Wow…nothing could be easier. This was my first attempt at cooking a whole chicken in a crock pot. I put it in this morning at 9:00 am and at 5:00 pm it was ready. In fact it all fell off the bone and was so tender and juicy. There was loads of juice that made tons of gravy! Perfect for a cold night after a busy day!
First combine spices in a bowl for the rub.
- 3 tsp salt
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Clean your chicken and remove giblets and neck. Rub spice mixture all over the chicken. At this point you can seal it in a bag and let marinate over night. But if you don’t have the time you can skip this. Dice up 1/2 onion and put at the bottom of the crock pot. Place spiced chicken on top of onions. There is no need to add any liquid. As your chicken slow cooks you will be amazed on how much juice you will end up with.
Slow cook on low for about 8 hrs. You can use a thermometer to check to see if your chicken is done. It should read 180 deg. Or even simpler, wiggle a leg and if it’s loose, it’s done!
Serve with your choice of vegetables and mashed potatoes. Enjoy!
Sloppy Jo's 
with the new crock pot liners you could do all the prep the night before, let it marinate in the frig and in the morning take it out, set it in the crockpot and turn it on. thie would make for easy cleanup as well.
Thanks for the tip.. Mine does have a liner…will do that next time!
also if you crumple up aluminum foil into balls and put under chicken it’ll keep it out of the juice/fat
great idea! also try 3 onions with ends sliced to make more stable in crock pot and put chicken on them…leverage AND side!
this is a terrific idea. Thanks.
Fabulous idea….I hate when it sits in the juice. It does get a little mushy.
Donna, I was referring to the new crockpot “bag” liners you can buy. Their like a bag you can set into the “crock” part that lifts out for cleaning. The bag liners even help more with cleanup….hope this helps! I am trying this chicken today 🙂
Oh yeah.. Have seen those in the stores.. That would be a really great idea.. Especially for marinating! Thanks!
The liners do work out great! We used them a lot in our snack bars during softball travel ball, no clean-up what so ever!
Just curious – how big is the chicken you used? Looks yummy!
It was about a 4 to 5 pound chicken! 🙂
A crock pot recipe without a canned/packet soup mix! LOVE! Thank you!!
Did you cook the chicken standing up (not laying down in the crockpot)? I am not sure my cockpot would be tall enough to do so. I have also heard of crumbling balls of foil in the bottom of the crockpot and setting the chicken on top so it doesn’t sit in it’s juices.
I actually cooked it standing up because my crock pot was not wide enough to lay it down. I have a new pot now and the next time will lay it down. I will probably try placing it breast side down like I cook my turkeys so the juices end up on the breasts to make it moister!
The point of a crock pot is to allow the goodies to cook in the seasonings and liquid. When you cook in a crock pot and do not have adequate liquid the meat turns out VERY dry, stringy and tough. The liquid is how you can cook something for so long and have it turn out how you like it. You wouldn’t bake a turkey in the oven without basting it.
We never baste turkey. When you cook it in a cooking bag in the oven, it cooks in its own juices. That is what the top on a crock pot is for. You should not check the chicken until the 8hrs is up. Opening and closing a crock-pot adds 20 min cooking time, each time you do it. I have never had a dried out chicken in a crock-pot. It is the simplest way to cook and they come out moist everytime. (Even without adding liquid.)
If you brine the meats, you don’t need to baste anything at all, see for instance Alton Brown’s recipe for Thanksgiving turkey…yummy AND moist!
I make a chicken in my crock almost every week. I add NO liquid. It turns out moist and delicious each time. I have used this recipe as well as others with great results. I am thinking your position on this would be revised if you tried it. I encourage anybody with little time and a desire to cook good, wholesome food for their family to try this. They will not be disappointed.
While this recipe will taste great either way, raising the chicken up off of the bottom and out of the broth would NOT cause the chicken to be dry in a crock pot as it might in an oven. The way a crock pot traps in the steam and uses the curved lid to force the steam back down into the pot will keep the environment of the pot wet no matter what. Just like when you steam things. Steamed veggies don’t dry out just because they’re not down inside the liquid.
There are a LOT of crockpot recipes out there that branch out and away from the stewed everything-dumped-in-together concept of the average crockpot recipes we’ve all grown up with. Heck, you can even bake potatoes or a cake in a crockpot!
