste the best when eaten fresh, but leftovers do keep very well and taste delicious reheated. See the above Storage and reheating tips section for more info on managing any leftovers!
Related recipes
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PrintDutch Oven Chicken Breast
This is an easy and comforting meal you can make with basic ingredients and in only 45 minutes! A Dutch oven is the only cooking pot used - for browning, simmering, and baking in the oven - saving you lots of dishes to wash up!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: main course, entree
- Method: stove top, bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 24 ounces (680 g) boneless skinless chicken breast (about 3 - 4 medium chicken breasts)
- 12 ounces (340 g) onion (about 2 medium or 1 large onion)
- 12 ounces (340 g) carrots (about 3 medium carrots)
- 12 ounces (340 g) baby potatoes (1 inch diameter - see note 1)
- 3 tablespoons (43 g) butter, divided
- 3 tablespoons (24 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to season chicken (see note 2)
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 cups (473 ml) chicken broth/stock
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
- Slice the onion. Peel the carrots and cut into approximately ½ inch (1.3 cm) rounds. Scrub the potatoes (if not purchased pre-washed). Set vegetables aside.
- If needed, trim any excess fat from the chicken breasts. Season both sides of the chicken with salt to taste.
- In a large Dutch oven (7 - 8 quart capacity), heat 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Swirl the melting butter to evenly coat the surface of the Dutch oven. When the butter is melted, place in the seasoned chicken breasts. Let the chicken breasts cook, undisturbed, for 3 - 4 minutes, or until browned. Flip the chicken and cook for an additional 3 - 4 minutes to brown the other side. (If the butter is getting too dark while the chicken is browning, turn the heat down.)
- Remove the browned chicken breasts to a plate and set aside. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the Dutch oven. When the butter is melted, add the sliced onions, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, dried thyme, and garlic powder. Cook for 3 - 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened.
- Sprinkle in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
- Pour in the chicken broth/stock. Stir to combine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the carrots and potatoes to the Dutch oven. Turn the heat up to high to bring the liquid to a boil, then turn the heat down again to maintain a simmer. Simmer for 4 - 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Turn the heat off the burner and add the browned chicken breasts back into the Dutch oven, nestling them down into the gravy (they do not have to be fully submerged). Place the lid on the Dutch oven and bake in the preheated oven for 15 - 18 minutes, or until the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees F and the carrots and potatoes are fork-tender.
- Remove the chicken from the Dutch oven and allow it to rest for about 5 minutes. (Allowing the chicken to rest submerged in the hot liquid may cause the chicken to overcook.) The gravy will continue to thicken as it cools. When serving, the chicken can be placed back in the Dutch oven with the vegetables.
Notes
If you don't have baby potatoes that are roughly 1 inch (2.5 cm) in diameter, you can use any type of potato cut into 1 inch (2.5 cm) chunks.
This recipe was developed using Diamond Crystal kosher salt; to substitute table salt or Morton kosher salt, use ½ teaspoon in the gravy rather than the 1 teaspoon called for. When seasoning the chicken, salt to taste.
If the chicken breasts are finished cooking but the potatoes and carrots aren't tender enough, just remove the chicken breasts from the Dutch oven, place the lid back on and bake for an additional 5 - 10 minutes, or until the veggies are cooked through.
The nutrition information below was calculated using a total of 1 ½ teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt for the entire recipe. This nutrition information is an estimate only; the nutrition counts of your dish will vary based on the brands and exact amounts of ingredients used. This information was provided by an online nutrition calculator, and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical, health, or nutritional advice. See our full nutrition disclosure policy.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ¼ recipe
- Calories: 343
- Sugar: 5.1 g
- Sodium: 917 mg
- Fat: 11.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 6.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 25.2 g
- Fiber: 4.6 g
- Protein: 34.4 g
- Cholesterol: 97 mg
Marta
I am still in shock that such an easy, simple recipe can pack so much amazing flavor in it! This dutch oven chicken breast is going to become a regular meal on my monthly meal plans.
Kate
I'm so happy you like the recipe Marta, thank you for sharing!
Ed
Came out great !
Kate
I'm really glad you enjoyed the recipe Ed! Thank you for your comment 🙂
Gloria
Rustic, simple, and delicious. That is what this recipe is all about. Perfect for any night of the week.
