Dutch Oven Mediterranean Chicken Breasts

These Dutch Oven Mediterranean inspired chicken breasts are a family favorite recipe. Everything from the juicy chicken to the delicious vegetables and savory broth are all easily cooked in one pot.

Why this recipe is just so good....

• We love one pot meals, they couldn't be better for saving time and cleanup. Everything is just quickly sautéed and then cooked in the oven in about an hour.
• My Dutch Oven chicken breast and Dutch Oven Turkey Breasts are also some other quick and easy recipes to try.
• Chicken breasts are lean, healthy protein that are low carb and keto. And when cooked in a Dutch oven, they come out juicy and full of flavor.
• Save even more time and prep and chop the vegetables ahead of time and store in the refrigerator. They will be ready to throw together in the Dutch oven when you are making dinner.

Ingredient Notes

• This dish uses vegetables and flavors that you would find in Mediterranean cooking. Simple ingredients like onions, carrots, peppers, garlic all add to the savory flavors.
• The beauty of this recipe is that you can substitute what you have on hand and want to use up. Add celery or green peppers or even yellow squash or zucchini. Those would be delicious with the chicken. I would not saute' the squash or zucchini since they are softer and will cook more quickly than the other vegetables. Old Ways has more ideas for cooking Mediterranean style recipes.

• Bone in, skin on chicken breast produce juicier chicken than boneless. Browning the chicken before cooking them in the Dutch oven sears in the flavor. I wouldn't skip this step since it produces the best result.
• I'm using vegetable broth since that is what I had on hand. Chicken broth can be substituted as well.
• Instead of canned diced tomatoes, you can use 1 ½ cups of cherry tomatoes or chopped whole fresh tomatoes.

How to cook chicken breasts in a Dutch Oven

• Mix together the seasonings and rub into the top and bottom of chicken. You can put some under the skin as well.
• Heat oil in Dutch oven and cook chicken, breast side down until golden brown.
• Remove to a plate.

• Add a bit more oil if needed and saute the onions, garlic and carrots for a few minutes. Add the rest of the vegetables and olives. Cook another 3 minutes.
• Add the diced tomatoes and broth and simmer for 2-3 minutes.

• Add chicken back to pot on top of the vegetables. Cover and cook in oven for 20 minutes in a 350°F oven. Uncover and continue to cook for 20 minutes
• Serve over a side dish of rice, mashed potatoes or pasta. If you are keeping to low carb, serve over cauliflower rice or mashed cauliflower. It will taste amazing with the broth spooned over!

Cooking Tips

• Make sure you sear the chicken, breast side down. This helps to hold in the juices.
• Sautéing the vegetables before you roast them in the Dutch oven adds to their savory flavor.
• To help keep the crispy skin on the breasts, take the cover off halfway through the cooking time.
• Letting the chicken rest a few minutes before serving and slicing will help redistribute the juices so they don't all run out.

FAQ

Here are some other delicious chicken recipes to try:

If you tried this recipe and enjoyed it, I'd love if you came back and gave it a 5 star rating. This tells me what you like and want to see more of. Thank you!

Dutch Oven Mediterranean Chicken Breasts

• Author: Deb Belsha
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 50
• Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Bake
• Cuisine: Mediterranean

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Description

These Dutch Oven Mediterranean inspired chicken breasts are a family favorite recipe. Everything from the juicy chicken to the delicious vegetables and savory broth are all easily cooked in one pot.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 4 bone in, skin on chicken breasts
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• ¼-½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional*
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 1 small red pepper, chopped
• 8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
• ½ cup Kalamata olives, pitted, sliced in half
• 15 oz. can diced tomatoes, with juice
• ½ cup vegetables or chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon chopped basil, or ½ teaspoon dried
• 3 Bay leaves, whole
• ¼ cup crumbled feta

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Instructions

1. Mix together the seasonings, (except bay leaf).  Sprinkle on top and bottom of chicken.  You can also put some under the skin.  Pat spices down into skin.
2. Over medium flame,  heat 2 teaspoons oil in large Dutch oven or another oven safe pot.  Cook breasts skin side down for about 3-4 minutes until browned.
3. Remove chicken to plate. 
4. Preheat oven to 350°F. 
5. Add another teaspoon of oil if there aren't enough dripping in the pot. Heat over medium flame.
6. Add the onions, saute' for a minute until lightly browned.  Then add the mushrooms,  and the rest of vegetables. Add olives last.  Stir fry for 3 more minutes.
7. Pour in diced tomatoes, broth, basil and bay leaves and simmer for 2 minutes.  
8. Place chicken, skin side up on top of vegetable mixture, cover with lid and cook for 20 minutes, uncover and cook an additional 20 minutes.
9. Test with an instant read meat thermometer in the largest part of the breast.  If it registers 160°F., remove from oven.  Let the chicken rest for about 5 minutes and the temperature will rise another 5 degrees to 165°F.
10. Taste the vegetables and broth.  Add more salt and pepper to taste.  If you'd like it a bit spicier, add up to ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes.
11. Sprinkle with feta before serving.

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Notes

* You only need to brown the breast skin side down, no need to flip it over to brown other side.

*As you add each vegetable to saute', push the other vegetables off to the side of the pot, allowing each to be quickly browned.

*Uncovering the chicken halfway through cooking will help keep the skin crispy.

*There is no need to baste the chicken.  It will be very juicy as is.  Opening the oven too often will lower the temperature and increase the cooking time.

*Taste the broth before you add more salt or pepper.  Add more if needed.  If you'd like a bit more spice, you can stir in up to ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes.  Start with less and add more as desired.

*Store leftover chicken and vegetables in the refrigerator up to 3 days.  (They will taste even more amazing!)  Reheat to 165°F.

*Freeze in airtight container for up to 3 months.  Defrost overnight in refrigerator and heat through.

Keywords: chicken dinner, one pot meal, dutch oven