The Best Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot
100daysofrealfood.com {photo source}
It’s a two-for-one day, and you will get the most out of a chicken with these two recipes. I have long searched for a “good” crock pot whole chicken recipe, and this is my favorite! It’s so simple, but very tasty. Add a couple of easy sides and dinner is done. Then put the bones back in the crock pot and follow the second recipe below for overnight chicken stock!
Ingredients
• 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
Directions
1. Combine the dried spices in a small bowl.
2. Loosely chop the onion and place it in the bottom of the slow cooker.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Cook for 4 – 5 hours (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 !
Overnight Chicken Stock in the Crock Pot
100daysofrealfood.com {photo source}
Ingredients
Leftover chicken bones or carcass roughly equivalent to one small or medium sized chicken
1 onion, peeled and loosely chopped
1 rib of celery, roughly chopped
1 carrot, roughly chopped (no need to peel)
1 bay leaf
1 sprig fresh parsley
1 sprig fresh thyme
Salt, to taste (optional – I like to leave the salt out at this stage and add it later when I’m using the stock in a recipe)
Note: If you are missing any of these ingredients I wouldn’t let that stop you from making it anyway.
Jenny’s Note: I add a few other items to my chicken stock for taste and/or health benefits:
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 T apple cider vinegar
1-inch piece of fresh ginger
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
10 (or so) black peppercorns
Stock Directions
1. After removing all edible meat from the chicken put/leave the bones, skin, cooking juices, etc. in the crock pot. If you are using the chicken carcass from the “The Best Whole Chicken in the Crock Pot” recipe just leave every single thing that’s leftover (except the good meat of course) in the crock pot including the original onion and spices you used when making the chicken.
2. Add the onion, celery, carrot and spices on top of the bones and fill the crock pot almost to the top with tap water (leaving about 1/2” at the top).
3. Turn the slow cooker onto “low” after dinner and cook all night long or alternatively you could start it in the morning and cook on “low” for 8 – 10 hours during the day.
4. After the stock is done cooking turn off the heat and, using a soup ladle, pass the stock through a fine sieve to remove all herbs/bones/etc. Either refrigerate or freeze the stock for future use. I usually freeze some in both 1 and 2-cup portions, and I also sometimes freeze stock in ice cube trays just in case I just “need a little” for making sauce or rice.
5. This stock is great in soups like chicken noodle soup and also in rice like risotto . Enjoy!