Kate
Thank you Gloria I appreciate that 🙂
Sean
I love any recipe I can use my Dutch oven for and this was delightful.
Kate
Thank you so much Sean!
Veronika
Such a simple and easy recipe! Made these in our Dutch oven last night and the whole family thoroughly enjoyed the meal, thank you!
Kate
I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe Veronika, thank you for sharing!
Veronika
This recipe is absolutely amazing! It was so easy to make and has lots of flavors! Going to make it again this weekend 😉
Jamie
I love how I can make this entire meal in the Dutch oven and not have lots of pans to wash after. This was so flavorful and satisfying. Love it!
Kate
Thank you Jamie! 🙂
Erin
This was excellent! And I love how easy it was to put together. Thanks for including grams! That helps a lot. 🙂
Kate
I'm glad you enjoyed it Erin, thank you 🙂
Riva Goldman
Can this same recipe be used with a 5 quart Dutch Oven?
Kate
Hi Riva! I tested this recipe with a slightly larger Dutch oven (about 7 quart), but I think it would work with a smaller one also. The only thing you may want to modify is to brown the chicken breasts in batches if you don't have enough surface area to cook them in one layer. If you end up making the recipe please let me know how it went for you!
LaKita
This chicken is so flavorful and delicious! It is so simple and I love any reason to pull out my dutch oven and put it to good use.
Kate
Thanks LaKita, I enjoy having a reason to use my Dutch oven too 🙂
Joann B
I followed this exactly. It turned out great. Wouldn’t change a thing and will definitely make again. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Kate
Joann I'm so happy that you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for sharing your feedback 🙂
Karen
So easy, and super tasty...I didn't add a thing to this recipe, it's perfect as is!
Happy to have found Nibble and Dine, will be checking out the recipe box regularly 🙂
thanks Kate!
Kate
Karen, thank you so much for trying my recipe and providing your feedback, I am so delighted that you enjoyed the Dutch oven chicken. And I am so happy you will be checking out some of my other recipes as well, your comment has absolutely made my day! 🙂
Jenny F
This is so easy and good, I’ve made it twice now. I tried the chicken fully submerged the second time and it is so much more flavorful, also I added half a packet of roast seasoning by McCormick! Literal chefs kiss and my kids love it! Especially my hubby (second time this week I’ve made it lol) Thank you for sharing this recipe 🥰
Kate
Oooo Jenny the roast seasoning sounds like it would really add that extra special "something"! Thanks for sharing I'm really happy that you and your family have been enjoying the recipe :):)
Tim
This was so good and quick and easy. The gravy is excellent. Thanks for the recipe.
Kate
Thank you Tim, I'm really happy that you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
Kyle
So tasty, I added a squeeze of lemon and celery salt as well. One star knocked off for cooking times - I thought it sounded weird to not soften the carrots with the onions, the end result even with keeping the dutch oven on the stove top longer than it says and kept it in the oven for 20 minutes was tough carrots and tough potatoes. Will be making this again just keeping it in the oven longer.
Kate
Thank you Kyle for trying the recipe, I'm glad you enjoyed it overall! If you want to make the recipe again sometime you could try cutting the carrots and potatoes into smaller pieces so hopefully everything will be finished on time. Thanks again for providing your feedback I appreciate it!
John
Added a cup of white wine and reduced chicken stock by a half cup .
Wonderful flavor .
Kate
That sounds delicious John! If I have some white wine left over next time I make this, I will definitely give that a try 🙂 Thank you for sharing!
Emmy B
This recipe was absolutely delicious! My husband and I just came back from a week-long vacation and we had basically nothing left in the house for dinner when we got home except for some chicken I pulled out of the freezer and some potatoes/onions/carrots. The sauce/gravy in this is absolutely delicious - I did add some additional spices to punch it up a bit, but I think it would have been spot-on anyway even without my modifications. Tastes like you spent hours on it but it's much faster. Thanks so much for this!
Kate
Aw Emmy thank you so much for your lovely comment. I am really happy that you and your husband enjoyed the recipe, especially after vacation when maybe you're really looking to enjoy home cooking again but are low on energy! And I totally know the feeling when you don't have much in the way of groceries at the house and need to come up with something. So I'm really glad this recipe was helpful for that situation!
