Cooker Whole Chicken, Slow Style

This Is My Most Regular Things To Make in the Slow Cooker.

The prep is minimal and the results are phenomenal. Tender juicy chicken and all I have to do is throw it in my slow cooker? Yes. Please.

My great friend Heidi first shared this dish with me years ago. For whatever reason, back then I turned it into this dish. However, today’s recipe is my particularly slight adaptation of her actual original. I simply made a minor change of using poultry herbs instead of dried basil (and upping the quantity as well) but you can use whatever seasoning that you desire. Since I was planning on making chicken noodle soup for dinner, I like to use poultry herbs as it adds an earthy flavor to the meat and cooking liquids.

But truly it’s a choose your own adventure sort of recipe.

You can serve this for dinner carved and plated alongside mashed or roasted potatoes and a side salad. Or instead of purchasing rotisserie chicken, pick and shred the meat to top salads or use in your go-to recipes throughout the week.

For this Slow Cooker Whole Chicken Set out:

• carrots
• celery
• yellow onion
• a whole chicken
• bone broth or chicken stock
• poultry herbs or poultry seasoning
• ghee or olive oil spray (for browning skin)
• kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Place 2 chopped carrots and 2 celery ribs with 1 chopped yellow onion into the bottom of your 6-quart (or larger) slow cooker.

Set your whole chicken on top of the vegetables.

Pour 1 to 2 cups (chicken) bone broth or chicken stock over the top of the chicken.

If making I’m making this simply to eat for dinner or if I’m using the chicken in a recipe, I will use 1 cup broth/stock. However if I’m making soup, I use 2 cups of broth/stock. Because I plan on adding this it to the soup later on.

Sprinkle the chicken with 1 tablespoon of poultry herbs, 2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds black pepper.

Morton & Bassett poultry herbs (not sponsored) is my absolute regular! Their blend does have black pepper in it, so I don’t add any extra when making this. I’ve also made this same recipe with other brands of finely ground poultry seasoning with great results. Alternatively, you can omit the salt and pepper if desired.

Secure the lid and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours.

That’s It!

Now if you’re simply using this chicken for the meat, then you can use tongs to carefully remove and transfer it to a carving board. Let rest for 10 minutes or so and shred or pick the meat from the bones.

OR…

Make sure your slow cooker insert is oven safe and if so what the safest temperature is.

• My slow cooker is Hamilton Beach and the insert is oven safe (up to 400°) Do NOT place the insert under a broiler.
• Lightly spray the exposed seasoned chicken breast with ghee spray (or olive oil spray).
• Place the insert (with the chicken) in your preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until the skin is golden and crisp.
• Carefully remove the chicken to a carving board, tent with foil and let rest for 10 to 12 minutes or until cool enough to handle.

When I add 2 cups broth to the slow cooker I usually end up with simply under 4 cups of liquid gold.

• Use a slotted spoon to remove vegetables and discard.
• Wearing oven mitts, carefully pour the liquids into a fat separator (linked in recipe printable).
• Once the fat has risen to the top, pull the plug from the spout and pour the chicken broth/stock into a heat safe container. Stop once the fat reaches the bottom of the spout.
• Use this in soups or stews.
• If you refrigerate this, it will congeal but will melt into the soup once added.