In an oven roasting bag, you don’t have to baste it. I put butter with garlic between the skin and the flesh, and rub the same mix on the outside of the turkey. add sea salt and pepper. no hassle. great bird.
I have made this once and planning on it again. It is very delicious. Loved the broth that it makes too. I cooled the broth in the fridge and took the fat off and used the rest for a broth/gravy base. Could have used a straw on the stuff! I cooked it breast down on the onion and ended up with very moist chicken. I like this even better than store bought rotissere chicken.
Have cooked whole chicken in the crock pot for a long time, but never breast side down or on top of onions, both of which I will try the next time I fix a whole chicken. Our chickens have always come out incredibly moist, but I’ve heard it’s even better “upside down”. Thanks for the hints.
Serve this chicken with 1 c brown basmati rice
2 c chicken broth
1 stick butter
1 t salt
1 t thyme
1 t marjoram
1 t chopped rosemary
You won’t believe how wonderful it taste and how wonderful your house smells!
I forgot 1 T dried onion
I cooked this for about an hour
Carolyn,
You cook the rice for one hour? I’m a little confused. Doesn’t most rice only take about 25 minutes to cook?
Thanks,
Dave, it looks like she used brown rice. Much longer cooking time than 20-25 minutes like white.
Your rice sounds amazing!!! Will have to try it! Thanks!
Is this done on stove covered and what temp thank you 🙂
This sounds great! Do you need a whole stick of butter for 1 cup of brown basmati rice? Just wanted to double check…
Not sure what rice recipe you mean but I usually add 2 tablespoons of butter to 1 cup of rice
what about adding veggies with the chicken threwout the 8hrs?? potatoes carrots etc its been so long since Iv used the crock pot
If you add any veggies, I wouldn’t add them until about the last hour, otherwise I’m afraid they would get too mushy. If you want to add them in just for flavor than yes throw them in for the full 8 hours.
I know this is a bit delayed, but I make roast in my crockpot all the time and always throw in raw carrots and potatoes. They cook all day long and they are absolutely delish! The only difference is that I do actually use water and seasonings with my roast, however this chicken recipe doesn’t call for any liquid to be added. Then again, the chicken produces it’s own liquid so I figure it’ll be worth a try. 🙂 Definitely making this later on in the week!
potatoes or carrots will not take an hour to cook in the crock pot.. they take as long as the chicken. 😦
I agree with Meghan…add them at the beginning. Cooking a whole chicken in the crockpot is no different than cooking a pot roast in which you cook the veggies together with the meat for the whole 8-10hrs.
I do this too but then I debone the meat to use on recipes that call for shredded chicken. Then throw the bones back in the crockpot, cover with water, cook on low over night and have some amazing broth in the morning to store in the freezer for later. I use it in soups, rice, and anything else you use broth for. So much more flavorful & better for you than store bought. It tends to be more concentrated so you can thin it put if necessary.
Great idea. I also save the chicken carcass from my roasted chickens and put them in the freezer until I have 2 or 3 and make stock from that.
Thx for the tip I’m totally going to do this in the future
Tip for making a chicken stock with a very deep flavor: bake the chicken carcasses in the oven until they are very dark, dark brown (almost burnt). The added flavor is amazing!
Great idea!! Will for sure try that!!!
Hi Kim, thanks for the idea…do you put onions, celery and carrots in the crock pot with the bones or just water? Seems like it would need flavoring somehow…thanks!
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I should have added that the time you cook your chicken can vary from crock pot to crock pot. I used an older pot so it took longer. The best way to know if it’s done is to use a thermometer until the chicken reaches 180 degrees!
I found this through Pinterest and I made this last night. I was out of onion, so did not use that. My crock pot has a keep warm feature, so it cooked on low for 8 hrs and then went to keep warm for another 10.
I was expecting when I walked in the house to have a really delicious smell like I get when I bake chicken, but the smell had a funky edge to it that wasn’t all that appetizing. Maybe the onion would have cut that? I might try adding a lemon cut into wedges to add a lemony flavor.
The result was more like a stewed chicken than a baked chicken. Everything fell apart when I took it out of the slow cooker.
The chicken tasted pretty good, but not amazing. Because it sat in all the grease and juice, it was extremely moist.