Becky
I have made this with the boneless skinless chicken breasts and also using thighs - skin in bone in. I added cooking time for thighs, it seems to work well. Great recipe, thanks.
Kate
Becky I'm glad to know that the recipe will work with bone in chicken as well! Thanks for sharing your feedback I appreciate it 🙂
Ann
This was sooo good. Even my extremely picky husband loved it. Thank you!
Kate
Ann that is wonderful, I'm so glad that you and your husband enjoyed it! I know the feeling when you make something even a picky eater enjoys, like you cracked a secret code or something 🙂 Thank you for trying my recipe and giving your feedback!
Mag Horsey
Do I have to put in house oven?
Kate
Hi Mag, thank you for your question! This recipe does call for starting on the stovetop, but then finishing the dish in the oven. But, you could experiment with finishing it on the stove top, simmering it on low heat. I'm sorry can't give more details on timing and so forth, because I didn't test the recipe that way. But if you try it, please let me know how it turns out!
Jan
I do not exactly have a Dutch oven, but a ceramic pot with a glass lid.
It came out great! Thank you for the recipe, and the perfect guide. 😊
Kate
Hi Jan, thank you so much for taking the time to comment, I am really happy you enjoyed it and that it worked well with the pot that you had! 🙂
Chris
Delicious. I will be making this again. Perfect instructions
Kate
Thank you so much Chris! I'm really happy that you enjoyed the chicken and found the instructions to be just what you needed - for a recipe writer that is high praise and it really made my day! 🙂
M
This recipe was nice and simple and everything turned out gorgeous. Cut my carrots a little smaller and halved the potatoes to ensure they’d be cooked when everything else was. Came out perfect. My only note is there was WAY too much thyme for us. I will definitely do this again but reduce that measurement way down. If you love thyme forward dishes have at it! Really appreciate the recipe and can see it on regular rotation here.
Kate
Thank you M for trying my recipe and giving your feedback, I really appreciate it! I'm sorry the thyme was too much for your tastes, but I'm glad that is something you can easily adjust and that you are thinking about making it again in the future (to me that is the best compliment!). Thanks again 🙂
Maria
I usually don't make these meals because I mess up the gravy bit, but it turned out great! and delicious to boot! We made it with breasts and thighs (bone-in) and added time for the potatoes and carrots to cook through, we will be cutting veggies up next time. This will be a go-to recipe for sure, it was so easy to make!
Kate
Thank you Maria for your feedback, I'm really glad that you liked the recipe, and that it worked well using bone-in thighs!
Shannon
solid recipe, i made some tweaks with seasoning- used complete season for chicken instead of dry herbs did sprigs of thyme and rosemary and 4 smashed garlic cloves, i also added about 1/4 cup lemon juice at the end for some acidity and loved it. i had to cook browned chicken in oven for almost 27 min and continued cooking veggies for another 20- i do feel my oven is off so thats prob why. thank you for recipe!
Kate
Thank you Shannon for your feedback on the recipe, I'm sorry that the cook times were a little off for you but I'm glad you were able to make it work. And adding lemon juice sounds like a really delicious addition!
Susan
I made this tonight and there were no leftovers! So simple and delicious. Will definitely make again.
Kate
Thank you Susan I'm really glad that you enjoyed the chicken, thanks for sharing!
Jen
This turned out to be restaurant-quality. I also added a bay leaf and sprinkled a little paprika in it. It was fantastic
Kate
Jen your additions sound really delicious, I am really happy that you enjoyed the recipe!!
Shawn
Such a fabulous recipe! I did adapt it from dutch oven ( don't have one) to slow cooker by sauteing the vegetables for about 12 minutes, reducing the liquid 1/2 and cutting cooking time down to 2 hours on LOW so as to not overcook the chicken breasts. I added rosemary because I love how it goes so well with chicken, carrots and potatoes.
Kate
Hi Shawn, thank you so much for your comment! I love that you were able to adapt the recipe to your own needs. And I totally agree, rosemary is a great flavor pairing with the other ingredients in this recipe. Thanks again for sharing 🙂