Description
Dutch Oven Sprite Chicken is a comforting, flavorful one-pot meal featuring tender chicken, crispy bacon, hearty potatoes, and sweet baby carrots, all cooked together with a splash of lemon-lime soda in a Dutch oven. This recipe blends savory and subtly sweet flavors, making it perfect for cozy family dinners and campsite cooking.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Protein
- 1/2 pound bacon, cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
Vegetables
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, rinsed, and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 pound baby carrots
Dry Ingredients
- 1/2 tablespoon seasoned salt
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Liquids
- 6 ounces Sprite (lemon-lime soda)
Instructions
- Cook Bacon: Fry bacon pieces in a Dutch oven on a Camp Chef stove or stovetop until they become crisp. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon, leaving the rendered bacon grease inside the Dutch oven. Set the bacon aside for later.
- Coat Chicken: In a large bowl, combine seasoned salt and all-purpose flour. Add the chicken cubes to the bowl and toss thoroughly to coat each piece evenly with the flour mixture.
- Brown Chicken: Add the coated chicken pieces to the Dutch oven with the bacon grease. Brown the chicken evenly on all sides, then remove it and set aside.
- Assemble Ingredients: Layer the ingredients back into the Dutch oven in this sequence: onions first, followed by potatoes, carrots, then the browned chicken, and finally the cooked bacon pieces spread on top. Pour the 6 ounces of Sprite evenly over all the ingredients. Cover the Dutch oven with its lid.
- Bake: Place the covered Dutch oven in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) and bake for 1 hour. After baking, carefully remove the Dutch oven from the oven and let it stand uncovered for 5 minutes before serving to allow flavors to settle.
- Campsite Cooking Alternative: Using the same assembly and preparation, cover the Dutch oven with the lid and place it in hot coals at the campsite. Cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the chicken is fully cooked and vegetables are tender, checking occasionally if possible.
Notes
- Seasoned salt adds flavorful depth but can be substituted with a mix of salt, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder if unavailable.
- Ensure the potatoes and carrots are cut into uniform sizes to allow even cooking.
- If you can’t find seasoned salt, regular salt can be used, but you might want to add extra herbs or spices for more flavor.
- Using Sprite adds a subtle sweetness and tenderizing effect; for a different twist, you can try other lemon-lime sodas.
- For campsite cooking, monitor the fire and coal heat carefully to avoid burning or undercooking the dish.