I agree with poster above who said she uses this to make shredded chicken for recipes. It seems like a very simple way to prepare that sort of chicken and it would be a good start for chicken pot pie or other recipes with cut or shredded chicken. I’m not sure I’d make it again for a main course.
So you cooked it for 8 and then warmed for 10 hours? so a total of 18 hours? Why the extra 10 hours? just curious,? Making tomorrow…
No.. I just cooked mine for 8 hrs and then took it out. But the time varies depending on your crock pot. I would start testing the temperature of you chicken at about 5 or 6 hours to avoid over cooking. Finish temp should be 180 degrees
18 hrs is a long time…thats prob why it fell apart..
@Txfreb I think you might have misread the recipe.. I wrote 8 hours not 18. But after buying a new crock pot…8 hours turned out to be a little too long.. Cooking time depends on how big your chicken and how old your crock pot.
Suzanne, why would you need to keep it warm for 10 hours? No wonder it wasn’t good, that’s way to long! Donna’s recipe sounds yummy.
Made this tonight for dinner. I forgot to lay my chicken out to thaw so I put it in crockpot frozen. It turned out FABULOUS! Delicious and very tasty. If you haven’t tried, a definite must!
Wow.. Will have to try that!! Thanks!
I CRACKED 2 ceramic crockpots by putting the chicken in FROZEN! The frozen chicken makes the liner too cold too fast, and the heating up will crack it. It can be done, but there need to be other large ingredients to ‘buffer’ the temp change.
Good to know.. Thank you!
just curious as to how many calories this has per serving? Just the chicken.
I’m sorry , I’ve never figured that out.. But I do know roasting anything is better than frying… If you don’t eat the skin ( which is the best part) it should be pretty low in calories
I made this recipe last night and the family loved it. One of the best chicken dishes we’ve had. Thanks!
Yeah!!!!! Your welcome!
Stupid question but could this be cooked on high for faster cooking??
I believe high and fast cooking in a crock pot is the same thing.. I cooked mine low and slow!
I ended up cooking my chicken on high for times sake, and it cooked in 4 1/2 hours and was wonderful….it had the self timer button on it so I definitely knew it was done too. 🙂 I made a wonderful homeade gravy with all the juices from the chicken too…and no hot house. Love this.
I plan to have this for my family and cook dumplings with it.
wow, I’ve been searching for a good dumplings recipe!!! Would you mind sharing the one you use? Sounds like perfect comfort food for a cold day! 🙂
I use Jiffy baking mix. Use 2 and 1/2 cups of mix, salt pepper, garlic powder, parsley and parmesian cheese,your choice of strenght. I fork stir all together at the sink and gradually add drops of water, a good splash at a time. Do not overmix. Have your soup or stew cooking at moderate heat with a lid. Drop mixture by large spoonfulls into pot to fill circumferance. Put lid on and do not open for about 12 minutes. I always check one for doneness. These dumplings will triple in size and be breadlike in the middle. Ladle out your soup and plop a big dumpling on top.
Great idea!!
I have cooked a similar version of this many times before. I add a cut up onion, but also an apple that has been cored and wedged. I put pieces of both inside the chicken and the rest under it and around it. The apple adds even more juiciness and wonderful flavor. You can add additional vegetables near the end of the cooking, too. I serve it with potatoes or rice or even noodles. The meat will simply fall off the bones. I usually have to scoop out the chicken. Enjoy!
I’ve found that with newer slow-cookers, I rarely have to cook anything for more than 6 hours. So if you have an old recipe, or if the recipe is used in an older slow-cooker (yours looks older, by the color, anyway), you may not want to wait the whole 8 hrs before checking it. Article on newer vs older slow-cookers: http://busycooks.about.com/od/crockpots/i/hottercrockpots.htm
This is an excellent article on newer vs older slow-cookers. One thing I noticed in the article was the following:
“Many people cook frozen foods in the crockpot. And others like to reheat foods in the crockpot. Most food experts do not recommend these practices, as foods need to reach a temperature of 140 degrees within 1-1/2 hours to prevent bacteria growth.”
This recommendation is something one should really keep in mind. Just thought I would post this information since I noticed a number of people indicating that they started with or were considering starting with a frozen chicken…I don’t want my internet friends getting sick.
