Whether you’re a seasoned home cook or just beginning your culinary journey, the Dutch Oven offers flexibility where it matters most––in the kitchen. Of course, this iconic piece of cookware is available in a number of different shapes and sizes, including the signature Round Dutch Oven, the Chef’s Dutch Oven, and the Shallow Round Dutch Oven. Arguably the most unique of them all in shape, however, is the Oval Dutch Oven.
But what exactly is the Oval Dutch Oven? What can you cook in it, and what separates it from its counterparts?
Crafted with our legendary enamelled cast iron, our Oval Dutch Oven offers superior heat retention and even heat distribution, and is built to last a lifetime of delicious meals. From oven roasting and baking to slow-cooking and simmering, there are few cooking techniques this iconic piece of cookware can’t handle.
Here are five Oval Dutch Oven uses, along with five Le Creuset Dutch Oven recipes you can experiment with in the kitchen.
Why Choose an Oval Dutch Oven?
Picking the right enamelled cast iron Dutch Oven will ultimately depend on your cooking needs and personal preferences. After all, each Dutch Oven comes with its own set of intended uses and cooking techniques it accommodates.
The Oval Dutch Oven excels at many of the same cooking techniques and recipes as its counterpart, the Round Dutch Oven, but key distinctions exist. Unlike the Round Dutch Oven, the Oval Dutch Oven features an elongated shape, making it perfect for roasts, or neatly fitting poultry or fish inside the pot. This versatile piece of cookware offers more surface area for these types of recipes and family-style dishes.
The Oval Dutch Oven can also be used for classic Dutch Oven recipes, ranging from slow-cooked stews and soups all the way to delicious bread recipes and layered casseroles. This cast iron Dutch Oven has since emerged as an undisputed Le Creuset essential, helping home cooks unlock endless culinary possibilities.
Oval Dutch Oven Uses
The Oval Dutch Oven epitomizes Le Creuset’s commitment to innovation in the kitchen, combining versatility and durability. Whether you are looking to oven roast a succulent chicken, slow-cook a hearty stew, or try your hand at our No Knead Dutch Oven Bread, this piece of cookware has you covered.
Oven roasting with your Le Creuset Dutch Oven is an effortless way to create tender, flavourful dishes with minimum fuss. The Oval Dutch Oven’s elongated shape is perfect for accommodating larger cuts of meat, such as whole chickens, roasts, or even a rack of lamb, ensuring even heat distribution for consistent cooking.
Constructed with enamelled cast iron and equipped with a self-basting cycle, this iconic piece of cookware locks in heat and moisture, enhancing the depth of flavors. Best of all, the Oval Dutch Oven can transition seamlessly from stovetop searing to oven roasting, making it ideal for dishes that require a crispy, golden exterior and juicy, succulent interior.
The Oval Dutch Oven can help novice and experienced home bakers alike deliver bakery-worthy results every single time. In fact, Le Creuset’s Dutch Ovens excel with homemade bread recipes, creating the perfect environment for achieving that sought-after crispy, golden crust while keeping the inside soft and airy.
The Dutch Oven’s tight-fitting lid traps steam, essential for creating professional-quality artisan bread with a tender crumb. Moreover, its elongated shape accommodates longer loaves like baguettes or sourdough batards. The Oval Dutch Oven will have you baking like a pro in no time, from savory stuffed loaves to sweet fruit-filled braids.
When it comes to comfort food, few things beat a slow-cooked stew or soup, and the Oval Dutch Oven is the ideal piece of cookware for perfecting these hearty dishes. Sometimes, it’s best to stick to the classics, and this cast iron Dutch Oven pot excels at slow, steady cooking.
Much like all of Le Creuset’s Dutch Ovens, the Oval Dutch Oven tight-fitting lid locks in heat and moisture, allowing your ingredients to simmer gently. Of course, its oval shape provides more surface area compared to traditional Dutch Ovens, which allows for better searing of longer cuts of meat before slow-cooking. Whether it's a rich beef stew or a warming vegetable soup, the Oval Dutch Oven makes slow-cooking a breeze.
The Oval Dutch Oven is the only piece of cookware you’ll need to prepare your favourite fish recipes. Of course, its elongated shape is ideal for accommodating larger fish like salmon, trout, or sea bass with no need to cut them into smaller portions.
Built with our durable enamelled cast iron, the Oval Dutch Oven exposes the fish to a consistent heat source until it is perfectly tender and flavorful. Featuring a tight-fitting lid, Le Creuset’ Dutch Ovens ensure any cut of fish absorbs all the rich flavours of the surrounding herbs, spices, and aromatics with no extra work on your end.
The Oval Dutch Oven's spacious design provides ample room for deep, layered casseroles and lasagnas, allowing you to build rich, hearty dishes with ease. Its heat-retaining cast iron walls maintain consistent temperatures, ensuring each layer—from the crispy top to the tender center—cooks thoroughly without drying out.
The Oval Dutch Oven’s even heat distribution also prevents burning along the edges, so you can achieve perfectly browned, bubbling finishes every time. Best of all, its durable interior enamel is easy to maintain, making post-meal cleanup a breeze. Whether you are hosting a holiday dinner, or simply preparing a delicious casserole for the entire family, look no further than our versatile Oval Dutch Oven.
