The public has spoken–faux rotisserie chicken it is! Don’t worry, my little pretties, we’ll have Texas Sheet Cake soon.
Suffice it to say that me + a whole chicken = culinary disaster. I actually once had a real, true panic attack while skinning a whole raw chicken.
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Make 3 balls of aluminum foil and place them in the bottom of your slow cooker. These hold the chicken off the bottom so the hot air can circulate all around the chicken and so it’s not stewing in its own juices.
Rinse chicken, including the cavity, and pat dry with paper towels. Place the chicken on its back so the breast is facing up and the legs are on the plate. If you want (and I actually strongly recommend that you do UNLESS you’re looking for a neutral flavor), pull the skin up all around the chicken. This does involve sticking your hand between the skin and the breast. Oooh, sounds dirty. Slice a few garlic cloves in half lengthwise and stick them under the skin. You can also arrange a couple sprigs of fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme, and/or sage under the skin. This makes a very pretty chicken when it’s all cooked and adds a lot of flavor.
Rub salt-based seasoning VERY liberally onto the skin of the chicken. Place chicken breast-up on the foil in the slow cooker, cover, turn heat to low, and leave it alone for 7-8 hours.
(And by breast side up I mean, completely opposite of the pictures shown in this post. Hey, you try photographing every step of your dinner and see if you make it all the way through without an upside-down chicken every once and a while…!)
This poor guy has no idea what’s coming…
I actually didn’t take it out of the slow cooker for the last picture because it’s so tender that the legs and wings will literally fall off when you pull it out. But that makes for some yummy chicken! Try it with steak fries or Sara’s Stuffed Bleu Cheese Potatoes.
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Instructions:
Make 3 balls of aluminum foil and place them in the bottom of your slow cooker. These hold the chicken off the bottom so the hot air can circulate all around the chicken and so it’s not stewing in its own juices.
Rinse chicken, including the cavity, and pat dry with paper towels. Place the chicken on its back so the breast is facing up and the legs are on the plate. If you want (and I actually strongly recommend that you do UNLESS you’re looking for a neutral flavor), pull the skin up all around the chicken. This does involve sticking your hand between the skin and the breast. Slice a few garlic cloves in half lengthwise and stick them under the skin. You can also arrange a couple sprigs of fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme, and/or sage under the skin. This makes a very pretty chicken when it’s all cooked and adds a lot of flavor.
Rub salt-based seasoning VERY liberally onto the skin of the chicken. Place chicken breast-up on the foil in the slow cooker, cover, turn heat to low, and leave it alone for 7-8 hours. Try it with steak fries or Sara’s Stuffed Bleu Cheese Potatoes.
Questions & Reviews
April, you know how the skin is kind of loose around the opening? You kind of have to work your hand in there between the skin and the breast and it'll loosen right up. It's pretty gross, I won't lie, but it's the only way… 🙂
In order to get the garlic and herbs between the breast and skin, do you have to slice the skin with a knife? Or is there some secret opening between the two that makes it easier to just slip things in there?
I am currently cooking my chicken right now and I wanted to share a crock pot tip. I love the slow cooker bags they sell in the ziploc aisle in the grocery store. They make clean-up a breeze b/c you don't have to worry about scrubbing off the cooked on juices. Thanks for all of the wonderful recipes! Link to slow cooker liners:
http://www.reynoldspkg.com/reynoldskitchens/en/product.asp?cat_id=1337&prod_id=3200
any tips on what to do w/ the leftover cooking liquid? gravy, or could it be a sort of chicken stock?
Emily–My guess is that it probably got cooked a bit too long. It's SO hard to gauge the time because every bird and every slow cooker is a little different, so probably the best way to make sure it's super moist is to find a reliable meat thermometer and insert it into the thickest part of the breast. When it's 160, it's done. Now…the challenge is finding a reliable meat thermometer, lol! 🙂
Thanks for the recipe! It was really good. Mine was a little dry, though– Any tips on making it moist? It did turn out really tender.
Sunny, you can just eyeball it, but usually a 3-4 lb bird fits well.
I'm so glad to find this. I was just thinking of the recipes I have requiring rotisserie chicken and wishing it were possible to not have to drive to the store to get one. I'm off to buy some whole birds to keep in my freezer!
I read with interest your instructions on how to cook a whole chicken using a slow cooker. Since I just purchased a new Hamilton Beach 6 qt slow cooker with probe, I am anxious to try it out. Any idea on how large a chicken I should try?
Vanessa,
Do you just not like the taste of dark meat? A good solution is to use that part in something like our Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos, where people won't even notice a difference.
As for your question, if you use large chicken breasts on the bone and with skin, it would probably work nicely, and it won't take as long either. But I wouldn't use boneless, skinless chicken for this, that would not get the same results.
Boiling chicken breasts usually results in rubbery, tasteless meat (probably why you don't like it!) So for recipes that call for cooked chicken, try roasting it in the oven instead. It will turn out flavorful and juicy. Use bone-in, or boneless, skinless chicken and place on a foil-lined baking sheet (for easy clean up!) sprinkle the chicken with salt, pepper, and any other desired seasonings. I usually add garlic and onion as well. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven until juices run clear. Boneless, skinless breasts will take less than 30 minutes usually. Let it sit for at least 5 minutes before cutting into it to keep it juicy. SO much better than boiling! Hope that helps!