If it reaches 180 degrees, wouldn’t everything be killed? All the bacteria?
I love this and will try today! I get chickens when on sale, clean the birds, stuff an onion and celery or lemon. Ease bird into a gallon freezer bag. When ready to cook, peel bag off and place chicken on top of some sliced onions in slow cooker. Cooks in about 10 hours. I am going to try this lovely rub on one!
I am going to try this chicken receipe this week. 🙂 I have one question, I but all my meats in bulk and my chicken is frozen. Should I thaw it first? Or is frozen ok?
I’ve never put a frozen chicken in the crock before, but if you read one of the earlier comments, someone else did and they said it turned out wonderful!!! I will for sure be trying that!!!
Great recipe! I rubbed the chicken with butter before adding the spices, and the blend was perfect. The chicken was super tender … and talk about easy! Thanks, Donna!
Your welcome.. So glad you liked it!!!
Mmmm butter rub and spices..I bet that was awsome..I may try mine like that as well…
If you have a crockpot that is larger are you supposed to put the lid on your crockpot for this recipe?
Always use the lid to your crockpot!
Marinading this tonight to cook for dinner tomorrow. Can someone tell me how to use the juices to make a gravy. I have only ever made white gravy!
marinating*
There should be a ton of great flavored juices when your done. You need to first separate the fat. There are so many ways to do this. I have used a gravy separater that works well. I find the easiest and quickest is to pour all the juices in a big measuring cup. I throw a handful of ice cubes in it and let it sit for a while. All the fat sticks to the ice and you just remove the ice cubes. To make the gravy I start with a butter and flour roux then add the juices and some chicken broth until I get the thickness I want. Hope that helps!
That’s perfect! thanks for the quick reply!
Just mix a couple Tblsp of corn starch into 1/2 cool water and poor into juice and stir. You can do this right in crock pot and cover and let thicken or do it on the stove top in a sauce pan.
I plan on making a King Ranch Chicken Cassarole and this is the perfect way to cook my chicken for it!!! Love it!!
Is there another way to make this?? My crock pot is too small… And my husband loves a crispy skin… But I love juicy chicken is there for me to have both??
If you want crispy skin you need to roast your chicken. I rub my chicken down with olive oil and butter, salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika. I put fresh garlic cloves under the skin and stuff it with onions, carrots and celery. I add about 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth and roast at 400 degrees for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours depending on the size of the chicken. I also baste my chicken about every 15 minutes. Turns out perfect every time!!!
Thanks for tip…I am goin to try this for when my man comes home 🙂 Man I love this site, I found this on Pinterest I wish I knew how to joint this site… Is there other recipes? Or just this… Could you plz email some info..
Donna, you’re referring to roasting in the oven correct?
Yes.. Sorry I should have mentioned that
I am going to try this recipe this week!!! Curious on how to make the gravy from the juices!!
I talked about the gravy a few comments below
Reblogged this on cavelle and commented:
AMAZING- EASY and DELICIOUS!
13/150
How do I join this site??? Is there othere recipes besides this one??
You can join by clicking on “follow blog” should be on the top right side of my blog.
And yes I have a lot of recipes. You can click on the individual months. I’ve lacked on posting blogs lately but will be blogging more soon!
Thanks for your interest!!!
Sent from my iPad
Oh god yes I love this site… I have found this on Pinterest and I want to joint…
Is there a app for this or should I save this website…
And yes my husband loved the chicken so I was very happy wit this site
And take it from me I can cook some things awesom like roast and porkchops but other then that I suck at cooking
There’s no app.. But you can save the website. Or when you join you put in your email and every new post will be emailed to you.
Again thanks for the nice comments!!
Sent from my iPad
I hope you don’t think I am asking way too may question but what is the main web address I just have this chicken address
Oh gosh no..not at all. Here is the link. https://sloppyjos.wordpress.com/
You’ll see I haven’t posted in a while. But working on a yummy dinner tonight and will be posting! I love pinterest and will be pinning there as well!
Thanks so much…
I made this last night, and holy moly, was it amazing! Thank you so much for this recipe! I even used the quick gravy recipe and it was delish, too! Found you on pinterest. Using the leftover chicken for Alfredo pasta tonight, and making stock, too. Love whole chickens! 🙂
Thank you so much!! So glad you enjoyed it!!!
