I’ve tried a ridiculous amount of crock pot recipes, and this is by far the best (and easiest) way to slow cook a whole chicken until it is falling-off-the bone delicious. And if you have a well-stocked spice cabinet you’ll hardly have to buy anything to make this
dish. Once the chicken is done it is flavorful enough to eat by itself, or you can incorporate it into another dish like pasta, chicken salad, or a casserole. We use a very basic crock pot that can purchased on Amazon for about $25.
Another great trick (that I learned from a friend!) is that after you pick off the good chicken meat you can leave the bones in the crock pot to make some stock. I usually start the chicken stock after dinner by filling it to the top with water, and then adding whatever I have on hand…bay leaf, carrot, celery, onion, parsley and/or thyme. Even if I am missing parsley or celery I still make it anyway, and it always turns out just fine. I keep it on low all night, and then in the morning I strain it into 1 or 2 cup Tupperware containers to store in the freezer. It works great and couldn’t be easier!
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne (red) pepper
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 onion
- 1 large chicken
- Combine the dried spices in a small bowl.
- Loosely chop the onion and place it in the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Remove any giblets from the chicken and then rub the spice mixture all over. You can even put some of the spices inside the cavity and under the skin covering the breasts.
- Put prepared chicken on top of the onions in the slow cooker, cover it, and turn it on to high. There is no need to add any liquid.
- Cook for 4 – 5 hours on high (for a 3 or 4 pound chicken) or until the chicken is falling off the bone. Don’t forget to make your homemade stock with the leftover bones!
The BEST chicken I have ever eaten! We had tons left over, so we’re putting them in your homemade whole wheat tortillas and having wraps for lunch this week!
The chicken was literally falling off the bone, and I couldn’t get it out of the crock pot without it falling into a million different pieces in the process. How did you keep yours together in such whole pretty pieces??
Hi Catherine. This answer come directly from Jason:
“The best way is to completely remove the chicken from the crock pot (draining as you go) using tongs and a spoon and place it on a platter. Do this carefully so as to leave the chicken as intact as possible…I can usually get it out in one or two pieces. Put the platter next to a large empty bowl placed alongside the crockpot. Then you use the tongs, a fork, and your hands (as the meat cools off a bit) to separate the meat into the bowl and everything else back into the crock pot (to make stock).
You can do it in the crock pot if you place the chicken breast side up, but the results are not as good (both in the amount of meat you remove and the texture of the chicken).”
Good luck! ~Amy
This is the first time I’ve ever cooked a chicken! I even took out the insides myself! And it turned out AMAZING! I thank you and my family thanks you…probably more so the latter…lol.
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