Please note: if you make a purchase via a link in this post, I may receive a small commission.
Later this evening, our “Annapolis Mom and Dad” will be joining us for dinner, and we’ll get to enjoy this juicy, slow-cooked wonder with sides of veggies, mashed potatoes and gravy. I. Can’t. Wait. >Jump to recipe<
There are still chores to do in-between, but for now, there’s a recipe to write up (an assembly, really) and coffee to drink.
I know I’ve mentioned it before; a slow cooker can seriously be your best friend. Amidst all the other things to do to get ready for company, I know I’ve got the makings of a tasty dinner churning away in the background.
As long as I check in every now and again to drizzle that bird with some of its own juices, our main course is more than taken care of. How cool is that?!
I hope you have a chance to try this out if you never have before, or if you thought roasting a whole chicken would be a pain or some kind of obnoxious hassle. If you’ve got a slow cooker, it is so, SO easy.
And yes, you can absolutely serve it with all the trimmings, or you can set-and-forget on a random weekend day, and have chicken to pick at for quick lunches and dinners throughout the week, no trimmings required.
Slow Cooker Chicken
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 6 to 8 hours
Serves: 6
Deliciously tender chicken; enjoy by itself, or with all the tasty trimmings.
Ingredients
1 whole chicken (3 to 5 pounds)
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
Sea salt
Ground black pepper
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Ground sage
Method
Check for and remove any giblets (heart, liver, neck).*
Place the bird belly-down into the slow cooker.
Put 1 tablespoon butter inside chicken, from where giblets were removed.
Put 1 tablespoon of butter on back of chicken.
Divide last tablespoon in half, and put behind each wing.
Crush dried rosemary in hands, and sprinkle across back of the bird.
Sprinkle all other spices (salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, ground sage) one at at time liberally over back of the chicken.**
Cook on "low" setting for 6 to 8 hours.
(Optional.) With large spoon, drizzle any juices over back of chicken.***
When time is up, carefully move chicken to large plate to rest, about 15 minutes, then serve. It will be very tender, and should slip right off the bone!
Notes
*You can save these for making home-made gravy, or to add in if you intend to use the bones for stock later on.
**I take the shakers and go back and forth, starting first at the "head", then weaving down towards the tail. I don't have an exact measure, as it will vary some from bird to bird.
***The slow cooker tends to keep the meat moist, but this does add an additional kick of flavor to the skin.
#homemade #slowcooker #meat #maincourse #easy #paleofriendly #21DaySugarDetox #chicken #21DSD #eggfree #meal
Originally published: January 24, 2015