I forgot to buy an onion today at the store and I’m planning on making my chicken tmrw while I’m working. Do you think I’ll be okay without and onion?
You’ll probably be ok.. Do you have any onion powder or dried onion flakes? You could rub that on your chicken. I’ve never done this but maybe onion soup mix mixed with water and pour over the chicken before cooking.. I bet that would be great too!!
I have cooked many chickens this way. I actually cook on low for 5 hours so it doesn’t”t get the stewed taste someone mentioned. Then I transfer it to the oven at 350 for about 15 -20 minutes. to crispen the outside. Though it is not healthy, I set my chicken on precut carrots for the whole time and they are delish!
Made this last week & my hubby & son have been begging for me to make it again! Having it again tonight! Cant wait! Yum!!! Thanks for sharing 🙂
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This chk is great. I was concerned my 7 yr old wouldn’t eat it for the spices but it doesn’t taste spicy. He loved it! The only thing I did different, was after 8 hrs in the crockpot, I put it in the oven for 45 mins to get it nice and brown.
That’s a great idea! Mines already in the crockpot but def an idea for next time
It looks Great! Was the skin crispy? I’m cooked my turkey in a electric roaster an love it that way. It leaves the oven open to cook other dishes.But I dont know how I can get the skin crispy? Any ideas?
I suggest if you want a crispy skin to roast your chicken. Although there’s a earlier comment below suggesting to transfer your chicken to the oven the last 20 minutes to crisp it up. I’ve never tried that but would think it should work.
Made this tonight. Followed the recipe exactly and it really is the best and easiest chicken I’ve ever made. The chicken literally fell apart when I attempted to lift it out of the crock pot. I will certainly make this recipe a keeper!
Tried. baked. Excellent!
Just bought the Ninja 3-in-1 cooking appliance, which allows you to brown meat first in the same pan that you slow-cook it in. Can’t wait to try this recipe!
To Donna Lafollette – There was a Suzanne (Sept 18) a while back in your comments that mentioned she cooked the chicken for 8 hours and then left it on warm for 10 MORE hours and wondered why it didn’t smell so good by the time she finally took it out 18 hours later. Someone commented on the long span of time she left it in, but I think you thought they were talking about your comments.
It should be mentioned that you should not leave any meat in the crock pot for that long – could become a health concern.
I will try your recipe for the designated amount of time you suggest – sure it tastes great!
Thank you Heather. Crock pots vary too.. So check your chicken before 8 hrs.
I have two small cornish hens that are 1.5 lbs each (so 3 lbs). Do I still need to cook for the full 8 hrs? And could you add potatoes and carrots around the chicken and cook them all together?
I have never done Cornish hens.. I don’t think it would take a full 8 hours. Check after about 5 or 6 hours.
Hello Donna! I want to try your recipe. Do you think it will work with an ordinary pot? What are alternatives to a crock pot?
Hi Marie.. The alternative to crock pot is roasting your chicken. I roast in a oven proof pot all the time in my oven. Roast at 400 degrees for about 1 1/2 hours for a 4 to 5 lb chicken. You’ll end up with a crispier chicken.
Making this for Christmas dinner! Already making my house smell wonderful! Found you on Pinterest, thanks so much!
Enjoy!! Merry Christmas!
I have roasted chicken “spatchcock” style which shortens the time, I want to try this recipe with that method
I have a question on your Rice recipe mention…is that cooked covered and on the stove on certain temp. Thank you
Not sure what rice recipe your talking about.???
Has anyone done this with a Turkey breast?
Never have.. But will put it on my blog if I do!
I fixed your chicken tonight and it was amazing! So delicious! Thanks a bunch for sharing.
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Fantastic chicken very juicy excellent recipe
I was wondering if you have to have the chicken thawed or frozen.
Mine was thawed.. Never tried it frozen.. Anyone that has please let us know!!!
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tried it it is delicous but try putting some of the rub int o the chest cavity so the drippings help put it into the breast meat along with some onion also.
Is it safe to put raw chicken at that low of temp? Wouldn’t bacteria grow faster? I want to try it.
Yes.. Completely safe!
Shantigeary,
I used a thermometer after my chicken was on low for 2 hours, and the temp was around 200°, closer to 210. It was perfectly eatable 🙂
Wish there was a way to print this recipe without wasting a lot of paper. When I tried to print it I got the recipe and 25 more pages which I didn’t need.
