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!
What recommendations do you have for how to use the stock? I just put the chicken in the crockpot! Can’t wait to try it.
Hi Diane. You can use the stock for a number of things. I sometimes cook my brown rice in stock instead of water. You could even use it to make this brown rice risotto…http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/12/23/recipe-brown-rice-risotto/. You can make any number of soups with it (http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/10/03/recipe-butternut-squash-soup/, http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/10/05/recipe-homemade-chicken-noodle-soup/ and http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/09/28/recipe-easy-split-pea-soup/). Pretty much any recipe that calls for chicken stock/broth, you can use this homemade recipe. Hope you enjoy it. Jill
I have made this recipe 3 times since I discovered it recently. It’s fantastic. Will be attempting it with boneless breasts next week because I’m going to take it to work for a pot luck. Hope it’s just as good!
[...] http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/02/25/recipe-the-best-whole-chicken-in-a-crock-pot/ [...]
[...] fettuccine with chicken and alfredo sauce. I cooked the chicken in our crock pot over night using this recipe. I set aside the bones and half the meat for another night (keep reading). I used this [...]
[...] fettuccine with chicken and alfredo sauce. I cooked the chicken in our crock pot over night using this recipe. I set aside the bones and half the meat for another night (keep reading). I used this [...]
We tried this today!! We put it in the crockpot and then went shopping all afternoon. We got back and this was ready and DELICIOUS! My husband has been raving about it. Now I am about to make the stock in the crockpot.
welp, just seasoned, and turned the heat on high! Ill give results in about 4 to 5!
This recipe was excellent. We added carrots and celery to ours and used fresh garlic. I definitely recommend.
I love this recipe, We’ve been making it for years. I usually serve it over sweet short grain organic brown rice, Tonight I am eating it over a baked yam. AMAZING!
Usually we remove all the bones from the pot leaving the great brown meat and delicious liquid and make a chicken soup with it. Its just spicy enough to kick any bug.
This recipe sounds so good! I can’t wait to get my chicken in the pot! Will the skin get more crispy if I cook the chicken on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6?
Hi Abby. I’m not sure it will get that crispy either way. But, maybe on high, but, that’s just a guess. Jill
I usually take my chicken out of the crock, and broil it in the oven for 20 minutes or so. Crisps the skin up nicely. One of my boys likes to eat the skin, so I do it for him
.
I’d like to try the chicken in the crockpot recipe. I see that you leave on the skin. We always remove it so I’m wondering if the recipe will change if I do that.
Thanks!
Hi Marcia. It might change the flavor a little bit. We don’t ever eat our skin, but, I do leave it on while cooking. This chicken is so moist the skin just peels right off. Jill
Whole family loved this! Didnt have thyme, but it was still amazing. Made some mashed potatoes, green beans, and rolls… yummy! Im gonna have to try to make some stock tonight I have never tried that.
Made tonight – SO GOOD! I’m brand new to cooking of pretty much any kind (well … other than baking the oh so naughty goes right to your tuchus kind of things) so making this meal (with sides!!) was a HUGE win for me today!
I making this now for our New Years dinner it has been in the crockpot for about 2 hours now, the house already starting to smell good. I added lemon pepper and jerk seasoning to mine, and also sliced some celery. I put onions, celery and bellpepper inside the cavity of the bird. Our side items are rice, field peas and cornbread
Are there any good substitutions for the paprika and cayenne pepper? I am wanting to make this recipe, but my husband can’t eat either of these spices. Or would they be OK to omit?
Hi Kristen. I would just either omit them or play around and replace them with spices your family likes. Jill
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Made this last night! I used a 2.5 lb pastured chicken and followed your recipe. I also added carrots and potatoes to the bottom. I tend to have issues with crock pot chickens, in that they dry out, so I tried a 3 hour cook time. The breast part as a tad dry, but the rest of it as fantastic! We put chicken in a salad our toddlers helped us make and had plenty of stock in the morning. Thanks!
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If I want to put it in the crock pot while I am at work all day and i put it on low for 8 hours would it be mushy??
Hi Kelly. Some other readers have reported doing that and I believe it’s been fine. Jill
These are almost the same seasonings as fried chicken, so of course it’s great
[...] going to want to cook a big fancy dinner every night, so embrace your slow cooker. Yesterday I used 100 days of real food’s crockpot chicken. It took about 5 minutes to set up and literally fell of the bone once it was [...]
I make this all the time! I don’t like mine sitting in the juice all day so I tend to ball up a few foil balls to set the chicken on. I have put it on low for over 8 hours and it still tastes amazing!
[...] Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot from 100daysofrealfood.com (Whole Roasted Chicken $0.99/lb) [...]
I always figure that even if you peel the chicken later, it adds calories (which I don’t need!), fat. I’ll have to give this a try – it looks soooo good.
I never use my crockpot since the food always seems so dry.
Good morning Lisa & others! I am a huge fan of making stock after I cook a whole chix. May I add that if you let it cool in the fridge for a day before freezing it, the fat will rise to the top and you can scrap it off then freeze in 1 or 2 cup portions. If it gels (which is great) just heat up till it’s liquid.. I also add rosemary, thyme & peppercorns in the crockpot. There are fabulous containers by Ball that I use to freeze my stock in & also soups. Just found your blog & I LOVE it! You’re family is darling by the way!
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