Oval Dutch Oven Recipes
Dubbed the original multi-cooker pot, Dutch Oven recipes embody the set-it-and-forget-it nature of slow-cooking, delivering tender and delicious meals for the whole family to enjoy. From our Pot-Roast Chicken to Braised Rabbit and Maple and Spice Glazed Ham, these Dutch Oven recipes will help you make the most of your Oval Dutch Oven––regardless of your experience in the kitchen.
Pot-Roast Chicken
Our classic Pot Roast Chicken is the perfect recipe to experiment with your Oval Dutch Oven, delivering a delicious dish for your next gathering. Its elongated shape accommodates the whole chicken, exposing it to a consistent heat source until it is succulent.
Featuring a tight-fitting lid and a self-basting cycle, the Oval Dutch Oven locks in heat, moisture, and flavour, ensuring bacon, celery, carrots, and pearl onions become tender yet golden until they are ready to be served. Before serving, finish by pouring some of the jus over the chicken for added flavour and moisture.
This delicious Dutch Oven recipe comes together in just under two hours, serving up to six people at a time, making it ideal for a get-together with friends and family.
See the recipe
Spring Greens Soup with Parmesan Croutons
Dutch Ovens are best suited for simmering soups to perfection, and our Spring Greens Soup with Parmesan Croutons is a great place to start. This soup recipe can likely be made with ingredients you already have on hand, simplifying meal preparation.
The Oval Dutch Oven creates the ideal environment for this recipe, providing superior heat retention for all the rich flavours to infuse themselves throughout every layer of this dish. The bright green colour and fresh herbs ensure your soup will not be lacking in flavour and freshness.
This Dutch Oven recipe can be prepared in just under an hour, serving between six and eight people at a time. Feel free to adjust the portions accordingly and freeze some for a lazy weeknight dinner!
See the recipe
Chilled Sesame Soba Noodle Salad
While not traditionally associated with salad recipes, the Oval Dutch Oven is your go-to piece of cookware for our Chilled Sesame Soba Noodle Salad. This cast iron Dutch Oven pot is initially used to cook the soba noodles al dente on a low boil.
Once the noodles are ready, the next step is as simple as combining the cucumbers, corn kernels, carrot, radishes, cabbage, snow peas, julienned green onions and sesame seeds with the dressing. Finish by transferring the noodles along with the vegetables to Oval Dutch Oven and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Best of all, this salad can be directly served from your Dutch Oven pot, doubling as a bold centerpiece. This Dutch Oven recipe takes just under an hour to prepare from start to finish, offering between six to eight servings.
See the recipe
Braised Rabbit with Mustard
Our Braised Rabbit with Mustard is yet another classic set-it-and-forget it Dutch Oven recipe, offering a unique twist to traditional meal preparation. The Oval Dutch Oven’s enamelled cast iron construction ensures it retains heat exceptionally well, braising the rabbit until perfectly tender.
Begin by browning each side of the rabbit pieces in the cast iron Dutch Oven pot before sweating the shallot, celery and garlic. Next, deglaze your Oval Dutch Oven and add the chicken stock, the bouquet garni, mushrooms, pepper and the rabbit pieces into the pot.
The cast iron Dutch Oven pot will take care of the rest, baking the rabbit for 2 hours at 300˚F.
This Dutch Oven recipe may take longer to prepare, but is well worth the wait, delivering a delicious meal for a family of four in three hours.
Recipe courtesy of L'Express in Montreal.
See the recipe
Maple and Spice Glazed Ham
Make the most of your Oval Dutch Oven and experiment with our Maple and Spice Glazed Ham recipe. After all, nothing quite says fall like a delicious maple syrup recipe. The Oval Dutch Oven is best suited for this recipe, locking in the full depth of flavours with its tight-fitting lid and self-basting cycle.
Its elongated shape ensures that the ham fits comfortably, allowing for even heat distribution around the entire cut of meat. Whether you’re hosting a holiday dinner or simply celebrating the flavors of fall, this Dutch Oven recipe is a surefire way to impress, and the Oval Dutch Oven makes preparing it easier than ever.
Our Maple and Spice Glazed Ham recipe can go from the oven to your table in just over two hours, serving between 10 to 12 people at a time.
See the recipeMake the Most of your Le Creuset Oval Dutch Oven
The Oval Dutch Oven is a great place to start any cookware collection and is equally ideal as a gift to the chef in the family, particularly with the holiday season upon us. No kitchen is truly complete without a Dutch Oven. Beginner-friendly, durable, and versatile, this cast iron Dutch Oven pot has all the makings to become a staple in any kitchen.
Much like traditional cast iron Dutch Ovens, the Oval Dutch Oven can be used for a number of age-old cooking techniques, including slow-cooking, searing, simmering, and baking. Its elongated shape, however, expands the culinary possibilities, making it perfectly suited for cooking whole fish, preparing layered casseroles, or when working with longer cuts of meat.
These were just some ways you can use your Oval Dutch Oven, along with five delicious Dutch Oven recipes, but for more inspiration, be sure to check out our blog, or Le Creuset’s Culinary School, where we break down the essential cooking, baking, and knife techniques every home cook should know.