@david.. If you preview before printing your printer should show you how many pages will print. Then before you print instead of “printing all” you can tell your printer what pages to print.
…or you could have pulled the other 24 pages out of the printer and cancelled print after the recipe page printed!
Help, I thought my crock pot was big enough for two birds, laying down.. CLEARLY was not.. :0 so Im wondering if any thoughts on cooking them on their side, touching, would be okay
Any way you can get them in there shouldn’t make a difference!
great, thanks! I was just worried about them touching and not cooking all the way through!
I found this on pinterest and made this yesterday. It was fantastic! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Made this last night. So good! I cooked it the entire 8 hours in my newer crock pot. I didn’t have an onion so I just skipped it. It was like a stewed chicken but amazing flavor. The rub is outstanding. Next time I’ll be sure to use an onion for extra flavor and I’ll try checking it earlier. My son loved it and ate half the chicken himself.
Might try cooking carrots and potatoes in there with the bird and then making mashed potatoes out of the potatoes. I bet that would be yummy.
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Since the first time I tried this recipe, we’ve had it once a week- and it gives us a few meals, as there are just two of us. I’ve served it for company and taken it to a potluck… & I’ve lost count of the requests for the recipe. I love that it’s so simple and easy and doesn’t require lots of processed additives. It’s AMAZING! Thanks so much! 🙂
Your welcome!! It’s always so nice to hear how many people enjoy this recipe!!
I’m about to cook this recipe but with breasts only…no bones. Used mrs dash in place of the onion powder and I cayenne. Wll let you know…
Can’t wait to hear how it turns out! 🙂
Love the tip about putting ice in the drippings to solidify fat for easy removal. Genius!
I have to say that when I first saw this on pinterest I could have sworn this picture was mine. I think we must have the exact same crockpot. The only reason I knew this was not my post is because your counter top is so much nicer. 🙂
I do my chicken then exact same way with breast down- always. And I never use liquid.
Omg! Love it. Thank u for sharing!
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Love, love LOVE this recipe! We’ve had it at least once a week since I first saw it on Pinterest. I’ve taken it to potlucks and everyone raves about it. I love that it doesn’t include processed ingredients. Thanks SO much!
I am making this tonight! I put potatoes and onions wedged underneath the chicken then stuffed the cavity with onions 1/2 lemon and some cloves of garlic so excited to try it!
Fabulous recipe! I used this yesterday to make my first whole chicken ever, and it was great. The meat just fell off the bone, and it was so juicy. With loaded mashed potatoes and green bean casserole, my boyfriend was a happy camper. Thanks for sharing!
One thing I do when I cook a chicken in the crockpot – I make a sling out of foil to set in the pot so that when it’s done, I can lift out the whole chicken, place it on a cookie sheet or baking pan and brown it in the oven for 15 minutes or so to ‘brown’ the top!
Great idea!
I have this marinating in the fridge now. Can’t wait to have it for dinner tomorrow!! :o)
This recipe is a HIT in our house! I’m about to make this for the 3rd time since I discovered it last month! Thank You For Yummifying Our Life!
Your so welcome.. Glad you enjoyed!!!
Thanks for another invaomrtife web site. Where else could I get that kind of info written in such an ideal way? I’ve a project that I am just now working on, and I have been on the look out for such info.
I found this a bit spicy for my family’s tastes ( I love spicy but I’m afraid I’m the only one!) I made a chicken in the crock pot tonight using the same methods I used 3tsp salt 1tsp pepper 1tsp garlic powder 2tsp onion powder and 1tsp seasoning salt. It tasted wonderful!
Does the chicken have to be completely thawed out before placing it to cook in crock pot?
Mine isn’t always completely thawed. I’ve had comments of some people putting it in totally frozen and still cooking perfectly!!
I replied below, I usually always put mine in frozen.
Since my family does not care for dark meat, bone-in split chicken breasts are what I opt for. A Crock Pot is an essential kitchen appliance for a working mom.
Just wondering , Will the chicken brown as in an oven ??
Yes it does.. If you want the skin crispier you can put it under the broiler for a few minutes.
This was amazing! Yum!
