Slow cooking chicken in the slow, even heat of a Dutch oven yields tender, flavorful meat. Dutch ovens are made of heavy steel, iron or crockery and have tightly fitting lids to seal in moisture. Cook a whole chicken and make it a one-pot meal by adding vegetables.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Remove any giblets or organ meat packed inside the chicken.
Place the chicken on a meat rack in the Dutch oven. If you don't have a meat rack, arrange three metal canning jar lids in the bottom of the Dutch oven and set the chicken on these to prevent sticking.
Season the chicken with herbs and spices like salt, pepper, garlic, paprika, rosemary, thyme, sage, lemon pepper or red pepper.
Arrange the vegetables around the chicken. Pour in the water or chicken broth.
Put the lid on the Dutch oven and place in the oven. Cook the chicken for 1 hour.
Remove the Dutch oven from the oven and carefully remove the lid. Insert a meat thermometer into a chicken thigh without touching the bone. The chicken is done when the temperature registers at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit.