slow cooker whole chicken is guaranteed to make succulent and tasty chicken with a minimum of fuss. Dress it up with all the garnishes for your Sunday lunch, or serve it with a simple salad for an easy midweek dinner.
We know you’re probably thinking the same thing we are. Can we really call this a slow cooker roast chicken if it’s cooked in the slow cooker and not roasted in the oven?
Truth be told, but if you’ve read any of our other posts, you’ll notice that we’re not shy about saying that the British are the undisputed world masters of grilled dinners. And because we specialize in slow cooking, we’ll also extend it to the slow cooker using it to cook a whole chicken.
<img src="https://www.slowcookerclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Slow-Cooker-Whole-Chicken-7.jpg" alt="
Ingredients
The ingredient list for this recipe is pretty simple, and the steps are short, so it’s an easy recipe to put together!
How-to
Start by cutting the vegetables and laying them at the bottom of the pot to form a rack for the chicken to settle. This will ensure even cooking by making sure that the chicken does not touch the bottom of the slow cooker, and that the base of the chicken is also infused with a lot of flavor.
Mix the herbs and spices
for rubbing, and smother over the chicken with a little oil. Rubbing spices directly on the chicken will ensure that each bite is full of flavor!
Add the chicken to the slow cooker,
then pour the broth over the side of the slow cooker, being careful not to wash the spice mixture off the top of the chicken. The liquid should reach the top of the chicken’s wing.
Then turn on the
slow cooker and wait!
Once cooked, transfer all the chicken into a pan and grill for about five minutes to create a delicious, crispy skin. Let’s be honest, soaked chicken skin is not pleasant to eat or attractive to look at!
Rest under aluminum foil for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
Pro Tips
Whether you’re cooking your chicken in the oven or in the slow cooker, the key to cooking it well (and avoiding dry, tasteless meat!) is in
preparation.
The preparation for this recipe means three things:
- Seasoning. Chicken for a chef is like a blank canvas for an artist: you need to do a little work to add some depth of flavor. This recipe has all the ingredients to create a simple massage that infuses a delicious flavor on the chicken.
- liquid. Always a topic of conversation when cooking slowly. Many recipes tell you to cook large pieces of meat (such as a whole chicken) with minimal liquid. In fact, we have experienced better results by adding a little broth to the pot. The steam generated really adds to that juicy, tender texture when cooked, which is half the slow cooking point! Make sure the liquid reaches the top of the chicken wing for extra moist meat.
- Cooking time. We have several different slow cookers and there are variations in the heat they cook. Take the indicated cooking time as a guide and adjust it accordingly. Use a meat thermometer for the most accurate cooking.
Do all these aspects right and you’re in a winner!
FAQ
How do I test that the chicken is cooked?
Common methods to check that your slow cooker chicken is cooked are:
- If the juices come out clear from both the leg and the breast.
- leg and wing meat is white/gray when cooked
- Or, the most accurate way is to use a meat thermometer, a great investment if you regularly cook meat joints. Insert the catheter into the section between your leg and breast, making sure it is not touching the bone. The temperature should be 75C (165F) when the chicken is well cooked.
Breast meat is white,
.
What toserve it With
If you are looking for a traditional roast chicken dinner, then all the usual vegetables are the perfect accompaniment. Carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, Swedish, sprouts if Christmas is coming!
No roast dinner is complete without some kind of potatoes; either roasted or dauphinoise. Also, traditionalists say that Yorkshire puddings should only be served with beef, but, well… They are wrong. Yorkshire puddings are also absolutely necessary!
Alternatively, if you want to turn it into an American-style feast, serve with macaroni and cheese and chips in a slow cooker!
Can I keep leftovers?
absolutely! Strip the chicken of the meat and use it for a tasty sandwich or risotto.
You can even put the casing back in the slow cooker and make a tasty slow-cooking chicken broth for future soups and sauces.
Recipe