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I’m assuming that alot of you girls are knitters and crocheters.This is the onlyspot I could find that when knitting or crocheting a large piece put a towel under the piece and you will get the idea when you try it how much easier this is than it slipping out from under you’/
This was WONDERFUL! I had a little fryer chicken that I put in my crockpot. I personally left it sitting in the juices because we dont like onions and I wasnt sure about the aluminum foil trick. At any rate, the meat literally fell off of the bone, I could barely get the chicken out of the crock pot in one piece!
I always cook a whole chicken in a slow cooker. It is really tasty if you put thyme and garlic under the skin before placing in the slow cooker. Adds a wonderful flavor. I also love to use my Romertopf clay baker in the cooler months. Another fabulous way to roast chicken with veggies.
Any crockpot instructions will tell you to always add adequate liquid to prevent crockpot breakage. I would never put a chicken in a crockpot without adding liquid.
Your correct about adding liquid to crock pots. But for a whole chicken there is so much natural juices that develop that if you add any liquid I personally think there would end up being too much.
Has anyone tried this with freshly butchered chicken? We raise our own chicken and I have a few ready to butcher but they are older than usual butcher age so they will be very tough unless cooked slowly or put in a soup. I’m wondering if this would be a good option to try.
I’ve never tried it but I can’t see why not!
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I commented a while back and corrected the cooking time.. I used a older crock pot and it took longer when I first made this…
This was AMAZING! Soo good! We buttered up 2 birds, applied the rub and crammed them both into the same crockpot….they fit super snug with just enough room for the lid. We put the crock pot on high and cooked for 6 hours. Didn’t need the butter, I bet. Old habits die hard. The rub recipe was delicious (made a double batch)….a bit spicy, but we liked it! Will try this again soon! Used some of the juices to make couscous…soo easy! Thanks!!!
This was the best chicken. I prepared the chicken the night before put carrots onion and some cut up potatoes put the chicken breast side down and let the slow cooker do its cooking
There are websites that focus only on Paleo recipes
but there are also personal blogs and websites that have homemade
Paleo diet recipes with the personal touch of the person that
has cooked them. (If you don’t believe in your product or service, what are you doing trying to sell it.
How about blending cucumber and dill for dipping vegetables.
Positively awesome and so easy! I didn’t have the 8 hours to slow cook this, prepped as directed, placed breast side down in my crockpot for 5 hours on high, fell off the bones, moist, delicious!
I have been making chickens, roasted and in the crock pot for about a year now. I really like this rub. It definitely would have more flavor if you put it under the skin with butter and rubbed it on top, but most days I do not defrost my chicken. I put it in the crock pot on high for about 2 hours breast side up with about 1/2-1 cup of water poured in. Then I rub the spices on it, flip it over and rub the spices on the other side (now its breast side down). Cook for the rest of the day on low. I check it when its done, I take it out. A good tip I learned in cutting was to not slice it like a turkey. Cut off the whole breast then slice the breast like bread, it works great. I use the broth that is on the bottom and sprinkle it back over my chicken once its cut, that adds a lot of flavor. When I am done, I break the bones with a pair of pliers or similar tool, throw back in the crock pot with any left over veggies I have laying around. I throw bits of meat in there and leave the skin in there too. Fill the crock pot up with water and cook all night. The next day I have an awesome bone broth. You can cool and put in freezer bags for future soups or I have been canning the broth so I don’t have to defrost. My crock pot makes about 5 pints of broth. So many parts of the chicken have been used and its not hard. You can eat it straight up or shred it and freeze in 2 cup baggies. Then you have already made chicken for taco’s, soup (you can use the broth you made too), creamy chicken over mashed potatoes, rice or biscuits. We love it!
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You can also wrap potatoes in foil and put them in the bottom of the crock pot, very tasty as some of the juice from the chicken will seep into the foil.
Didn’t have all the right ingredients available, so I improvised! I am on the Gulf Coast where we tend to enjoy food with a robust flavor (not always spicy hot, just more flavor than some other portions of the country would care for). Didn’t have a whole chicken, just thighs. Doubled up on the seasoning mixture (except salt), after deboning the chicken, seasoned heavily and browned in med-high oil.
