Dutch Oven Chicken Breast

5 from 175 votes

This juicy Dutch Oven Chicken Breast recipe is the perfect one pot dish that is ready in less than an hour. The skin is crispy and the meat is tender and moist. The white wine pan sauce takes these to the next level.

Prep Time10

Cook Time40

Total Time50

Course: Main

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 349kcal

Author: Brianna May

Equipment

Ingredients

5 Tablespoons salted butter, melted & cooled slightly
6-8 cloves garlic
1 Tablespoon fresh chopped thyme
1 Tablespoon fresh chopped sage
1 Tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 lemon, zested & cut in half
1 Tablespoon Morton’s kosher salt*
3 large bone-in chicken breasts, about 2.5 pounds
1 yellow onion, cut in eighths
¾ cup dry white wine*

Pan Sauce

2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
½ - 1 cup chicken stock or water

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a small mixing bowl, combine the butter, garlic, thyme, sage, rosemary, pepper, and lemon zest.
Rub about ⅓ of this mixture all over the button (bone-side) of each chicken breast. Season with about ½ of the salt.
Flip and stuff a spoonful of butter under the skin of each.
Rub the remaining butter on the top of the skin and down the sides. Season with the rest of the salt.
Add the onions around the pan in between the chicken. Juice both lemon halves on top of the chicken and onions. Pour the wine down the side of the pan so that the salt does not wash off of the chicken skin.
Roast uncovered for 40-45 minutes or until the internal temperature is 165 degrees.
While the chicken roasts, microwave the butter for the pan sauce in 5 second increments until melted in a small bowl. Stir in the flour. Side aside.
Once the chicken is done, remove it and the onions from the pan. Set aside to rest.
Place the dutch oven on the stove over medium heat. Add the butter mixture and whisk continuously.
As the sauce starts to thicken, add about ½ cup of stock or water to thin the sauce. Continue whisking.
Add more stock or water as needed to reach desired consistency. It should not be quite as thick as gravy. It will continue to thicken as it cools.
Serve the chicken with the pan sauce on top.

Notes

Kosher Salt: All of my recipes are tested with Morton kosher salt unless noted otherwise. It is the best salt for everyday cooking because of its size and flavor. If using table salt, the amount should be reduced. I highly recommend picking up some kosher next time you are at the store!
White Wine: I recommend a dry citrusy white, like Sauvignon Blanc. You can also replace this with chicken stock.
Rub with a compound butter. This fat will not only add tons of flavor to the chicken but it will add lots of moisture. Since white meat is leaner, it needs some extra fat.
Season with kosher salt. Salt is the most underrated seasoning. It will bring out all of the other flavors in the dish. Be generous. I used the whole tablespoon between the three pieces.
Roast at 425 degrees. This temperature will allow the skin to crisp up, but not burn. If you roast it on a lower temperature the exterior will not have browned enough in the time it takes to cook the inside.
Use a meat thermometer. This is the best way to ensure the chicken will come out moist and tender. It should be an internal temperature of 165 degrees in the thickest part.
Let the chicken rest. While the pan sauce comes together, this will give the chicken 5 or so minutes to rest before being sliced. This will lock in all of those juices.
Make a pan sauce. All of the excess butter and white wine is in the bottom of the pan. I highly recommend thickening it and creating this super simple pan sauce to spoon on top. You can also just serve it with the drippings.

Nutrition