Dutch Oven Chicken Thighs

No kitchen should be without a Dutch oven. It’s the secret weapon of home cooks everywhere to create tasty single-pot meals for their families. Known for its unique shape, a Dutch oven has a heavy domed lid that locks in moisture during cooking. The marriage of form and function means that Dutch oven recipes always turn out tender, juicy and flavorful.

This Dutch oven chicken thighs recipe is a classic. Potatoes, carrots, garlic and rosemary cooked in the same pot with chicken create a flavorful, filling dish. Chicken thighs don’t dry out as quickly as chicken breasts, especially when you cook them with the skin on, ensuring tender, fall-off-the-bone meat. By searing the meat, you create fond, which means lots of flavor. If you need to go bigger, you can always make a Dutch oven whole chicken or other Dutch oven chicken recipes.

Ingredients for Dutch Oven Chicken Thighs

• Chicken thighs: Bone-in chicken thighs are ultra moist and tender and are typically more affordable than chicken breasts. Leaving the skin on creates more flavor, but you can also use skinless thighs.
• Salt and pepper: A bit of salt and pepper is all you need to season chicken thighs in a Dutch oven.
• Olive oil: Olive oil prevents the chicken and vegetables from sticking to the Dutch oven and helps everything cook up golden and crisp.
• Vegetables: A combination of red potatoes, carrots and onions adds flavor and moisture to the chicken and functions as a simple, hearty side dish. Cut the potatoes into same-size cubes for more even cooking.
• Garlic: Garlic flavors and perfumes the chicken and vegetables. If you’re a garlic lover, feel free to add a few extra cloves.
• Rosemary: Rosemary and chicken go together like peanut butter and jelly. For more flavor, you can pair the wonderful, woodsy herb with fresh thyme, sage or oregano.

Directions

Step 1: Sear the chicken

Jonathan Melendez for Taste Recipes

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Season the chicken on all sides with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken on all sides, then remove to a plate. Discard the drippings.

Editor’s Tip: Rather than discarding the drippings, reserve them in the pan for extra flavor. Then, use the drippings instead of the remaining tablespoon of olive oil for the next step.

Step 2: Add the vegetables and seasonings

Jonathan Melendez for Taste Recipes

To the Dutch oven, add the potatoes, carrots, onion, garlic, rosemary, and the remaining olive oil, salt and pepper.

Jonathan Melendez for Taste Recipes

Nestle the chicken on top of the vegetables.

Step 3: Bake and serve

Jonathan Melendez for Taste Recipes

Bake, covered, for 35 to 40 minutes or until an instant-read meat thermometer reads 170° to 175° when inserted into the thickest part of the chicken thighs and the vegetables are tender. Divide the chicken and vegetables onto plates and serve.

Jonathan Melendez for Taste Recipes

Dutch Oven Chicken Thigh Variations

• Add fresh herbs: For a blast of herbaceous flavor, chop fresh rosemary, thyme, sage or oregano and tuck it under the skin of each chicken thigh.
• Make Cajun Dutch oven chicken thighs: Season the chicken liberally with your favorite Cajun seasoning blend for a spicy twist. Then, add a chopped red bell pepper to the Dutch oven to roast with the chicken.

How to Store Dutch Oven Chicken Thighs

Store Dutch oven chicken thighs in an airtight food storage container in the refrigerator. They’ll be good for three to four days.

Can you freeze Dutch oven chicken thighs?

Yes! Once cooked, store Dutch oven chicken thighs and the vegetables in the freezer for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

How do you reheat Dutch oven chicken thighs?

You can warm Dutch oven chicken thighs on a sheet pan in a 350° oven until heated or microwave them on a microwave-safe plate.

Dutch Oven Chicken Thigh Tips

Jonathan Melendez for Taste Recipes

Why is my chicken sticking in the bottom of the Dutch oven?

When browning the chicken thighs, the chicken skin can stick to the Dutch oven if the pan isn’t hot enough. Make sure you let the oil preheat in the pan for a few minutes before adding the chicken. It’s also possible you didn’t add enough oil to the pan. If you’ve already started cooking when you discover these issues, increase the heat and add an extra splash of oil to the pot. Let the chicken sit for another minute or so to see if it will release naturally before trying to force it up.

When making chicken thighs in a Dutch oven, it’s also important to let the thighs sit undisturbed for at least five minutes before trying to flip them. If you try to flip them earlier, the fat under the chicken skin won’t have a chance to render properly, causing the skin to stick.

How do you keep Dutch oven chicken thighs juicy?

Adding a little liquid to the bottom of the Dutch oven can also help keep chicken thighs extra moist and juicy. We recommend adding 1/2 cup cooking liquid before putting the chicken thighs in the Dutch oven. You can flavor the chicken with chicken broth, lemon juice, beer, wine or fruit juice.

What can you serve with Dutch oven chicken thigh recipes?

Serve Dutch oven chicken thigh recipes with an extra serving of veggies. Try garlic creamed spinach, Parmesan-roasted broccoli or Brussels sprouts au gratin. A batch of tender buttermilk biscuits or fluffy dinner rolls would also be an excellent accompaniment.