Having worked in the food industry, I have experienced food poisoning first hand from (raw) food not reaching proper temps in a crock pot fast enough to kill off bacteria. Placed red potatoes across bottom of crock pot with sliced onions. Placed brown chicken on top with 1 cup of water that cooked off the fron on the bottom of the skillet used to brown the chicken. I will let this cook over night while I sleep. Will have hot lunches next week courtesy of Donna! Thank you for a great recipe. Will let you know how it turns out.
P.S. Seasoning mixture would make GREAT fried chicken! I had to stop eating the chicken or I wouldn’t have enough for the crock pot.
Thank you Bobby!! Can’t wait to hear how it turns out!!
Donna,
Pulled the lid off after cooking overnite to this awesome aroma! Chicken was moist, tender and had a great flavor. Red potatoes had absorbed some of the liquid and had a nice flavor as well. Next time, I will work at thickening the liquid (if time allows)after the cooking cycle, letting the chicken marinade in the spices before frying it and having it over Basmati Rice. Nice flavor overall. I would recommend this!
I am making this recipe given to me by my daughter. It was so delicious that I had to make it again this week. Thank you..
That alone wwas an egregious oversight on thheir own part, since dcbfdddddkdd
Oh my word..this was SO good!! And SO easy!! Just..wow! My hubby and I had a hard time stopping from eating the whole thing (I had planned on using the leftovers for 2 more meals but I think I maybe have enough left for one). This meal will be repeated often!!
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This is brilliant. We’re making this right now, we’re just waiting for the rice to finish up. We didn’t use the seasonings listed here, we just used our favorite seasonings and we have a considerable amount of broth we’ll be using later. My mom is also gonna try one of the idea’s mentioned above of tossing the bones back in and leaving it over night for broth. Since it’s getting warmer it won’t heat up our house as much. So excited to try it!
Sorry for the double comment just wanted to pop back in to say we LOVED it like this. We did follow the tip from above about making broth with the bones, we left the excess chicken liquid in tossed in the bones, skin and other parts that would just break down more over time and left it over night. It’s still tormenting me with it’s scent. Wonderful will be adding this to our menu roster permanently.
Do you strain broth to remove bones & stuff before freezing? I want to try this! We but pricy organic chicken so I would like to use every last piece I can!
Yes I strain everything thru a cheese cloth before freezing.. Makes fantastic chicken stock!
Sorry for the late reply, yeah, we remove the bones and stuff. We strain it with a handheld pasta strainer (it has very fine holes so only the liquid comes out) It’s SO good this way. We’re actually doing this again tomorrow to serve along with homemade mashed potatoes, cornbread muffins, and cherry cobbler. This is one of my FAVORITE ways to cook chicken now and I literally dream about it because of how good it is.
Just wondering what size chicken you used. Thank you!
Just a small 5 to 6 lb.. thanks for asking!
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I have a cut up whole chicken for frying but looking for a crock pot recipe. Do you think that it being cut up will be a problem?
No not at all… But for less time!
My family LOVES this so much that I make it at least twice a month and there aren’t ever any leftovers. After the chicken is done in the crokpot, I make a gravy out of the juice to pour on baked potatoes. Sometimes, I add extra paprika for a little more kick.
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I’m trying this recipe right now. Couldn’t be simpler. Thank you😍.
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I have made this using your recipe & l have got to say this is the best chicken that l’ve ever eaten!! After l msde it a few times, I’ve started making up a jar of the spices since getting them out, measuring & then putting them away takes longer than the rest of the preparation.
I’ve got a chicken in my crockpot now & can’t wait until it’s done! My house smells so good right now. It’s the only recipe l use for whole chickens.
I’ve made it for friends & they loved it too! Well l better go decide what side dish to make with it. Keep those awesome recipes coming!🙂
I just had a friend ask me for my “crack chicken” recipe (as my family has come to call this. I just want you to know that I found this recipe AGES ago on Pinterest and have used it all along. I like to cook the chicken, pick off of it for dinner on the first night, then freeze the rest in 2-3 ziplocks with the leftover juice (I’m only feeding two now). When I first found the recipe, I’d cook two or three chickens at once and freeze the leftover. I would use those at a later time for chicken noodle soup or chicken dumplings. I’ve also used it for poppyseed chicken and KFC bowl. Such and easy meal! Just wanted you to know this is a cherished family recipe even now in 2024! ❤️
Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback!