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Slow Cooker "Roasted" Chicken
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Slow Cooker “Roasted” Chicken

Flavorful and tender, use the chicken for sandwiches, casseroles and one dish meals. Save the cooking stock for use in soups, gravies, and for cooking rice or other grains. Change the seasonings as desired to change the flavor profile for other uses.
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time2 hrs
Total Time2 hrs 20 mins

Ingredients

  • 1 whole chicken
  • 1 large lemon, cut in eighths
  • 1 large onion, cut in eighths
  • 6 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
  • seasoning salt, to taste
  • smoked paprika, to taste
  • olive oil
  • 3 large pieces of aluminum foil, wadded up into three balls

Instructions

  • Rinse chicken well inside and out. Pat dry.
  • Drizzle outside with a little olive oil and rub the olive oil all over the skin, top and bottom.
  • Sprinkle the whole chicken well with seasoning salt. Be sure to sprinkle the cavity well with seasoning salt, too. Rub the seasoning salt all over the skin, being sure to get some into any crevices.
  • Sprinkle with the smoked paprika all over the chicken, including the cavity. Again, rub this into the outside of the chicken.
  • Put a few pieces of the lemon and the onion, and half of the garlic in the chicken cavity. Fill the cavity, but do not stuff tightly.
  • Cross the chicken legs together and tie. Bend the wings backwards and tuck them under the chicken.
  • Place the aluminum foil balls in the bottom of the slow cook. Position them so that they will support the chicken and keep it above the cooking juices that will accumulate in the bottom of the slow cooker.
  • Place the remaining lemon and onion pieces and the remaining garlic in the bottom of the slow cooker.
  • Put the chicken on top of everything. Adjust the aluminum balls as necessary to best support the chicken.
  • Cook for about 3-4 hours on high until the juices run clear, or until the thickest part of the breast registers 165-degrees F on a meat thermometer.
  • Turn off slow cooker and allow chicken to rest for a few minutes. Remove and cut into serving pieces or allow to cool completely and remove meat from bones, then shred or cut into appropriate sized pieces.
  • If using the juices that have collected in the bottom of the slow cooker, remove the aluminum balls and strain the juice through a sieve. Press the aromatics that have collected in the sieve lightly to extract any remaining juice from them. The juices are great used in gravy, soup, or stock.

Notes

  1. A moist flavorful chicken can be produced in a slow cooker. If you don't want the chicken to 'fall off the bone', it is important to only cook it until the internal temperature reaches 165-degree F. This only took about 3 hours on high in my slow cooker. I checked the temperature in the thickest part of the breast as well as in the thigh. If you plan on being away from home for a longer period, I would suggest cooking the chicken on low. If you are cooking the chicken to be used in casseroles, soups, tacos/enchiladas/tostados, chicken salad, etc, then it doesn't have to be watched so carefully. Cook away. However, if you want to serve whole pieces of chicken and not have it fall off of the bone, then only cook the internal temperature to 165-degrees F.
  2. Think about for what the chicken will be used and season it accordingly.The seasonings, herbs, and aromatics can be varied, depending on the flavor profile needed in the finished product. Try some of these combinations: Italian - onions, garlic, fresh oregano, fresh rosemary, salt and pepper; Thai - onions, garlic, lemons/limes, hot peppers, seasoning salt, smoked paprika; Mexican - onions, garlic, lemons/limes, jalapenos, seasoning salt, chipotle chile powder; Neutral, use for anything - onions, garlic, seasoning salt, thyme, maybe carrots and celery. As you can see, onions and garlic are essential.
  3. For ultimate flavor, be sure to stuff the cavity of the chicken with some of the herbs and aromatics and put the rest in the bottom of the slow cooker. Always season the cavity of the chicken as well as the outside of the chicken. There is no need to add any cooking liquids. The chicken and other ingredients will produce their own liquids which, in turn, can be used for gravy or added to soup or stock.
  4. The skin will not be crispy. If you wish to have a crispy skin, plan on putting the chicken in a hot oven for a few minutes to crisp up the skin. See this blogger's suggestions. Although the chicken can be baked without the skin, I feel that the skin should be left intact on the chicken because it adds essential flavor and moisture.